Therapists in Ames, IA

I believe that creating a safe environment for my client and developing a caring relationship is critical to successful therapy. I work adolescents and adults who have experienced abuse and trauma to expand internal resources, heal from past experiences, and explore new directions. I work with an emphasis on using Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). I work with individuals on problems related to school, family communication, anxiety, eating disorders, depression, conflict with peers, self- harm, and abuse. I am certified in Prepare/Enrich for pre-marital or married couples.

I work with individuals of all ages to expand internal strengths and resources, and overcome stressors and barriers to life satisfaction. I have worked with college students, children, adolescents adults and families. I utilize a trauma sensitive approach in working with behavioral and emotional concerns. I strive to develop a positive and comfortable therapeutic relationship in a safe environment.

I am a Clinical and Sport Psychologist and view sitting with a client as a humbling and rewarding experience. I believe that a strong therapeutic relationship serves as the foundation to growth. My work is collaborative, integrative, and flexible. I work to balance interpersonal processes, insight-building, and skill development. My style is rooted in being client-centered, exploring the relationship between thought, emotion, and behavioral processes, acceptance and commitment, value driven behavior, and multicultural humility.

I have over 20 years of experience as a counselor. I do my best to develop a warm, safe environment for you to explore and grow. I work with all ages to expand internal resources, heal from past negative experience and explore new directions. I feel it is an honor to with clients, connecting the pieces of each person's unique experiencial puzzle and exploring ways to have more freedom to form the future.

I enjoy mending families and relationships. I enjoy working with children, helping them to overcome difficult situations, communicate their emotions and needs, healing from trauma, and developing their goals. I enjoy helping those struggling with mental illness fight through their symptoms, realize their worth, and push them over that mountain to what they want to accomplish. I enjoy working with people like you. We all have problems, we all go through tough times. Let me help you get through your current struggle.

The ideal client is one that can be open to trusting the process of diving deeper in getting to know oneself. Sometimes, this does not happen right away, but the first step is to be open to trying. As a therapist, it is my job to earn your trust, and once that is accomplished, then the next steps can start. I am inspired by peace, compassion, and respect. I am energized by people who still want to dream and know that it's never too late. If a client has lost their belief in dreaming and hoping, then it's my job to invite the client back into that possibility.

Each person, couple, and family comes to therapy with a unique story and need. Yours is important and worthy of being understood and cared for. Whether you are looking for a listening ear, are considering a new way to overcome an issue, or are hoping for guidance toward a specific goal, you are welcomed. I guide individuals, couples, and families in working through and beyond anxiety, depression, trauma, relational distress, and other difficulties. I believe in the importance of identifying change that positively impacts both the present and the future, encouraging long-lasting fulfillment.

Counseling doesn’t have to be so uptight, am I right? I approach therapy in an informal, nonthreatening way. I’m happy to inspire a laugh—or to just lend an ear. I accept my clients as they are, but I also help them find the courage to transform into who they want to be. Life is too short to be anything but authentic. I spent 23 years as a newspaper feature writer before changing careers. I fully recognize that I’m no longer the author of someone else’s story. Rather, I want my clients to look at the narrative of their lives and decide, for themselves, the direction their own story takes. I only hope to facilitate the process.

Welcome! I'm so glad you're here! My name is Shidonna Steen and I am a licensed Master's level -Social Worker serving as a remote therapist in Iowa. As your therapist, I will meet you where you are in your current life journey and will "walk" alongside you as you determine where you want to go. I strive to provide you with an authentic and welcoming atmosphere to help you feel heard and understood. I have worked in inpatient/outpatient and school-based settings. I have experience helping individuals with anxiety, depression, life transitions, grief and self-esteem.

I believe that childhood interactions play a huge part in the development of psychological pain, wounds, and hurts. I am sensitive to the process of therapy and work hard to make it a safe and trusting space for you and myself to work together. The here and now interactions in the room are important and I intentionally use them to foster the healing process. Your strengths and goals are important to the way I work because my aim is to free up the energy that has been suppressed by pain so that you can focus on the things that are important to you.

I enjoy working with families and children and have done so in one capacity or another for 25 years. It was while I was working in the field of addictions that I realized how the family system influences and shapes us. I joined the American Association of Christian Counselors in 1998 and like to incorporate my faith in the counseling process. I am a foster and adoptive parent, which lead to my interest in attachment and trauma issues. I provide therapy for anxiety, depression, co-dependency, sexual abuse and addictions, as well as play therapy for children with behavior problems.

I am a compassionate and collaborative mental health counselor who will help you focus on your experience to formulate and achieve your individual or family goals. I believe you are the expert in your life and should be in the driver’s seat of your therapy experience. I am dedicated to providing a safe and supportive environment and committed to helping you build the skill and insight you need to heal. I am skilled in helping you identify your strengths and work through your challenges to achieve your goals.

I am a licensed mental health counselor and a certified EMDR therapist. I believe that all people are capable of healing and growth, and am honored to work with you towards your goals. My clinical areas of interest include working with survivors of trauma including intergenerational trauma, violence and interpersonal trauma, and racial/ethnic trauma, as well as the treatment of mood disorders, anxiety, adjustment disorders, and personality disorders. I am experienced in helping clients work through sexuality and relationship issues, identity exploration, and chronic shame.

Making the decision to reach out to a counselor for the first time is a challenging step to take. I provide a safe environment for my clients to explore their reasoning for seeking mental health counseling services by actively listening to their concerns and needs in order to assist them in the process of sorting through various life challenges. I enjoy listening to each individual's story and encourage them to use their strengths as a tool for overcoming these life challenges and building a safe environment for client's to meet their goals and to make a treatment plan tailored specifically to them.

It's an honor and privilege to work with clients during, what might be, some of their most difficult moments in life. I find it rewarding to hear each client's story, help clients embrace their strengths, recognize personal resiliency factors, and feel more empowered. My approach is collaborative and integrative. I strive to create an affirming environment and atmosphere of safety, trust, and acceptance. Also, it's essential for me to understand client's worldview and cultural identities. I believe that a safe, supportive, and caring therapeutic relationship is an integral part of the change process.

I utilize an integration of cognitive behavioral (CBT), person-centered, and solution focused therapy to help you identify the thoughts, emotions and behaviors interfering with your ability to be successful and achieve the balance and self-esteem to successfully meet the challenges in life, work, and relationships. We will work on disputing negative beliefs, and learning techniques that help create a positive energy and mindset that makes it possible to live a fulfilling life.

We care about people and this is visible in the services we provide. The owner, Jocelyn Wilson, is a clinical social worker with 15+ years of experience. She holds Master of Social Work / Master of Divinity degrees from the University of Chicago. Francine Ybarra-Rojas is marriage and family counselor with 25+ years of experience in Europe, Central and South America. She holds a Master of Family Studies Degree from Iowa State University. Both clinicians have experience in rural / urban / suburban settings with ages 3+. They blend traditional & expressive methods to help people shift out of inertia toward something new.

I am a Licensed Independent Social Worker who has been providing therapy and counseling services for over 10 years. I have felt honored to be a witness to the growth, change, and healing that can occur in an individual or family's life through the therapy process. I aim to help people be healthier and happier in their lives and relationships.

Building a strong therapist - client relationship is the basis of my therapeutic approach. I'm interested in working clients who are struggling in their current life stage or circumstances. Therapy is hard work, but through challenging dysfunctional thought processes and behaviors, change is possible.