Therapists in Saint Louis, MO

Ellie Mental Health in St. Louis-Hampton Avenue, Missouri isn’t your average therapy clinic. We’ve created a comfy, judgment-free zone where you can be authentic, get real about where you’re at in your mental health, and receive the compassionate care you deserve. We strive to break down treatment barriers and provide you with customized counseling services that meet your therapy needs.

"There is nothing you can tell me that won't strike me as beautiful and human" -Cheryl Strayed. Major life changes, invalidating home/social lives, past trauma, and current stressors affect moods, behaviors, and relationships, often leaving us repeating unhelpful patterns. When our attempts to cope with and repair issues no longer work, it's time to seek therapy. I will collaborate with you and provide a warm, safe, nonjudgmental space so you feel supported while you develop interpersonal skills, learn to manage emotions, strengthen relationships, and improve self-awareness so you can make changes toward living the life you desire.

I tailor my approach based on your needs, strengths, and personality. My approaches are very effective for helping find more balanced emotions, taming anxiety and stress, and building healthier relationships. I'm certified in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Internal Family Systems (IFS).

Our world often stigmatizes needing support, but let's face it: no one gets anywhere without help! Change and growth come with challenges, and having the support of a genuine and compassionate therapist can make a positive difference. Whether you are experiencing a significant personal development, struggling to relate to others, or feeling stuck and looking for a change for the better, reaching out to someone trained to help is a critical step towards finding a way to live more authentically. As a therapist, I work with individuals & couples to create a space to process experiences and find a path forward to greater well-being.

Throughout our lives, many of us have been urged to mute ourselves, asked not to inconvenience or disrupt the people around us with our needs. We learn to suppress the things about us that challenge others, slowly eroding our connection to ourselves. There are countless reasons it happens: unsafe relationships, social expectations, systemic oppression, grief, life transitions, and so much more. I’ll help you tap into your inner creative resources as you learn to navigate your past, present, and future with authenticity and self-compassion.

Are you struggling to prioritize your own needs, but you’re able to take care of everyone else’s? Are you exhausted but unable to rest peacefully? Do you doubt yourself and minimize your accomplishments? Mental health care is different for people of color and LGBTQIA+ individuals. You may face unique hardships, including discrimination, affecting your mental health. Traditional therapy can feel inadequate, but, as a black female therapist, Cherese M. Alcorn, MSW, LCSW, offers a profound understanding and empathetic approach. She aids high-achievers in balancing their mind, body, and spirit so they can lead effectively.

Inquiring Minds Counseling & Consultation was founded under the inherent reciprocity between human connection. In our process together we will collaborate, inquire into your story, curiously reflect on the uniqueness that is you and the experiences that have led you to this point. Together we will work to piece together the webs of connection between your formative experiences, family, culture, gender identity, religious or spiritual orientation, community influences and trauma. Together we will find that you are not defective, broken or in need of repair—in fact, you are coming more fully into who you are meant to be.

Kela Woods is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Missouri with over 10 years experience in Behavioral Health & Social Services. She obtained a Master of Arts in Professional Counseling at Lindenwood University in St. Charles Missouri. Kela’s work experience includes mental health assessments, diagnosing, treatment planning, referrals, crisis intervention and de-escalation. As a therapist Kela is here to listen, to validate, and to provide support in a safe and non-judgemental setting. Kela’s counseling style is warm, empathetic, and client-centered.

You are not the person you used to be, nor are you the person you are going to be. Life is a series of transitions. In one moment, you are a parent, child, friend — and in another moment, you are a co-worker, boss, student — or a homemaker, citizen, or activist. Transitioning between roles (or into a new role) can create turbulence in our lives and can make it difficult to get a good footing. Sometimes, these transitions can open old wounds, or lead to internal battles that can hold us hostage. Whatever the case may be, you are not alone. I’m here to walk with you through these times of uncertainty.

I'm passionate about helping adults and couples find healing, empowerment, growth, and meaning in their lives. I have experience working with anxiety, depression, trauma, identity development, relationship and attachment issues, life transitions, and grief. I'm especially dedicated to working with LGBTQIA+ and nonmonogamous clients. I practice from a humanistic standpoint, integrating psychodynamic, behavioral, and mindfulness-based strategies drawn from a variety of approaches in order to personalize therapy to the individual client’s values, goals, and strengths.

I work with those who are courageously facing pain and trauma in their lives. Perhaps you wonder if you can look at your own experiences... Maybe you fear being overwhelmed if you dare look. You may be thinking anxiety will overwhelm you. It need not be this way. Allow me to journey with you as you explore the questions tugging at you. You need not face them alone. Support is here; it is real. You CAN face these challenges, and you need not face them alone in the silence of your heart. Reach out now for the support you deserve.

Hi! I'm Ann. I enjoy working with people who are open-minded, inquisitive and who like to challenge norms. Part of the therapeutic process is about confronting the parts of ourselves that we tend to hide and feel a bit less comfortable with. I'd like to help you get to know your whole self and walk beside you as you question some of the beliefs you've held, which may be in conflict with who you are now. Like you, I've been there and asked myself. "What do I want?" "Who am I?" and "What feels motivating and pleasurable in my life?" It's tough to feel ‘stuck’ and also, it's the start of something brand new.

We all face times in our life where it seems we have been thrown a curve ball. We suddenly find ourselves in the midst of a personal crisis. Where do we go, and who can we turn to for help? It is these times, when professional counseling and therapy is helpful. My motto is, "When life hurts...healing helps." My ideal client is an individual, or family member who is seeking a skilled mental health professional. I provide a therapeutic environment for my client, that will assist you in navigating through the personal issues that you have been struggling with.

Life can be chaotic and stressful. As a therapist, my passion is helping clients create more peace & presence in their stressful lives so that they can tap into their intuition and connect to their authentic selves. Through collaborative work and an emphasis on mind-body connection, I support clients as they explore their deepest pains, longings, & hopes. Through this reflective work, we can view our obstacles with new eyes, implement effective coping skills, cultivate mindfulness practices, & create change.

I work with clients who want to find clarity and fulfillment in their lives. Sometimes life feels overwhelming or stuck, full of new challenges or old hurts. My goal is for you to regain your liveliness. You may be facing a mismatch between who you are and the life you’re living, questions about identity, relationship challenges, family stress, depression, anxiety, past pain like abuse or trauma, or other sources of dissatisfaction. I also specialize in working on burnout and secondary trauma with therapists and helping professionals. Your first steps toward growth and well-being can start with our conversation.

My counseling style is warm and truthful. I am skilled at difficult conversations. I’m a therapist because I believe that we all have a right to be heard and understood.  It’s radical work to prioritize relationships, feelings, and our inner lives when there are so many other competing demands. My work is focused on increasing insight, healing and finding more ways to connect with joy, beauty, and self-expression. I help people heal relationships- with their self and others.

We spend a lot of our lives trying to be who others want us to be or who we imagine ourselves to be. But if we put aside those expectations, who are we? Who can we become? I consider it a great privilege to sit with clients and help them peel back the layers of themselves. This can be a painful process. It can also lead to a more enriching present and future.

While I provide individual and relationship counseling for all people, my special interest is to support marginalized populations. My primary expertise is providing counseling and supportive services for the LGBTQ+ constituency. As human beings, we all struggle with feelings of not being good enough, important enough, lovable or able to love. These feelings embed themselves very early in life producing defense mechanisms, although no longer needed, continue to operate below the surface, wreaking havoc on life, relationships and success. The battle is often a daily one; sometimes minute by minute. Don't suffer alone.

What do you notice happening when life's demands feel too much? Do you begin to feel consumed by a critical voice? Perhaps hopelessness or shame takeover, and you aren't able to focus on what you need. You keep returning to coping strategies that aren't working, and life leaves you exhausted. You know that you are ready for something different. I am here to listen and help you understand the "why" within your struggles. Our work will focus on allowing for all sides of you to have a voice, to be understood, and to have the space to grow.