Therapists in Livingston County, MO

I've provided therapy services for adults, teens, and children for over 8 years. I've found that the individuals who seem to flourish working with me are those who are particularly committed to understanding themselves and their struggles at a deeper level. I work to help facilitate meaningful insights and this often includes exploration of earlier relationships in a client's life. I believe that each person I work with is a unique and complex individual needing services tailored to them.

There are many presenting issues that might bring you to counseling. Finding a therapist that you can connect with and build an alliance with is important to your success in therapy. I work very hard to create a relationship that will provide you the safety and warmth that you need to explore your experiences; I am very comfortable earning your trust. I use different treatment modalities, depending upon which is appropriate for you personally. Empathy is the primary tool used to give you the safety you need to explore your inner world while we begin to understand your experiences together.

Sometimes life is hard. We experience stress, difficult experiences, wounding in relationships, and trauma along with many other experiences. We carry these with us and they show up in our daily lives - in our thoughts, emotions, physical body, relationships with others, relationship with our self. Maybe you've noticed feeling stuck and overwhelmed. Weighed down. Maybe anxious. Maybe you've noticed patterns in your relationships. Maybe physical discomfort and pain. Tension in your body. Maybe you're curious about what you're noticing. Or maybe you’re curious about who YOU are – the authentic you.

We all have strengths to build on and opportunities for growth and change. Counseling can be a helpful tool to work toward whatever goals you have or obstacles you may be facing. I am passionate about working with children and families. My goal is for children to feel confident in who they are and what they can do. I also work to build up families to grow closer and stronger together. I have seen how counseling can be a powerful tool in creating positive change for anyone.

Our lives are so complex and layered. Our relationships are too. We all learn ways of being and patterns of relationship that we're required to outgrow as adults. That type of growth is quite difficult. If you're anything like most of my clients and I, you've tried a lot of different ways of intervening in your problems before seeking therapy. It's hard to accept when we really do need some help from the outside. And yet it's when we are heard and gain insight that we're able to make the changes we're looking for. I'd be glad to listen, share some insights and support your growth.

It can be overwhelmingly scary to know where to begin in your healing journey. Wounds can build upon one another until it all feels like a tangled mess. Childhood and family wounds can dictate the lens in which you see the world. Looking through that lens can be complex and difficult to navigate alone. Whether the symptoms you are experiencing are affecting your current circumstances, creating self-worth issues or relationship difficulties, I love to meet you where you are at, and help you develop goals that lead to a fulfilling life.

Life, laughter, and love are important to living life wholeheartedly, but psychological pain can get in the way. Abuse in the context of a close relationship or a family can create the most pervasive and persistent psych-ache, and may be passed from generation to generation. Whether the source of pain is past trauma, worry about the future, or even current jobs or relationships, I am here to help! I often see clients whose trauma began in domestic abuse in the forms of emotional, psychological, physical, sexual, or financial abuses.

We are not meant to live life alone, but rather deeply involved in relationships. Some of these relationships are highly successful, while others have come with great loss, significant struggle or just the every day difficulty of learning to live and enjoy life with another person. I believe in the value of working through personal problems in the context of building stronger relationships. I will help you work through this on a personal level or with whomever you are needing to have a restored relationship with.

Our mission is to provide the highest quality therapy and counseling in Lee's Summit, MO and the surrounding community. For issues ranging from anxiety and depression to family systems, and trauma. We believe in the power of relationships but understand that most of us have experienced obstacles in our lives that leave us hurting, isolated and alone. Our therapists are professionally certified to provide the best evidence-based care to support your self-exploration and mental health journey.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Missouri with over 15 years of experience supporting individuals, couples, families, and groups with a wide variety of presenting concerns. I have experience working in outpatient settings, residential treatment programs, psychiatric rehabilitation centers, and as an adjunct professor for the University of Missouri.

I firmly believe that everyone has within them what they need to overcome their problems, achieve their goals, and improve their lives. Sometimes, we just need some support to help us figure out who we are and what is important to us to bring about change. I strive to be a warm and caring therapist who will meet you with authenticity and “realness.” I work to strike a balance between curiosity, compassion, and challenge to establish a safe space for you to honestly explore yourself and your struggles, sit with unpleasant feelings, and develop trust in your ability to make decisions consistent with your values.

Therapy is a safe space to be seen and heard without fear of judgement. Here you can be your authentic self, with all your complex thoughts and feelings, and together we can work to find meaning and hope.

Life struggles may sometimes prevent us from fully being our true selves, interfering with the hopes, dreams and wishes we have for our lives. When the weight of relationship stress, emotional discomfort, loss, life transitions, etc. leaves you feeling unbalanced or unfulfilled, you do not have to carry it alone. It is my sincerest desire to carry it with you offering a process of emotional healing, exploration and self-discovery. As we journey towards a restored sense of balance and harmony, I encourage you through your process until you feel secure, connected and can experience peace.

You're tired of regular "talk therapy" and are sick of being stuck in a cycle that leaves you feeling burnt out. Maybe you are LGBTQ+ or Neurodivergent and need someone who understands the nuances of that. Do you want to learn distress tolerance skills to use in moments where it seems like the overwhelming emotions you feel are a dangerous tidal wave about to crash around you? Are you a caretaker who has discovered how overstimulating parenting is and want to improve your own emotional regulation so that you can help your child regulate? You are capable of the hard things. Let me help you find that capability within yourself!

I believe identity is a critical part of self-understanding and healing. For this reason, I enjoy working with folks who are looking to explore their identities which might include sexuality, gender, race, religion, physical and mental ability, and roles in society. I am cognizant that our identities shape our personal and lived experiences in the world, and this continually impacts how and what we need to heal. I approach therapy from a non-religious standpoint, but have a deep interest in how religion impacts people, including ways that it can act as a source of trauma, while also acknowledging that it can be a source of support.

If you are a human person looking to improve and understand your experiences with living, I am here to help. Whether this is your first experience with counseling or you are well-seasoned in the ways of talk therapy, I'm glad you are exploring the idea. Counseling can and will help work through things like depression, anxiety, trauma, body image issues, relationship concerns, general dissatisfaction with life, and numerous other bumps in the road.

My specialty is couples and families. I mostly work with partners who are struggling with communication issues, infidelity, trust, and conflict. I often work with families who are struggling with boundaries and family arguments, as well as issues stemming from a new marriage with children from previous relationships.

As a certified PCIT & Perinatal Therapist, the majority of my work is with women in the reproductive years, and parents in the early years of parenthood. I enjoy working with women and their partners through all stages of reproduction; trying to conceive through postpartum. I also have a passion for working with parents and their young children who are struggling with disruptive behaviors and are looking to improve parent-child relationships.