Therapists in Jackson County, MO

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker/therapist with over 30 years of clinical experience. I specialize in helping adults who with depression, PTSD, and anxiety. Additionally, I have extensive experience working with people who are struggling with alcohol or substance abuse. I specialize in helping LGBTQ and elderly clients. I am available on to work with you in setting goals for treatment. During the initial visit, we will begin discussing what brought you to therapy and what you would like to receive from our sessions together.

What does it mean to feel safety and connection? As individuals we strive to have our social, emotional, and physical needs met. We strive to advocate for equity with ourselves, friends, families, and societal systems. The journey towards safety and connection can be overwhelming, tiresome, and different for each person. Have you ever pondered questions like… where do I start? When was a time I felt safety and connection? Do I feel whole? If you have asked yourself or other’s the above question, you might be ready to start to find those answers for yourself.

Accepting new clients! I'm so glad you are here. The hardest part of getting help is reaching out to make that first appointment and you are one step closer. Childhood mental health issues have been rising for awhile now and we saw an even bigger increase the past few years. Not only are our children struggling, it is hard work learning to parent our children with mental health needs. Navigating depression, anxiety, mood swings, trauma, etc is not meant to be done alone. I believe in working alongside you, your child, and family as we tackle issues together.

Hello! I'm Vanessa, co-owner of Secure Counseling Clinics. I've lived in KC for 20 years with my husband, 4 children, 3 dogs, 2 cats, 1 bearded dragon, and a flock of backyard chickens! I'm a Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in both MO and KS, Nationally Certified Counselor, Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor, and KS board-approved clinical supervisor. My heart work is helping humans with complex trauma. Couples, as well as parents and their children, work with me to form secure attachments with each other. I help clients experiencing relationship difficulties and those who experience pain from circumstances or losses.

Everyone's response to trauma is different. With years of experience working with survivors of abuse and neglect, my approach is personalized to align with your therapeutic goals. Working together, my purpose is to offer a safe and trusting environment to establish a variety of tools to enhance empowerment, self-awareness, reduce symptoms of emotional disturbances, and stress management skills.

Taking a look at your life and realizing that you aren't happy, even though it seems like you "should" be, is tough. Even tougher is if you're a parent and feeling overwhelmed with this new identity, wondering how to be the best parent you can be, and also be able to find space for yourself at the same time. It isn't always easy to know which step will take you toward a more meaningful life. If you're reading this, you are taking a step to get the support you deserve so you can create a life you love and be the parent you hope to be. Your healing matters, and your story matters.

Hello, and welcome! I’m glad you’ve found your way to this space. Life is hard sometimes! We can all use a little help. I work to help you feel less overwhelm—and more of the joy and belonging you are searching for. I help you find a way out of distress or feeling stuck, and back to your best self. We’ll figure out the map to your best self together, and then start moving toward an increased sense of joy, strength, calm, and freedom. If that is something you’d like for yourself, contact me for a consultation. It is my honor to accompany so many wonderful people on the journey to wellness!

Don’t continue doing life closed off and disconnected. Open yourself up to connection and find the peace you’ve been needing. I want to help, but more importantly, I want to point you back to you. You don’t deserve to keep living in the dark. There is hope for all the parts of you.

Suffering, while valuable, doesn’t have to define you or your story. If you’re wanting to move beyond old hurts, or feeling stuck despite desiring change, together we can re-author your story to include healthier ways of thinking, feeling, and being. In addition to my office in Brookside, KCMO, I also offer sessions via Telehealth for those who are unable to leave home or feel it is a better fit.

It's hard to find a therapist. Especially when you're not feeling your best. I applaud you for getting this far. Now it's time to invest in your relationship with yourself. I know what it’s like to feel alone with your problems. Maybe you have no one to talk to. Or maybe you feel bad making your friends, your family, or your partner listen to your problems again. I know what that feels like, and I’m here. I’m ready to listen. It’s time to let go of anxiety, sadness, frustration, anger, and shame. I want to process these things with you. You don’t have to go through this alone anymore.

Making the choice to begin therapy is not a sign of weakness; choosing to deal with stressors is actually a sign of incredible strength. Therapy is for everyone. Life is crazy and often hard, and we are not pre-programmed with all the answers. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed and unclear on how to make things better. I know that you and your relationships are worth the time and investment. My areas of specialization include working with couples to communicate more respectfully and authentically and helping adult individuals navigate life transitions.

It is important to find the right therapist after you have taken the step to get help. My work with clients is collaborative and I strive to connect in a meaningful way with people who work with me. Give me a call and let’s talk, I answer and return calls personally.

I have a special interest in working with clients who are looking for therapy that addresses the influence of sociocultural and systemic factors in their presenting concerns. I find that this approach helps clients better understand the nature of their symptoms that may manifest as traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, grief and loss. I've also helped clients explore their authentic selves in a deeper way whether it's around gender identity, sexual orientation, racial, and/or ethnic identities. You can expect that space will be made for us to uncover parts of you that need room to exist and wants to be tended to.

Good change is still change and can be difficult to navigate alone. Are you someone who has come to the other side of survival mode but has not figured out how to thrive? Are old patterns of behavior still impacting your overall ability to have a healthy relationship with yourself and with others? Are you struggling to increase wanted behaviors and decrease unwanted behaviors? Are you able to be unmindful of worry? I help those who are doing “everything right” but aren’t living the life they want. The ones who have survived much but are not sure how to move and heal forward.

The path to wellness and freedom involves choosing to start or continue a journey of healing and restoration. My desire is to help individuals, couples, and families along their own unique paths of transformation, change, and growth. I believe that emotional and relational wellness are an important piece of a holistic picture of health. I am a proponent of therapy because I have personally experienced the benefits and the sense of empowerment that comes from the process.

My approach is grounded in meeting folks where they are in the moment, and not asking them to feel, look, or act like someone they’re not. I believe that every person has worth and value because of their identity, and I love helping other people tap into their worth. I believe that all humans have the innate capacity to not only overcome difficult experiences, but to heal and thrive, and when we overcome difficult experiences or emotions, we are stronger and more resilient. Lasting change requires work, but when we put in that work we harness the power to define our experience rather than letting our experience define us.

Jennifer (Jenni) Liles is the owner of Responsive Mental Health Services LLC. I believe that all of us can live fulfilling lives that contains moments of joy in between and around the difficult times. Therapy should allow us to experience ourselves as valuable human beings with something to offer. I would like to help you achieve that. I have extensive experiencing helping people through trauma, grief, depression, and anxiety, and out the other side. I work from a queer-friendly and neurodivergent perspective with people aged 12 and up.

Feeling stuck? Not feeling like yourself? Do the stressors of daily life seem bigger to you than you believe they feel to others? I work with clients from early childhood through all phases of adulthood. I specialize in trauma, perinatal concerns (infertility, pregnancy, postpartum mood struggles, traumatic birth, and loss), as well as neurodivergence (Autism, ADHD, and more), gender/sexual expansiveness, and anxiety and depression.

Are you or your child/teen feeling extra anxious these days? It makes sense given that the last few years have brought challenges that we are all still trying to understand! Whether you're a young person, a parent or a seasoned adult, we all need to sit with someone who deeply cares and listens to our story and can help us work through the complexities of being human- no matter what your age is! I am here for you.