Family Therapy in Saint George, UT

Here at Ascend Counseling and Wellness, we specialize in helping relationships heal and assisting couples reach their potential. We are Marriage and Family Therapists who have received specific training regarding what behaviors and attitudes facilitate happy relationships. Our purpose is to be an objective third party who can observe unhealthy patterns and suggest specific interventions to change the dynamic of the relationship. A healthy relationship can contribute to our overall physical and emotional health. The source of our deepest affections and satisfactions are often derived from our relationships.

I care deeply about your experience. I want you to feel heard and understood. I know just how painful life can be and how powerful it is to have someone truly in your corner. As a therapist, I have training and experience treating relationship struggles, trauma, depression, and anxiety. I am EMDR trained, so I can provide extensive help dealing with traumas from your past and present.

Life can be tough, full of challenges and it is not uncommon for life to unravel. Trauma and life stressors can be overwhelming but there is hope. It is possible to recover and resolve issues no matter how overwhelming they may seem. I want to help bridge the gap and bring healing to individuals, couples, and families who have been through or are going through a traumatic/stressful experience. You deserve to have a healthier, more balanced approach to your life and relationships.

Over the past ten years, I have been working in the mental health and wellness field. I enjoy working with clients to help create a space for safety, skill building, and one where we create solutions together. I work well with couples and individuals. Additionally, I work with teens and parents to create healing and solutions. I treat trauma, anxiety, depression, relationships, and self-confidence/self-esteem issues. I love bringing all of my training together to create a unique experience of therapeutic change for you and your family .

If you are looking for a perfect therapist, that's not me. If you are looking for someone who has their shit together and is the "picture of zen", that is not me. If you are looking for the person with all the answers, that is not me. One of my greatest strengths in the therapy room is that I show up as a human. I'm not afraid to share that I struggle and that I'm not perfect. I believe self-disclosure can help normalize your struggles and feel like you are in the room with a real person, not a therapy robot who cannot possibly relate to you or your struggles. I struggle too, you're not alone, you're not wrong or bad.

For many years, I have specialized in helping struggling adolescents and families dealing with depression, anxiety, defiance, negative communication/ interaction, and substance abuse. Additionally, I have worked to help children understand and work through traumatic events in their lives as well as guiding couples and families as they find hope in their relationships.

You are taking a great first step in health and healing! My therapeutic philosophy focuses on how relationships can be a source of healing and strength. If we can heal relationships, we can create relationships that heal. I am trained in various therapy models and family life education techniques to empower clients with abilities to cope with trials of life and relationships, and to thrive.

My experience includes working with adolescents, young adults, parents, couples, and families. Are you struggling to feel like you are enough? Are you overwhelmed with social, academic, or work pressure? Have you recently gone through a major life transition such as losing a loved one or going through a separation or divorce? Do you struggle as a parent with setting limits or are you terrified of the current struggle your child is facing and at a loss as to how you can effectively support them? Do your relationships suffer due to poor communication and unhealthy boundaries? Have you experienced childhood or adulthood trauma?

I believe in you and look forward to helping you reach your goals. As an experienced therapist, I have an appreciation for the challenges people face and their ability to discover solutions. Therapy is an interactive process. Many clients acknowledge me for listening well and providing them with quality tools and advice to help them resolve their concerns. My office is a comfortable/relaxed setting where people feel safe openly sharing their struggles without feeling judged. In am expert in working with a variety of issues, especially couple and family relationships. Call to determine if I'm right for you.

I am passionate about my work as a therapist and I consider it an honor to work with individuals and couples as they come to recognize their strengths, establish deeper connections, and discover hope as the catalyst for change in their lives. I am trained in family systems theory and use modalities such as emotion-focused therapy and solution-focused therapy to help you with issues such as anxiety, depression, self-esteem, spirituality, betrayal trauma, rebuilding trust, pornography, and sexual addictions. I have received additional training in trauma-informed therapy and utilize these principles in my work with clients.

Let me give you a challenge. For the next 30 days I want you to think about this phrase every day. Write it down and really consider it. "Most of our thoughts, behaviors and emotions are habitual. We wonder why our lives don't change but fail to consider that we are utterly predictable in our daily habits." Our brain seeks to make things habitual. And, you guessed it - that's a key factor in change. Call me, I help people go further in their lives/careers/ and relationships. I've spent 20 years deep in the science of change. If you don't know how to change things - that's OK because I do. Let's untie the knots and stop the pain.

I believe that within each individual lies the answers they are searching for and that therapy provides the “sounding board” to find those answers. In my 20 yrs as a therapist providing mental health and addiction counseling, I have found success in helping my clients discover their true potential and find inner peace amidst uncertainty and conflict; and the key ingredient to my success is recognizing each individuals potential for healing, developing a “connection”, and using an empathic, client-centered approach.

As a therapist, religious educator, and army chaplain I have a unique passion for helping families, couples, and individuals cope with life's stress. I specialize in helping teens and their families overcome defiance, depression, anxiety, drug abuse, and Aspergers. With my training in marriage and family therapy I love helping couples reduce conflict and increase marital satisfaction. Currently accepting in-person and telehealth/online clients.

Your time is valuable and your needs are very important. Think about your goals and what you want to accomplish in therapy, or set a goal or goals, so that your search will include a therapist who is experienced in the area(s) you need help in. Some of you need to keep discrete about coming to therapy, some need to fulfill a request. Whatever it is you need I'm someone who has been around a while and can help you answer your questions. Whatever the need is I can help you figure out what is going on and ways to deal with it, so you can find respite.