Therapists in Maryville, IL

Your story is as unique as you are, and there is no one-size fits all approach to therapy. For that reason, I believe it is important to build a strong therapeutic relationship where you feel comfortable sharing your story with me. In doing so, we can work together to develop strategies that will allow you to address the root causes of your difficulties, manage strong negative emotions, and build meaningful social connections with others.

Welcome. You have decided to take one step closer towards making some positive changes in your life. We can work together to manage the difficult challenges that prevent you from leading a more satisfying life. As a solution focused therapist, I utilize a cognitive-behavioral approach to identify problematic behaviors and thought patterns and to develop new strategies of coping. Therapy can produce long lasting benefits for challenges and open the door to a more productive life. Therapy is beneficial for sudden changes, such as death of a loved one, divorce, stress management, and work transitions.

I often work with children, adolescents, and young adults who are experiencing anxiety, depression, stress/adjustment concerns, self-esteem issues, and trauma. I also specialize in helping individuals of all ages cope with the emotional strains that may come with experiencing chronic health conditions. No matter what you are facing in life, times of transition or adjustments in life can be stressful and overwhelming and having someone walk alongside you on your journey can help you unlock your full potential.

If you ever said, “I’m so messed up no one can help me”, or “My life is a wreck.”, then come tell me your story. Lets go on a journey together to find peace, empowerment and a positive change. As a therapist, my mission is to support, validate and help individuals, couples and families to navigate life’s challenges and needs while finding better ways to cope.

Whether you're struggling with a difficult situation, or would like to invest in improving a relationship, taking the first steps to find a counselor can be daunting. We all have struggles and need help from time to time. It's important to find a competent counselor that you can trust. I consider it a privilege to be a counselor, to be invited into my client's stories, and to walk along-side them in the midst of the challenges they are facing.

So much of what happens in life feels outside our control. Hard experiences, in childhood or more recently, can start to dominate our outlook on the future. Nothing can erase bad experiences, but my hope for all of my clients is that they are able to integrate all of their experiences, and better know themselves. By doing this, we can start to understand the foundations of our emotional upheavals and unhelpful reactions. With this information in hand, I believe, we are all best equipped to face our own unique challenges.

I work with clients to identify their strengths and past successes to determine what changes they can make to improve their current situation. I believe in the client’s ability to solve their own problems and direct their lives in a way that is meaningful to them. I enjoy being a facilitator in this process.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with fifteen years of clinical experience. I completed my undergraduate degree in Social Work from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and my Master's degree in Social Work, with an emphasis in Family Systems Theory, at Saint Louis University. I understand that clients are the experts of their own lives and join with clients to determine treatment goals. I work throughout the time we have together focusing on helping those I serve achieve emotional balance.

Helping others find peace, healing and empowerment is the center of my work as a therapist. Drawing from several theoretical approaches, I have helped individuals work through trauma, family conflict, relationship difficulties, and life transitions. I offer a safe place to help individuals heal past wounds, improve relationships and restore balance.

I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and I have lived my entire life in the Metro-east area. I have a profound connection to helping people with emotional and/or psychological issues. Consequently, I received my bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville and obtained a dual masters from Lindenwood University in both Clinical and School counseling. My expertise include depression, self-esteem, grief, anxiety, separation anxiety, children, adolescents, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, ADHD parenting and family issues.

Matt is prepared to work with diverse clients on a variety of topics and has a focus on relationships, communication, shame, guilt, trauma, grief, anxiety, and depression. He allows for his client's to explore and express their thoughts, feelings, and behavior without judgment at a pace that they determine.

I work with women who are struggling with anxiety, fear, stress, abuse, or trauma. Women who feel stuck in life, who have lost their focus and vision, and who want to create a life worth living.

As a mental health clinician, I work with clients on depression, anxiety, ADHD, anger management, grief, separation, parenting skills, communication, and family conflict. These clients come to therapy to improve their quality of life, and gain insight on how their thoughts, mood, and actions impact their overall goals. Therapy is a collaborative process involving both the client and clinician to establish a working relationship that is built on trust, compassion, and empowerment. You are the expert on yourself, and I am your guide through the process. Success comes from both of us working together as a team.

As a therapist, I strive to meet my clients where they're at and increase their self-awareness, which in turn helps them understand their thoughts and feelings in relation to the problems at hand. I realize that my clients are the experts in their own life experiences, therefore, utilize an individualistic approach in working alongside them in efforts to restore emotional balance.

I have been coming alongside individuals and families to provide understanding and motivation. I believe we are capable of finding peace emotionally and spiritually. I like using nature and activities in counseling along with art to help process our stories. We use metaphors in adventure therapy and interactive games in play therapy to grow in new ways. I have experience also as a coach, teacher, and youth leader. We have raised 2 children and had a foster son. I supervise, Paul S, who loves helping couples and men and Cathy T, who enjoys working with women/teens. We all are skilled in interpersonal process therapy.

Life is hard sometimes, for anyone and everyone. I believe each person knows themselves best, and I enjoy assisting clients in better defining and clarifying this understanding. With this understanding, one can truly accept who they are, and this is vitally important to an effective and fulfilling life. I have worked with a variety of clients with issues ranging from depression, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, behavioral issues, divorce reaction, life transitions, self-esteem, among others. I pride my self on my eagerness and devotion to furthering my knowledge and experience, no matter the client or presenting problem.