Hello Everyone. Thank you for taking the first step to changing the rest of your life. Do you need to make a positive change in your life? Do you worry about your children and their behavior or social issues? Do you worry about martial or relational issues? Great news, you are not alone! So often in life, we are challenged by different types of emotional situations that eventually become daily stressors that we are not sure how to handle. Today you are in the right place at the right time to make a change!

Hi, so glad you’re here! My name is Kelsey & I’m a licensed professional counselor in Lenexa, KS. I graduated from MNU and am the owner of Awaken Counseling LLC. If this is the first time you have looked for a counselor, for yourself or for your child, it would be normal to feel nervous. I love meeting with individuals who are “first-timers”, particularly those who have not seen a counselor because they feel that their struggle is either too big or too small to talk about.

I enjoy working with and helping clients struggling with anxiety from day to day life, sense of direction in life or lack thereof, and sense of purpose, among other things.

As a therapist, I am here to walk with you into the unknown, to listen to your experiences, life changes, tragedies and joys; endeavoring to view life through your eyes…to listen, without judgement, to what it’s like to walk in your shoes…to offer support, a listening ear and to strategize together ways to grow, cope & continue your journey forward in life.

Dealing with emotional and relational difficulties can be overwhelming to tackle alone, and a counselor provides the support, encouragement, and care to help overcome life's many obstacles. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with a Master of Arts in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling from MidAmerica Nazarene University. I work with a variety of clients as individuals, families, couples, and children. My treatment approach utilizes attachment relationships and family systems to promote healing. By processing emotions and experiences, I equip my clients with new emotional and relational intelligence to change negative patterns and realize their potential.

Dr. Ostmeyer specializes in working with clients in the natural environment. She works with clients who need more personalized attention to ensure generalization of treatment goals and systems support to maintain gains and overcome barriers to effective treatment. Dr. Ostmeyer works with a wide variety of clients and has speciality experience working with individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders including ASD, ADHD, and ID, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and externalizing disorders.

You have the capacity for hope and positive changes in your life, regardless of your challenges. At some point in life, just about everyone needs some support to meet these challenges. It is my desire to walk alongside individuals, couples and families to facilitate the restoration of mental, emotional and spiritual health. I offer an individualized approach where you can expect a safe, confidential and nonjudgmental environment. I focus on issues that can affect your well-being including: psychological and emotional issues, social, marital and family relationships, personal and professional goals, spirituality, and coping with trauma, loss and life stressors.

Exploring the unknown? I work with clients who find themselves entering into a new life phase. Recently divorced? Discovered a partner's infidelity? Trying to conceive? Experiencing anxiety after a baby? Exploring who you are as an adult adoptee? These phases may have been forced upon you, or maybe they were made by choice. Each one can be difficult due to the particular and unique shame and/or societal beliefs about them. I work with clients to set boundaries, identify their values, re-write their narratives, while implementing healthy lifestyle changes.

I absolutely believe that hope & healing are possible. You don't have to do this alone. I work with individuals, couples, & families, many who feel overwhelmed, discouraged, or hopeless. Whether you are burdened by current life challenges or struggling with the pain and shame of past hurts, I will listen to you with an attitude of compassion, warmth, and caring. My clients struggle with many issues including depression, anxiety, sexual abuse, past trauma, undiagnosed ADHD, infidelity, marriage problems, spiritual concerns, and more. Therapy is a safe, supportive and confidential place for healing and improving your life.

Supporting you as you turn the page into the next chapter of your life. Our story, like any other story has highs and lows. Unfortunately sometimes we get stuck in the lows and we have a hard time finding our way out. I will meet you where you are in your story and we will work together to find and utilize your strengths to empower you to make positive changes to begin to change the next page of your story.

Everyone goes through challenging situations in life, and while you may have successfully navigated through other difficulties you've faced, there's nothing wrong with getting extra support when you need it. Counseling can help by offering new perspectives that teach us how to deal more effectively with current situations and develop new ways to confront the issues that prevent us from living truly self-fulfilling lives. If you are ready to start living the life you have envisioned, we are here to help you discover the path to a brighter future.

When life does not go as planned, you usually manage just fine but today is different. Feeling frustrated, sad, unloved, confused, lonely, anxious, disrespected or hopeless makes you human - not broken. You are the most important person in the therapy room and deserve the highest level of professional services. Everyone needs a little help now and then.

The overarching goal of my Counseling Practice is to be a shepherd who walks with you through your dark places to bring hope and spiritual wholeness. My own spiritual journey has deepened my appreciation and understanding of the importance of love, not just theologically, but in everyday living. It is vital for healing ourselves and our relationships but is often misunderstood or simply not trusted as a result of the emotional injuries we have experienced from others. My grounding as a counselor lies in 28 years of practice as a pastor and professor, working both internationally, the inner city as well as the suburbs of KC, KS.

The decision to get help is not an easy one, but it can be the first step toward real change. I want to help you empower yourself to bring about the changes you've been wanting in your life, whether it is in relationships, parenting or just within your own heart. By breaking old, painful patterns and creating new, fulfilling ones, I am committed to helping you heal and have more peace in your life. The beginning is always today!

Choosing a therapist can feel overwhelming. My goal is to make the process simple, and serve as a guide to those who are seeking change. I've been on my own healing journey and know what if feels like to sit on the other side of the room, so I have much compassion for how vulnerable it feels to reach out.

"Today marks the day I return home to myself." - B. Taplin. Many experiences in life can leave us feeling lost and disconnected from ourselves. Perhaps you're feeling overwhelmed, anxious, exhausted, or discouraged. Maybe you're asking yourself, "what's wrong with me?" I can relate...I've said those words. Reaching out for help and attending therapy was one of the scariest AND bravest decisions I've ever made. As your therapist, I'm not here to "fix" you; I'm here to support, empower, and help you heal and thrive. I will provide the space to access your own wisdom and power and invite you to reconnect with you true, authentic self.

Through a supportive and compassionate relationship, I help people who have experienced traumatic and difficult life experiences become the heroes of their own stories and live they life they want and deserve. I empower my clients to recognize and build on their unique strengths, and believe everyone is capable of healing and creating joy in life.

I believe that we all reach places in our lives where we are learning, unlearning and possibly relearning the existential areas of: who am I, what do I want, and what are my barriers & blind spots? Some may need help identifying or answering these questions cause they can be overwhelming. We often develop limitations in efforts to cope with grief, stress, control, hurt & relationships. So I Wonder: "Do I want to know what gets in my way maybe what is holding me back?", "What I am avoiding?" or "Do I want to have better relationships?" Therapy can support you when you are answering these incredibly rich questions for yourself.

At times, life presents challenges for all of us. Whether you need support for current challenges or you're dealing with issues from the past, you don't have to do it alone. Therapy provides a safe, supportive, confidential environment to work on challenges, increase self awareness,and change problematic behaviors. As a therapist, I help my clients identify options to improve their life situations as well as gain insight, skills, personal growth and healing.