Therapy and other wellness services can provide a supportive environment for taking the first steps toward improving one's mental health. In Arkansas, counseling services can be challenging to find due to barriers like a lack of available mental health care providers or transportation challenges. If you’re looking for a therapist, AR has many telehealth services available.
With an online therapy platform like BetterHelp, you can work with a qualified, licensed mental health professional from the comfort of your home at a time that works for you. While BetterHelp does not offer group therapy at this time, the therapists on the platform use various approaches to individual therapy, including reprocessing therapy, eye movement desensitization, and person-centered therapy. An online therapist can help you with various life challenges, from treating anxiety to learning how to begin healing relationships, using a collaborative, holistic approach that meets your unique needs.
Whether you need support navigating relationship challenges or learning to have more self-compassion, online therapy can help. Reach out to a mental health professional licensed to provide treatment in Arkansas below to get started.
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Wendi Makus
Hello! I'm so glad you are here! If you are ready to make some changes in life that are likely to result in improved mental health, improved quality of life, and general well being; you came to the right place! My approach in counseling is in general to look at the person as a whole; not as their symptoms of problems. I use holistic, solution focused, and trauma informed models to engage client's in the counseling process and achieve their goals. I have been trained in trauma informed approaches such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR); which uses several tools to help client's negative past events have less emotional impact on their lives. I am also certified in a counseling approach called seed digging therapy (SD), which is developed off the therapy developed in the 90's called theophostic therapy. The premise of seed digging therapy (SD) is that each individual is generally mostly good, has a desire to be good to others, and wants to have a happy and productive life. The model states that a person's heart is a "garden" which in analogy has "weeds" and "flowers". Traumatic/Sad events tend to produce weeds and Happy events tend to produce flowers. Weeds in a persons heart can cause many negative reactions in life ranging from interpersonal relationships, self esteem, negative view of the world. Weeds occur when a lie is believed about that sad/bad event. Examples of weeds: not feeling adequate, feeling unloved, feeling a lack of importance. Flowers are developed when something happens that is positive/ good, and the individual believes something good about themselves. Examples of flowers: I do matter, I am important, I am loved, I belong in this group, family, friendship etc. The process of seed digging therapy is to find where the root of the negative thoughts started, and create an alternate belief opposite of the negative. Using narrative techniques, the person has the opportunity to recreate meaning if they want to. I am very excited to meet you, get to know you and help see you to the other side of where you want to be. If you would like to work more with me, we can talk more about your goals and what steps to take to get there.
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Briana Cunningham
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor licensed in Arkansas with over 20 years of experience. I have worked with clients on a range of issues including anxiety, relationship issues and depression. I also have helped with Physical, Emotional, and Sexual trauma. I believe that it is important to provide a safe environment of respect, compassion, and empathy to facilitate change. I use a combination of general systems theory and Cognitive Behavioral approaches and other interventions to aid in meeting whatever needs you may have. It can be hard to take the first step, but I am here to help whenever you are ready to move towards healing. I look forward to working with you.
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Deborah Bledsoe
Hello . My name is Deborah Bledsoe and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with a specialty in Drug and Alcohol and a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor. I graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas in 1999. I have gone on to further my education and knowledge with Rehabilitation Counseling at University of Arkansas Little Rock and I am also a certified tobacco interventionist. I work with individuals and families with a wide range of concerns, including mood disorders, depression, substance abuse, trauma-informed care, family relations problems, communication, anger management, life changes and compassion fatigue. I come from an eclectic approach to counseling, but by the client’s presenting concerns, motivation and goals, the therapies that could be used are client centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, narrative therapy psychodynamic therapy, solution focused therapy and trauma-informed care. I am a counselor of color, with over twenty years in counseling, substance abuse and mental health. I would be a good match for someone seeking an older and mature counselor. Life as we have once known has dramatically changed, which has brought struggles and overwhelming challenges to face daily. I would like to help you provide solutions to these challenges that you face. If you make the first step to seek help, I will walk with you. If you are willing to put the work in you will see a much healthier you. I look forward to being a part of your journey to a fulfilled life.
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Jamie Daugherty
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in Arkansas, and I have been practicing for over 8 years now, working in outpatient, day treatment and inpatient acute care settings. I have worked with clients with a variety of needs including managing anxiety and depression, addressing loss and significant life changes, traumatic experiences and general daily life stressors. I have experience working with self-esteem and confidence building and working to have a better outlook on daily life. My counseling style is relaxed and solutions focused. I believe that everyone that has taken the first step to enter into counseling deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and to feel that their voice is heard and their needs are being addressed. My approach combines cognitive-behavioral, client centered and solution focused therapy to identify where each client is when they enter counseling and to meet them there to begin the process of change and growth. It takes courage to seek for a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. If you are ready to take that step I am here to support and encourage you along the way. I look forward to working with you!
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Andrea Fresh
I am a Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW) in Arkansas with over 15 years of experience working with individuals, groups and families. I have worked with clients with a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, relationship issues, parenting problems, stress related concerns and life transitions. I have also worked with many people who have experienced trauma and/or abuse as well as those who simply need support while navigating life transitions. I have worked with those experiencing the "Quarter Life Crisis" as they emerge into adulthood as well as those who are preparing for retirement and empty-nesting. It's not about a diagnosis it's about good self-care and that's what we focus on during your sessions. I specialize in issues common to the Black community but am able to transcend both racial and cultural lines to provide help in the time of need. I specialize in "people" so if you fit that category we are certain to learn and grow together. It takes courage to seek for a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. If you are ready to take that step I am here to support and empower you by offering professional services that are unbiased and delivered in a no none sense way. If you are looking for real life, every day practical solutions to life's hurdles partner with me to take those leaps. I look forward to working with you!
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Marlo Floyd
Hello, my name is Marlo. I have been in the field for over 15 years and have been blessed with the opportunity to work with numerous populations. In today’s tumultuous times, poverty, increase stress, family & relationship problems, and personal self-adjustment/esteem issues cause many to have a demanding and unhappy life. I use a holistic combination of talk therapy, spiritual/energy work, mindfulness techniques, humor, and a commonsense approach. With an emphasis on spiritual and physical healing. Allow me to help you in your time of need. I come from a compassionate, non-judgmental, strengths-based perspective in my clinical practice and life. I can help you learn life skills, change undesired habits, and identify alternate healthy thinking patterns so that you can decrease your anxiety & depression while increasing your self-esteem and quality of life. Through the work we do together you can expect to achieve self-confidence, forgiveness, peace, inner harmony, and healthier relationships. I specialize in working with individuals that have been affected with mood disorders, anger problems, trauma, low self-esteem, and substance abuse. I counsel from a Spiritual/Christian perspective, as well as respectfully work with a client's source of inspiration. Allow me to join you on your journey of enlightenment and healing.
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Stephanie Hebert
My name is Stephanie Hebert and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Arkansas. I have been working in the mental health field for 13 years and practicing therapy for almost 10. During the course of my career, I have worked with all populations from young to old in a variety of settings, including school-based, outpatient, and long-term inpatient. The majority of presenting problems have included mood disorders, psychosis, adjustment disorders, trauma, and grief. I best serve people who are willing to solve their problems/issues which are causing them distress on a daily basis. My therapeutic style is very solution-focused to gain an understanding of the problem from a nurturing client-centered point of view. I believe that only you know what’s best for your life. I can’t give you answers. But with the right direction, it is my goal to empower you to recognize and seek the changes you wish to make in life.
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Jeanie Shade
I am a licensed clinical social worker/therapist licensed in the states of Idaho, Montana, and Arkansas. I have 7 years of licensed experience and many years prior of serving people in different capacities. The majority of my licensed experience has been within a hospital setting for adults and adolescents with severe mental health issues. I have seen firsthand the incredible change that often occurs with a person given the opportunity to tell his/her/their story, be genuinely listened to, and be guided to the innate wisdom to wellness that already resides within. For the last two years, I have also been leading a group at my local library to teach mental health wellness skills to community members and providing a setting for the members to practice these new wellness skills. I really enjoy teaching skills that can be applied to all sorts of situations in life, no matter what your story or circumstances. My counseling style is based on being present with a client, not just hearing, but truly listening and being a witness to another. I will want to know what exactly a client wants to learn or resolve and I will provide guidance and insight and teach skills accordingly. I will also introduce ideas I consider foundational to wellness, including mindfulness, really leaning in and feeling our emotions, centeredness and grounding, self-love, the difference between surviving skills and thriving skills, and exploring beliefs and how they create our life stories. My approach combines client-centered therapy, solution-focused therapy, and mindfulness therapy as we weave together practical behavioral approaches with deep insights into why we are the way we are and how this can transform. I am also a Certified Emotion Code Practitioner (CECP). The Emotion Code is a form of energy healing. Its premise is that we can trapped unprocessed emotions in as a "stuck" frequency in our energy bodies. As a practitioner, I can assist you in identifying trapped emotions, discovering when they were trapped and in response to what event, and then releasing the stuck energy with intention. You can learn more at Discover Healing (discoverhealing.com). You can view my certification at https://discoverhealing.com/certified-practitioners/. The BetterHelp platform offers you a great opportunity to try out an energy healing modality. I have the flexibility to combine Emotion Code work with a more traditional talk therapy session, or focus solely on Emotion Code one day and talk therapy another day. Give it a try! It takes courage to choose an opportunity for growth and change. I am here to join you on such a journey.
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Jasmine Mackey
I am licensed in Arkansas with 3 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, lgbt-related issues, relationship issues, & family conflicts. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I will tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. Taking the first step to seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am here to support you in that process.
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Shelby Koshy
I am a dedicated and compassionate social worker with extensive experience in inpatient psychiatric care, community based mental health services, intensive outpatient behavioral health, and community service organizations. Over the years, I've worked closely with individuals facing mental health challenges, supporting them through patient-centered care, safety planning, and skill development. I specialize in helping clients navigate complex emotional and behavioral issues, offering a non-judgmental space where they feel heard and supported. My approach to therapy is collaborative and strengths-based, focusing on empowering my clients to overcome obstacles, develop resilience, and create positive change in their lives. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, or life transitions, I’m here to guide you with empathy and professionalism.
How can a counselor support you?
Therapists can practice many types of counseling, from marriage and family therapy to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). They may also assist you with symptoms of depression, stress, or anxiety.
Therapists may help you set and achieve career goals, work on current issues you may be facing, or address your past. Over 1,970,374 people live in AR, and one out of five Americans has a mental health condition. Searching for local licensed professionals may help you find mental health support for personal growth, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other mental health concerns. You do not need a mental health diagnosis to seek support from one of BetterHelp's licensed providers above.
The mental health field can include psychiatric medication management, online therapy, marriage counseling, couples therapy, clinical social work, licensed counseling, and other mental health services in person and online. Seeing a licensed provider can help you navigate mental health conditions and life circumstances through mindfulness and other specialized techniques.
Please note that a BetterHelp therapist does not offer diagnostic or medication management services.
Why do people choose to work with a licensed counselor?
People reach out for mental health support for a variety of reasons. Many individuals work with a counselor for general life advice, while others may attend therapy for a specific concern. Whether you live in a large city or a smaller county, BetterHelp can match you with a licensed professional tailored to your preferences noted when you sign up.
The mental health therapists in Arkansas support clients with varying issues through therapy, such as:
- Challenging situations or life stressors
- Eating disorders
- Anxiety disorders
- Depression or depressive conditions
- Adjustment issues
- Emotional support for a terminal illness
- Chronic pain emotional support
- Grief
- Personality disorders
- Trauma
- Relationship conflicts and concerns
Finding a therapist that takes new clients in online therapy can be the first step in finding a treatment plan that works for you. Your therapist can provide a safe space for you to focus on self-care and well-being.
If you're interested in speaking to one of the therapists above or being matched with a counselor in 24 to 48 hours, consider signing up for BetterHelp. BetterHelp has over 35,000 providers, including those listed above.
Emergency services to contact in a crisis
If you are experiencing a crisis or emergency, don't use the BetterHelp site. If you are in life-threatening danger, call 911. If you require support for a crisis, reach out to the hotlines below:
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:1-800-273-TALK (8255)
- Crisis Text Line:Text HOME to 741741
- Veterans Crisis Line<:Call 1-800-273-8255 (and press 1) or text 838255. For support for the deaf and hard of hearing community, please use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 1-800-273-8255.
- Trevor Lifeline(LGBTQ Lifeline): (866)488-7386
- SAMHSA National Helpline: (Substance Use): (800)662-4357
- National Eating Disorder Association Helpline:1-800-931-2237 (M-Th: 9 AM-9 PM EST, Fri 9 AM - 5 PM EST
- Child Help Hotline Call 1-800-422-4453 or use the online chat feature
- National Anti-Hazing Hotline: 1-888-NOT-HAZE (1-888-668-4293)
- Physician Crisis Support Line: Call 1-888-409-0141 if you are a first responder or medical provider experiencing crises related to Covid-1
- Sexual Assault Hotline: Call RAINN at 1-800-656-4673
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Some of the most commonly asked questions about therapy can be found in the section below.
How much does a therapist cost?
Mental health professionals can differ in price. Forbes found that the average cost of in-person therapy in the US is around $100 to $200 per hour. Pricing can also vary based on your location.
BetterHelp offers payment plans of $60 to $90 per session, charged monthly in a lump sum. You can also take advantage of this pricing on one of BetterHelp's sister platforms, like ReGain for couples or TeenCounseling for teens aged 13 to 19.
Many therapists may be upfront about their pricing and whether or not they take health insurance from the beginning. Additionally, some in your area may offer a sliding scale plan to allow those with lower incomes to pay less for therapy. However, services online can often save individuals a few hundred dollars per month.
When should I get a therapist in Arkansas?
Mental health services and mental health providers may help you navigate various concerns. You do not need a diagnosis or condition to attend therapy; You can discuss grief, relationship concerns, stress, or life changes and ask for general advice. A counselor may help you gain power over your life and emotions while you navigate day-to-day experiences.
Mental health issues don't always present as a crisis. Many professionals provide talk therapy and support for life transitions, skills learning, relationship problems, or life coaching. Online therapy sessions can allow clients seeking therapy to experience professional help through video, phone, or live chat sessions without commuting to an office.
Does insurance cover the cost of therapy?
Different counseling services can vary in cost. Therapists must apply to accept insurance through insurance companies, which may take time and money, so not every therapist offers services through insurance. If you cannot find a therapist that accepts your plan, BetterHelp may be cheaper than visiting an in-person therapist.
Is online therapy the safe option?
Online therapy through BetterHelp and its sister platforms is safe. Therapists are licensed, experienced, and vetted before being contracted with the platform. If you experience any concerns with your therapist, you change your counselor through the platform or app at any time.
Popular cities in Arkansas
- Little Rock, AR
- Fort Smith, AR
- Fayetteville, AR
- Springdale, AR
- Jonesboro, AR
- North Little Rock, AR
- Conway, AR
- Rogers, AR
- Bentonville, AR
- Pine Bluff, AR
- Hot Springs, AR
- Benton, AR
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