Therapists in Webster Groves, MO

While my passion is helping people find the joy in life, I am also dedicated to improving the counseling profession. As a past President of both the American Counseling Association of Missouri and the Missouri Mental Health Counselors Association, I have worked to help professional counselors and the field of counseling in the state of Missouri. I extend this focus of helping the profession to teaching and supervising individuals who are pursuing professional counseling as a career.

We are wired to repeat deeply learned patterns that, at a certain point, no longer serve us. Whether it’s in your personal relationships, or your relationship with yourself, at times you may find yourself feeling stuck in a repetitive loop, with outcomes that feel undesirable or out of your control. Together we can identify and explore these patterns in order to define your goals and work towards meaningful growth.

Ideal clients seeking my guidance encompass a spectrum of individuals, couples, and families. Their issues span from personal struggles to relationship challenges. They seek understanding, connection, and strategies to navigate life's complexities. Their aspirations include finding harmony, fostering stronger bonds, and rediscovering purpose. By equipping them with tools and insights, I facilitate transformative journeys toward enhanced well-being and thriving relationships.

I offer short-term & long-term therapy focusing on depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties, LGBT and gender identity exploration, adoption and parenting issues, PTSD, complex stress and trauma, & substance use. As a clinician, I approach my work from a holistic, trauma-informed lens. An individual's mental health and overall happiness are based on a number of different factors that are unique to that individual. Therapy is a collaborative effort that takes compassion, reflection, & creativity. Therapy is a financial commitment, but it's also an investment in your emotional well-being, relationships, and quality of life.

I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and seasoned yoga instructor with over 20 years experience. I take a body-centered approach and specialize in couples and individuals under stress. I am a member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and also the United States Association for Body Psychotherapy. If you are tired of talking about your issues and getting nowhere, then I can help. I go beyond traditional talk therapy methods to get to the heart of the problem, so that you can mend that great divide of heart, body and mind and get the love you deserve.

When you seek therapy, it is usually because something doesn't feel right. The reasons for this are not always in your consciousness. The therapy process is a journey during which, through exploration, you can uncover issues that lie beneath the surface. You become a student of the self. I can guide you on this journey. By making connections between past and present and recognizing repeated patterns of behavior, you can begin to see the "big picture," and make decisions that can bring about the changes you hope to achieve.

I believe that through being respected, listened to, feeling validated and cared about, the healing process is well under way. Whether experiencing depression, anxiety, fear or shame, unresolved pain from the past, or difficulties currently, we will explore your problems together and they will all make sense. I have helped clients with: eating disorders; alcohol and drug addictions; unresolved childhood trauma; depression; anxiety; grief; post-traumatic stress; LGBTQIA related issues; and relationship problems. My approach is eclectic and collaborative. I will help you find a way to heal and change that works for you.

Over half of my work is with couples. Through training and supervision in Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), I can see and hear needs and feelings long hidden for fear of being hurt again. I empathize and acknowledge real wrongs and real emotional damage to trust and respect. I hear both sides. I also offer hope. I can see when marital conflict itself offers evidence that partners still desire and need each other. I know how difficult a process forgiveness and then trust building really are. Slowly, when even one is ready to love again, I equip both to express their hearts with a gentle strength, and to hear with compassion.

Is Therapy for you? Life is an incredible journey but is not without its challenges. While some of those experiences are beyond our control, many are the outcome of our choices. We can find ourselves in unfulfilling relationships, challenging times or lack luster careers. Our thoughts can take us to negative places where depression, anxiety and feelings of being overwhelmed may take control. Usually people seek out therapy when they are having a hard time managing it alone. It's one of those things that we resist, convinced that we can work it out ourselves. Most of the times we do yet when we feel unhappy, therapy can help.

I am a licensed clinical social worker who practices both individual and couples therapy. I have extensive experience working with client's from diverse backgrounds. My training as a social worker has given me the understanding of how both childhood and current life circumstances impact people. I work to assist client's in understanding how they deal with these problems. My goal is never to provide answers for people, but to help people to understand themselves so that they can function and operate independently of their conflicts and problems.

I believe change is possible! I help people just like you improve their relationships and build healthy interpersonal and family interactions by highlighting your strengths and resources, and helping you develop new coping strategies. I help families in crisis due to school issues, relationship issues and economic issues. I work with grief and specializes in issues related to pregnancy loss, infertility, life transitions for women including career issues, relationships, child birth, adoption, empty nesting, divorce and menopause.

Change is powerful. We all have the capacity to change, however many times people are overwhelmed by the unknown. I believe that you have the resources and problem-solving skills to affect change. Through the use of collaborative questioning I can aid in discovering solutions to your concerns. I believe change is always occurring and relatively small changes can lead to large changes. My systems base approach encourages positive thinking, for example what is working in your life, to establish therapeutic goals based on issues that are important.

I have 25+ years experience working with individual adults, and couples, on a wide range of issues including depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship issues, grief and loss, self esteem and other challenges to well being. My desire as a therapist is to provide a place of safety in which these issues can be addressed. I utilize a combination of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy.

Compassion. Insight. Empowerment. I strive to make counseling an approachable experience through genuine support, compassionate guidance, warmth, and humor. I believe psychotherapy is a therapeutic partnership between client and therapist; that listening, understanding and respecting each patient's unique story is necessary for bringing about positive change. I have experience working with children, teens, adults, couples, and families. My goal is to help clients recognize and change counterproductive patterns in their lives and learn skills that can lead to a more fulfilling, peaceful, and rewarding life.

Have you ever asked yourself “is this what it is supposed to be like?” Feel like your needs are not being met, perhaps you don’t know what YOUR needs are let alone you spouse’s? Shouldn’t it be easier to talk to the person you love than anyone else? Has your trust been broken? Are you fighting to get passion you once had in your relationship back? Is an evening at home for you and your significant other spent staring at each other’s phone. Would you like to find that connection you once had or perhaps you have never been able to develop such a connection. Learn the skills necessary to navigate the ups and downs of a lifetime

It takes courage to walk in and sit down with someone to share your story. An honest story that includes stress, anxieties, sadness, grief, and emotional suffering. My intention as a therapist is to create a safe and inclusive space for clients. This space allows individuals to open up and be present with the emotions, thoughts, and feelings that make up the human experience. I currently specialize in working with adults struggling with depression, anxiety, grief and loss, life transitions, and relationship issues.

Are you experiencing distress in your marriage or relationship? Are you dealing with depression or anxiety? Is your work or family life stressful? Do you need to find greater balance or deal with a major life transition? I am a licensed psychologist and licensed clinical social worker with over 35 years of counseling experience. My specialties include: couples counseling, adolescent issues, depression, anxiety, and life coaching. I am an empathetic and compassionate counselor who understands emotional difficulties and the challenge of balancing personal needs, family, and career.

I believe almost all problems are solvable. If you decide to see me for therapy, the first thing I'll probably ask is, "What's going on? Why have you come?" Perhaps you're having difficulty with a relationship or your struggling with a child or your weight. You may be trying to decide if you want to continue in a relationship or look for another job. Or you've noticed that you're drinking too much or getting too angry or obsessing. Maybe you're feeling anxious, depressed or lonely, and despite your best efforts, you can't seem to shake these feelings.

How do you know when you need help with your mental health? Is it in times of hopelessness or extreme isolation or sadness or when things suddenly take an unexpected turn? How do you know when you need to be “seen” for who you truly are by those who matter most to you? Many of us don't know what to do when these very human needs surface. It may seem too late…but it is never too late to invest in your emotional health by enlisting the help of a Licensed Professional Counselor. Self doubt and hectic schedules may make us question how valid our emotional needs are, but if your heart and mind are speaking it is time to listen.