Family Therapy in Chesterfield, MO

Many individuals suffer under the heaviness of their anger, sadness, fear, and pain; others battle to feel anything at all. Self-esteem, relationships, or work can suffer when early cognitive, emotional, and behavioral patterns are applied to new situations. Although it may be intimidating, exploring your thoughts, feelings, and experiences within the context of a safe therapeutic relationship can increase your awareness and perception of control over your internal world. Throughout the therapeutic process, you will find your strength, resilience, purpose, and, ultimately, your freedom to shape your external world more effectively.

You strive to stay afloat and yet find yourself feeling stuck, exhausted, and disconnected from others and from yourself. You attempt to manage your overpowering emotions in both healthy and unhealthy ways and yet you're still overwhelmed and anxious. You long to know that you are enough, to experience peace, and for the important relationships in your life to thrive. Or, perhaps a young person in your family is struggling with maladaptive behavior, self-image, or relationships. You long for them to see their innate worthiness and experience joy again.

I seriously enjoy working toward that day when you can say to me, "I really think I'm doing BETTER!" So, I look forward to walking alongside you toward significant growth in your life and relationships. Often that means working through the anxieties, thoughts and traumas that have been part of your current and past struggles. As well, it can mean focusing on a STRATEGY for "what's the next right step". I believe you can borrow from my HOPE, borrow from my INSIGHT and borrow from my EXPERIENCE as we create your own plan to make "better" days.

I am a Licensed Master Social Worker specializing in trauma, anxiety, depression, stress, OCD, relationship and family issues, substance use, and more. I am also passionate about helping parents understand and interpret their children’s behavior. I have daytime and evening openings to work with clients of all ages and especially enjoy working with adolescents, young adults, parents, couples, and families.

At Lumen Wellness & Counseling, we recognize an immense need for therapy, counseling, and massage & wellness services that bring peace and fulfillment to women’s lives in our shared community. Through Lumen’s Mind, Heart, and Body therapy approach, our expert therapists work to create a non-judgmental, safe space to share your feelings and provide you with coping skills to be the best version of yourself. Our team has experience in, and a passion for, working with women and families throughout the journey of pregnancy and parenthood, specifically those struggling with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

The Center for Cognitive Therapy, St. Louis, provides treatment for those suffering from a variety of emotional issues, including depression, anxiety, family , marital, aging, and childhood problems. CBT has been found by research to be one of the most effective treatment modalities. The Center's director, Donald F. Sloane, LCSW, has over 44 years of clinical experience, and has taught at Washington University in the graduate school for 17 years from 1990 through 2006. Don has given many seminars and keynote addresses at major conferences. He has also provided trainings at a number of Fortune 500 companies.

Despite what's happening in the world today, our mental health is VITAL to helping our immune system and overall functioning! I welcome you in taking the first step to health and healing. Every person and family is unique and all can face challenges. I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist am trained in Family Systems therapy, which specifically treats the family as one unit, acknowledging that all individuals' actions affect each other collectively.

I have over thirty-five years of experience treating individuals, couples, and families dealing with depression, anxiety disorders, marital discord, and family dysfunction. Changing oneself, therefore changing others around you, can lead to happier relationships. Understanding and insight can raise self-esteem. I provide a safe, confidential, and trusting environment to explore one's feelings and consider options to produce different and improved results. Video and telehealth sessions have been added to accommodate the COVID-19 safety protocols.

I believe people are unique and therefore there is no cookie cutter approach to working with clients. My experience is that everyone has the capacity to find their way to solutions and hold the answers to the questions they seek but may need guidance in the process. I believe in the "stool" approach to life. We all have our stool and it has three legs: Physical, Emotional and Spiritual. If any of these legs is shorter or longer than the others we are off balance. The more off balance the stool is, the more uncomfortable we are in life.

Most distressed clients that come to see me usually present difficulty being responsive to others. My focus in a session is to structure a safe environment for individuals to take a step back, identify their interaction cycle, and feel comfortable expressing their most vulnerable feelings to others, leading to new and positive interactions. By increasing the emotional responsiveness within the system, members won't unwillingly push others away in their attempts to be closer.

In my ten years as a counselor, it's been my privilege to care for men, teens, and couples wrestling with depression, stress, and anxiety; addiction (drugs and alcohol; gambling; sexual...); the grief involved with divorce; the struggles associated with life's transitions; difficulties in school and relationships; and family conflict. My hope is that the men and women I talk to would be able to experience intimacy in their relationships, fullness of life, and find success in their daily lives.

I work with individuals, couples and families who have come to understand that various aspects of their lives may be in the need of change. A willingness to self-reflect along with a desire to move towards wellness are two critical elements essential for lasting change and personal growth. My role as a counselor is to journey alongside those willing to embrace transition into wellness and wholeness by their own definition. I offer a solution based, emotion focused, positive approach in dealing with the difficulties of life.

I have 22+ years of experience counseling in private practice and a background as an RN for 10 years . I enjoy working with children, teens and adults with anxiety, PTSD, OCD, phobias, trauma and abuse, especially women in abusive environments. I work compassionately with those who are grieving, depressed and/or have chronic pain. Clients needing couple's therapy, family therapy or parenting issues would also benefit. I am certified in EMDR therapy which can also shorten time in therapy for many clients. Please call or email me for a free 15 minute over the phone consultation with any questions.