Therapists in Kirkwood, MO

Our patients are individuals, couples or groups who have been struggling with depression, anxiety, mood disorder and other behavioral challenges that have made ordinary day to day functioning impossible or extremely difficult. Through evidence-based clinical mental health therapy that includes EMDR, CBT, DBT, and SFBT, we assess, and diagnose individuals, couples and groups providing evidenced-based treatment plans.

Clinical Psychologist: KNOWLEDGEABLE, COMPASSIONATE, POSITIVE, HELPFUL...Working at Hawthorn Children's Psychiatric Hospital and in private practice more than 20 years, my diagnostic and treatment services for youth, adults, couples and families are enriched by the knowledge, skills, judgment and wisdom cultivated and honed through experience (10,000 hours- four times over). Clinical supervision of Pre-doctoral Psychology Interns (http://www.umsl.edu/slpic/) helps keep me current. As a clinician, in addition to therapist and diagnostician, I may function as educator, consultant, coach and sometimes-- cheerleader. Schedule a consultation; let's find out how I may be helpful to you.

We all face challenges. It's how we respond to those challenges that matters. My passion is to help clients is live their lives to the fullest. I have 30+ years of experience as a therapist with individuals, couples, and families in both nonprofit and private practice sectors. My background as a consultant and trainer includes work with residential facilities, hospitals, schools, the Department of Defense, and organizations throughout north America and 11 countries. I have authored/coauthored 15 books and am a Professor of Rehabilitation Counseling at Maryville University and Sr. Clinical Advisor at Youth In Need, Inc.

I hold two doctorates one in psychology and a master's degree in clinical mental health care, and professional counseling making me a highly qualified professional counselor, clinician, and therapist. Additionally, I am trained in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR). My expertise lies in providing talk therapy to individuals of all ages, including adolescents, adults, seniors, families, and groups. To ensure the best outcomes for my clients, I utilize cognitive-behavioral therapy as an initial approach. This allows me to effectively address their specific situations and circumstances.

I like to work with people who are internally motivated to learn and grow and desire to live meaningful and fulfilling lives. Whatever challenges they are facing I want them to know that working with me will at some point mean paying attention to and allowing themselves to feel their feelings. A conscious relationship with self is had through attending to the feelings we have about ourselves. Understanding feelings will be essential in generating improved self-awareness and a sense of personal integrity.

You’ve had enough! The stress has been building. You hold it in but then the littlest thing pushes you over the edge. No one truly understands everything you’ve been through but you aren’t sure you want to let them in. Life has been cruel at times! You try to push it away. It's impossible. Triggers are everywhere. The anxiety and despair in those moments is more than you can handle! Your world becomes small in hopes that you can avoid these feelings but it only makes things worse. You are stuck in a vicious cycle. Nothing seems to help. You don’t want to keep living this way but you don’t know what to do or where to go.

The clients I serve are often at a crossroads in their life story and unsure of how to close one chapter and begin anew. Clients I enjoy working with recognize that counseling continues outside of the session in self reflection, exploring behavior change, and shifting how we think and relate to ourselves. I find that counseling helps meet goals and needs as diverse as the client, and sometimes goals arise throughout the course of the relationship. No one needs a "good reason" to come to counseling, for the desire to reach out and try will always be sufficient.

You know those times when we feel lost inside ourselves, overwhelmed by our problems, and struggle to cope? If you are reading this, you may be considering therapy to get you closer to solving those problems. Whether your therapy goals are vague or well-defined, I can help you through this process of change. Together, we will formulate a plan, using the appropriate psychotherapeutic treatments, to achieve your personal goals. Because your time is important to you, we will begin creating this plan at your first visit!

I pride myself on being a very “real” therapist. I am authentic and work hard to make you feel comfortable so that you can be your authentic self as well. I know if I’m not real, I can’t expect you to be either; and when you feel safe to be real with me, we can work on how that carries over to the rest of your life. We will unravel the complexities that make you exactly who you are and arrange each piece in a way that you take pride in, at a pace you are comfortable with. Being confident and calm in your body is your birthright; the journey to finding both begins with getting curious. Let's explore who you want to be and achieve it.

Did you grow up in a less-than-nurturing family? Do you or someone you love have an addiction? Do you struggle with feelings of panic, anxiety, anger, shame, or depression that will not let go? Do you find yourself in the same less-than-nurturing relationships despite "never-again!" promises to yourself? Let's get you on the road to recovery from these things. I can help with healing childhood abandonment issues, never feeling "good enough", fear of intimacy or abandonment, attachment wounds, physical, emotional, or sexual trauma, and the anxieties, worries, or fears that come from these issues.