Teletherapy for Kansas City, KS

Marla specializes in Family Interventions for any and all behaviors related to addiction. For 22+ years Marla has had the satisfaction of coaching, mentoring and re-integrating individuals, couples and families back into a new healthy, family system and/or community customized to the individuality and uniqueness of the family unit. Our mission is to create the largest effort to date in order to enable the release of the forces that are keeping them stuck and to re-build the integrity of the individuals who reside within the potential family powerhouse.

What if you woke up one morning and found yourself living your best life? What would that be like for you? Would you be emotionally, spiritually and mentally balanced as that means for you? Would the experiences from your past that you secretly harbor no longer have power over you? Would you be able to dream again? Would you and your family know how to handle conflict and be able to enjoy life together? Would you and your significant other have a relationship where both of you felt heard and cared for emotionally, physically and spiritually? Would the noise of life be quiet enough for you to plan your day and set obtainable goals?

Life is hard and at times can leave us feeling overwhelmed or exhausted. This is not a sign something is wrong with us, but that we are daring to really live. Whether you are seeking to become a better version of yourself, struggling in an important relationship, or facing a life transition, therapy can provide the support you need to move forward. I work with individuals, couples, and families, helping them to become more present to themselves and others, enabling them to experience more peace, love, and joy in their daily lives.

Life is a journey, and during the inevitable times when rocky waters toss us around, it helps to have a person in your life who has successfully navigated the rivers, and made it to the other side, where the waters are calm and smooth. I have always been the person people opened up to about what was bothering them. I was born to witness your journey. I am a professionally trained counselor and art therapist. I want to help you understand what has gotten you to this point in your life and determine where to go from there.

I am passionate about helping clients become curious about themselves and the subconscious patterns that direct their lives. My approach is both gentle and direct. I utilize an integrative counseling approach and offer clients a safe space to go inward and get curious in order to stimulate deep and lasting healing.

It can be exquisitely painful to parent when the hurts from your own childhood still feel so large. Bad things happened to you growing up, and that's not your fault. I know you're doing your best, and you want to do better for your own kids. You are the bravest human to want to do better for your kids. It IS possible to heal from these wounds... It's just really hard to do by yourself. But you deserve to be the parent you want to be! Both for yourself and for your kids.

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) is a different and fun way to reach children, adolescents, and young adults without the stigma of talk therapy. EAP is an alternative therapeutic approach that addresses mental health concerns and everyday life challenges by teaming up with caring therapists and horses. This type of therapy often reflects clients' verbal and nonverbal strengths and incongruencies while enhancing personal growth and development. This experiential, holistic approach works well with solution-focused therapy (SFT) and other evidence-based treatment modalities, e.g., ACT, CBT, DBT, and EMDR.

I encourage my clients to lean into their basic needs and desires for human connection. In our work together, you can expect to be aware, compassionate, and grace-giving when it comes to defenses, patterns, or themes in your life, as well as thoughts, anxieties, and emotions you may think or feel. I value kind self-talk, self-compassion, boundaries, self-regulation, and being a secure base and anchor for yourself, because as a human, you need other people, but you also need you. The longest relationship you will ever have is with yourself: why not make it a good one?

Therapy can be an invitation to explore our inner world and how it relates to the development of the self, relationships, and our way of making meaning in this world. My aim as a psychologist is to offer that unique space to clients where transformation, challenge and deeper understanding can occur. I specialize in work with LGBTQ+ youth and adults, in grief and loss, end of life concerns, identity development, trauma, anxiety, depression, chronic illness, and psychosocial oncology. I work with adults, children, and adolescents for psychotherapy and provide assessments for autism, learning disabilities and social/emotional concerns.

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.