I enjoy helping adolescent and adult clients go beneath the surface to gain a deeper understanding and promote healing of the concerns that lead them to therapy. I believe in the importance of exploring the brain-body connection with those I work with to improve brain health, and ultimately mental health. I have specialized training in working with individuals who have experienced traumatic events. My training also includes working with juveniles who have committed sexual offenses.

25 years of helping individuals and families has been a gift I am honored to share with you. Life can be difficult. Learning new perspectives can alleviate symptoms of anxiety, hopelessness, confusion, concentration challenges, fatigue, emotional volatility, body symptoms, risky behavior, or difficult relationships. I provide personalized support utilizing many different techniques to encourage and empower clients to live more authentically and get positive results. I get to know you and your unique strengths and talents while providing support and building self confidence to achieve more satisfaction in life. Change for the better!

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with 24 years experience in working with individuals, youth, and couples. Through various intervention strategies, I help individuals work through unresolved issues, poor communication, or broken trust of others, toward conflict resolution. I assist in helping people to understand that there is always a positive to every negative, and that everyone has a capacity for growth.

I believe that HOPE is the true essence of an enriched life and as a professional counselor I am called to restore or enhance hope in challenging situations. I seek to alleviate emotional and psychological pain and suffering that is caused by a variety of events and circumstances and to restore the ability for each person to experience peace, hope and joy in life. I believe every person has a story and that every human being deserves respect and dignity no matter the circumstances.

The struggles we all have are unique to each individual, just as I approach therapy. I don't believe in a cookie cutter approach to therapy. From the young child experiencing anxiety to the adult in pain. The strategies, approaches, and methods are tailored to that individual. My ultimate goal is for the client to achieve self growth, understand themselves better, and make the changes needed in their life to succeed. I am there to guide my clients when necessary, as well as challenge them. All in a respectful, kind, and loving way.

I provide therapy services from my office location in downtown Eau Claire. I am also partnered with the Elk Mound School District to provide therapy services to students at Elk Mound Schools. You can find my publication, regarding teen/parental perspectives, in the Chippewa Valley Family Magazine's September/October 2018 issue (page 12). For further business information, educational materials and informational articles, please visit my Facebook page: Karah Gonstead, LCSW

As a Marriage and Family Therapist I work with children (5 or older), adults, and couples of all kinds looking to break the unhealthy cycles that cause us to get stuck. I think therapy should be a space for all to heal from the past and learn new tools to live a brighter and more fulfilled life. I will not pretend to know what is best for you, however, I will offer my opinion and challenge you as we work together to find ways to tackle life’s hurdles. I am warm, empathetic, and value the work you put into being your best. I strive to make therapy a personalized experience that you feel is helpful and not just a quick fix.

Hello and welcome to my Psychology Today web directory. Thank-you for your interest in working with me. When you're wounded, lost or struggling it can be difficult to reach out to find the right kind of help that can empower you to take back your life. Whether you're facing difficult relationships, chronic health problems, traumatic life experiences, depression, anxiety and despair, or simply a feeling that you must be missing out on something everyone else seems to have... I want you to know this:

Trying to find your place in this world? Struggling to make changes in your life? Know where you want to go or be in life but can't figure out how to get there? I enjoy working with people battling any kind of "stuckness" including relationship issues, addictions, and issues faced by adolescents. I primarily work with individuals and couples, but also work with a family when needed. I am often described as energetic, with a great sense of humor. If you need someone to help motivate and encourage you to make changes, then I am the therapist for you.

I am a licensed marriage and family therapist and although this is my specialty, I am trained to provide psychotherapy services for a variety of services including: grief, couples, family, individual, group, and marriage counseling. I have experience working with a multitude of different issues ranging from depression, post-traumatic stress, anxiety, trauma, career counseling, coaching, anger management, work-life issues/balance, etc. I feel that the client is the expert of their lives and my duty is to provide unbiased, and non-judgmental support. I offer a laid back approach in order to foster a peaceful therapeutic environment.

My experience in multiple settings has allowed me to develop diverse skills, build rapport and respond in an empathetic and supportive manner when working with individuals and families. I enjoy working with individuals (age 4-adult), couples and families to address mental health, including and not limited to: depression, anxiety, eating disorders, trauma, relationship, home and work related concerns, as well as substance use and behavior management.

Do you want immediate relief and help? I have a significant success rate with anyone living with anxiety, depression or relationship issues. My therapy style is best described as honest and strategic in helping you discover the root of your problem and coming up with solutions that fit your specific problem. Life can be hard yet you can achieve happiness through all of it. Learning to really live life on life's terms is the key! As an LMFT and Ph.D. in counseling I can help you take a leap of faith and start working on you!

Is anger that goes out of control ruining your life? Is depression driving you into the ground? Is your family life not going right? I can help you find solutions for above by working together with you. Life can be very stressful given the speed and options of society today. Sometimes you can get lost in this and it causes a disruption in your mental health. It helps to get and objective resource to help you find your way back to feeling more emotionally sound and in better control of your life.

Choosing to begin therapy is a brave decision. My supportive and empathic nature will help you to navigate the struggles you are facing and develop solutions to everyday problems. As a therapist, I utilize a collaborative and flexible approach to ensure you are an active part of the process. I believe that humor and lightheartedness are vital in the therapy room. I incorporate mindfulness-based interventions, expressive art activities, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing techniques into my work.

My passion is helping people with DEPRESSION. I want my patients to feel empowered because their symptoms leave them feeling powerless. One of my most important roles as a psychiatrist is to instill hope for my patients. Depression is treatable, and with TMS therapy along with medication management, we have even more options for patients who struggle.

I have been 8 years of clinical experience and specialize in forensic social work and extensive experience working with clients who have issues with addictions, depression, anxiety, and bipolar.

With nearly 30 years of experience counseling couples, my practice centers on guiding partners to uncover and address patterns of relating that hold you back from having loving relationships. Unhealthy patterns find their way into your partnership, creating a viscous cycle of conflict, distancing and withdrawal over time. I often see couples in which one of you may have lost hope and is contemplating divorce. In this situation, I will guide you through a process of "Discernment Counseling" to gain clarity and confidence in making a thoughtful decision.

Having extensive experience and clinical supervision with adolescent and adults in various health settings, I have come to appreciate the uniqueness of each person and the journey they are on to wellness. I am non-judgemental and don't feel it is necessary to shame or parent those I work with. In addition to being a psychologist, I am also a college professor, working with students pursuing master and doctorate degrees and a clinical supervisor. These unique perspective allows me to stay on the cutting edge of research and therapeutic approaches to a variety of issues.