I earned a Master of Education in Mental Health Counseling and Human Development from Lindsey Wilson School of Professional Counseling in 2008. My experience has been in a range of settings, but primarily in working with individuals and families to explore anxiety, depression, or other underlying concerns that create problems in day-to-day life. I have experience and training working with anxiety and depression, grief/bereavement, perinatal mental health, trauma, parenting, and more. Throughout my schooling and career, I have had many professional influences, through professors, supervisors, colleagues, and various theorists. Theoretically, I find myself often focusing on a cognitive-behavioral approach to therapy. Ultimately, I view the theories and techniques I use through a scriptural and spiritual framework, always striving to better understand God's remarkable creations. I believe that the counseling process revolves around improving relationships with others as well as the self. Life is a learning process. My basic approach is generally to help my subscribers develop and master healthy coping skills (building confidence in their ability to do so), and then work together to dig a bit further to identify and resolve underlying conflicts that lead to common symptoms (such as anger, anxiety, and depression). It's a process with different pieces, and when they all start fitting together, very good things can happen. Counseling is work - it requires effort on both the part of the therapist and the part of the subscriber... but the end result can be life changing! I'm excited to help guide you through the steps to finding peace and personal growth. Keri Kitchen, M.Ed., L.P.C.C.-S, N.C.C.

Hello and welcome! *Please Note* I only provide messaging and live chat. I do not provide audio or video sessions at this time. If you need a service that is different than I provide, please click the change counselor button or let me know how I can best help you find what you need. My name is Erica Patton Simpson and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) specializing in brain-based treatments and trauma resolution in Kentucky, where I provide timely assistance to individuals and couples facing events that cause a disruption in healthy functioning. I am so glad you are here with me and I look forward to walking this journey with you. I have known since I was very young that I had a desire to help others. I suffered trauma growing up and spent much of the last 25 years focusing on the casualty of the symptoms experienced as opposed to just the symptoms themselves, which may include anxiety, depression, mood disturbances, lack of focus, relational issues, and overall poor or below level functioning. I found by learning even more about the ways in which trauma affects you neurologically, mentally, emotionally and physically, it became even more important for me to give back the knowledge I had gained to help others. I am certified in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), which is an innovative treatment in brain-based therapy used for trauma resolution and performance enhancement, which involves brain disregulation including anxiety-depression spectrum, attention deficits, behavior disorders, PTSD and emotional trauma disturbances. Since launching my career more than 20 years ago, I have earned a reputation for possessing a proven ability to enter traumatic scenarios and defuse them quickly and discreetly. My personal therapeutic approach is to return my clients to optimal functioning by quickly minimizing psychological stress, reducing emotional barriers, addressing unresolved trauma, identifying unhealthy influences, and ultimately helping to develop the skills needed to live your life without the stressors you currently face - all within the therapeutic process. As an expert in trauma and human systems, I can work in short, intensive sessions to prevent and manage crises or in a less intensive treatment modality as you journey through your recovery to optimal health. As a result, together we can create lives filled with purpose and joy as highly functional individuals and couples.

I am a clinical mental health counselor with over 12yrs of experience. I am licensed in Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Washington. I have worked with a variety of client concerns including depression, anxiety, women's issues, and life stressors. Many are survivors of childhood trauma and struggle with symptoms of C-PTSD. My counseling style is supportive and empowering. I incorporate a variety of treatment modalities, i.e. person centered, mindfulness, & cognitive-behavioral, etc. No two client's have the same experiences, so individual treatment can look very different. You are the expert of "you". I am here to support you, you decide what we work on, and together we work to get you where you want to be. I applaud you in taking the first steps to improving your wellbeing and quality of life, I know those are often the most difficult. I hope that you now follow thru and learn how beneficial counseling can be. I look forward to supporting you on your journey!

I began working in the mental health field in 1993. I worked in residential treatment facilities with teenage girls and boys until I received my Master's in Social Work at the University of Louisville in 1999. Since 1999, I have been employed as a social worker for severe mentally ill adults, counselor and a director in foster care settings, counselor in psychiatric residential treatment facility for teenage girls and prepubescent boys, intensive in home counselor for children and teenagers with their families for the past 15 years, and outpatient mental health counselor for adults, families, and couples. I opened my private practice in 2008 where I see adults and couples who are dealing with depression, anxiety, marriage problems, relationship issues, grief, loss, parenting issues, anger, substance abuse, domestic violence, PTSD, trauma, stressors, work place problems, financial difficulties, ADHD, bipolar, mood disorders, and personality disorders. I use person centered therapy where I focus on the totality of the client that includes their mental, physical, emotional, relational, spiritual (if applicable), and recreational health and how they are meeting those needs. I use cognitive behavior therapy to help clients identify thinking patterns and cognitive distortions/faulty thinking errors that are impeding their progress and ways to replace those thinking errors with rational thought. I ask about family history, trauma, and if those trauma's are impeding present day life. I used shot term solution therapy where needed to help client's develop goals and strategies with their input to meet their needs. I help clients identify coping skills for problems and ways to implement those skills.

"Empathy is a relationship between equals." -Paolo Freire Human behavior when placed in context yet has ripples; however, too has quiet the flow, beauty, and reason to it. The behaviors manifest sometimes merely for the chronic quest of hanging on to survive, staying attached to that one person, or perhaps adopting humor to make others smile. The science of human attachment has interested me since I could remember. Attaching to folks around us, to ourselves, and to the world at large, is a profound process / journey that shapes multiple entities of our internal world. My undergraduate careers were based on the neuro make-up of *how* we actually feel emotions and bodily sensations through the nervous systems. After receiving my master's degree, I served folks 5-years old to end-of-life in settings of community mental health, juvenile detention centers, therapeutic foster care, private practice, geriatric wellness-assisted living facilities, medical social worker, and insurance contracted therapist. Before becoming a licensed clinical social worker, I served 14-years in the U.S. Army in various entities to include active duty, reserves, and the national guard to which I then went to serve as a contractor with the U.S. Navy. Often times, my therapy style has been described as integrative, analytical, yet simple. Discovering the "roots" or "drivers" of behavior(s) is the analysis part of which I really love doing. I wholeheartedly believe in an environment of free expression, essentially feeling like you are "vibing" with your therapist, so please be authentic. Giving you time and attention is my goal while effectively inviting you to think/do therapeutic considerations (I never offer advice, only "invitations"--due to mindful practice and you being the expert of your mind & body). I am trained in various models, approaches, concepts and I try to utilize as many as I can in each session when appropriate to effectively assist where I can. That said, I am one that does use a "here and then" (present & past) approach to treatment to assist with managing symptoms. Further, I authentically try to balance sensitivity (handling folks with care) while then assisting with growth. Undergoing therapy is not always an easy ride, there might be sessions where uncomfortable thoughts/feelings arise. With such, please know that it is my job to never leave you in an "emotional uneasy" place. Your job is to communicate those thoughts/feelings to me--even if it's in one sentence when those uneasy times come so I know. As posted by BetterHelp, this is not a mental health crisis service. This chat portal will not be monitored for crises. For mental health crises, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. Please ask any question(s) you might have about this policy before starting services.

I am licensed in Kentucky with 11 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with family conflicts, anger management, motivation, self esteem/confidence, & depression. 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. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey.

I am licensed in Kentucky with 10 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, family conflicts, coping with grief and loss, & career difficulties. I believe that you are the expert of your story and that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey.

I am licensed in the state of Kentucky with 5 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, coping with addictions, trauma and abuse, & motivation, self esteem, and confidence. I believe strongly that we are all deserving of safe spaces to unpack and process the things that happen in our lives, good or bad. I will adjust our conversations and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started!

I am licensed in Indiana and Kentucky with 3 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, family conflicts, coping with grief and loss, & depression. I believe that you are the expert of your story and that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you. Taking the first step to seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am here to support you in that process.

I am licensed in Kentucky with 4 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, coping with addictions and recovery, anger management, motivation, self-esteem, and confidence. 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. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey.

I am licensed in Kentucky with 3 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, relationship issues, motivation, self esteem, and confidence, & depression. 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 sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started!

I am licensed in Kentucky with 6 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, & motivation, self esteem, and confidence. I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. Taking the first step to seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am here to support you in that process.