Therapists in Portage Des Sioux, MO

My name is Kay Adkins and I am a Professional Licensed Counselor (LPC). I started my education at College of the Ozarks, Point Lookout, Missouri where I received my Bachelor of Science in Philosophy/Religion and Psychology. I went on to complete my Master's in Science in Counseling from Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri. I am trained primarily in Person-Centered Therapy, a client centered approach that allows the client to lead the session. I have over seven years of experience providing individual, group, and family therapy using Person-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), components of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), rational perspective, and Solution Focused therapy. I am also finishing up a certificate course in Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). I have experience working in a variety of settings including office and in-home private practice, residential care for adolescents, 7 Day Follow-up, and intensive outpatient within a medical facility. I have worked with a diverse population including children, adults, geriatrics, foster care, low socioeconomic levels, and supporting others with varying disabilities. I have experience working with a wide range of disorders and concerns, including depression, anxiety, life adjustment, daily stress management, childhood trauma, Gay-Lesbian, and self-esteem related concerns. I trust in my clients and believe that that they can make effective decisions regarding their personal counseling goals and treatment. And I believe that it is up to the client to determine his or her own personal progress and growth according to what is best for the individual. I believe each one of us has the ability to make choices and face challenges, but at times we need a word of encouragement or even a strong nudge to get started. Sometimes we just need one other person to validate, hear, and believe in us. I hope that together we will be able to find the healing, support, and growth you are searching for through counseling.

**Currently only available during daytime hours ** I am a licensed counselor in Missouri with over 6 years of experience. I specialize in trauma, crisis, and substance use but have been fortunate to work with clients with a variety of concerns including depression, anxiety, bi-polar, relationship issues, eating disorders, abuse, domestic and sexual violence, behavior modification, ADHD/ADD and more. My counseling style is warm and interactive. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion, and I don't believe in stigmatizing labels. My approach combines person centered, cognitive behavioral, motivational interviewing and solution focused counseling. I am also trained in EMDR and have been very fortunate to help many clients through this technique. I will tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. My availability to respond to messages and sessions varies per day and I am fortunate enough to be able to be flexible with my client's schedules. If you don't find a time that works for you, please let me know and we can work together to find a time that works. I encourage all of my clients to book a live session so you have my undivided attention whether it is a video, phone or chat session. As we all lead busy lives, I respond to messages as soon as I can and often between live sessions. 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. I look forward to working with you!

I have been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of Missouri Since 1992. I have worked in various settings to include private and state hospitals, and community mental health centers. With these settings, I have had the opportunity to work with chronic mental illness, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, depression, anxiety, relationship issues, gender identity issues, cultural issues, trauma, life transitions, abandonment, and attachment disorders. I have training in DBT, EMDR, Person Centered, and CBT. I believe the first time you have a session you begin the healing process. It is your therapy and you lead me where you need to go. I may need at times to help you explore more areas, but only when you are ready. I use a multi-sensory approach along with my other trainings, because words may not always express what needs to be understood. Together skills and insights will be explored that will be useful for your current issue and be able to translate to other concerns. I hope you decide to start your healing soon and I will be happy to join you in the experience.

How’s your stress level? If you’re anything like the millions of other people adjusting to significant changes over the last few years, it’s likely your stress has crept up over this time. With change and uncertainty as one of our only constants as of late, it makes sense that life might feel heavier now than it once did. I’m a Clinical Social Worker licensed in both Missouri (LCSW) and Kansas (LSCSW). I am active in the greater Kansas City area with over 18 years of experience in the field of human services. The people I have had the privilege of serving come from all walks of life and have encountered a myriad of personal and professional challenges. Over the course of my career, I have served adjudicated youth, children and families within the child welfare system, adults with identified substance use issues, and individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Most recently, I have worked with adults to develop employment goals as well as strategies to achieve them. I have recently transitioned to providing therapy on a full-time basis and I work exclusively using telehealth/virtual sessions. I am eager to support adults experiencing job satisfaction concerns, self-esteem or confidence issues, depression, anxiety, unpacking past trauma, communication and relationship issues, family dynamics, grief and loss, and individuals in the LGBTQ+ population. My approach is warm and supportive as I believe in the dignity and worth of every person. I most often utilize cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing techniques, and acceptance and commitment therapy, but am happy to tailor your treatment plan to your unique needs. Verbally processing the challenging things in life can make them significantly more manageable. Seeking therapy is such a vulnerable and brave thing to do and I'm inspired by that courage! Years ago as a young adult, I was drawn to the social work field out of a desire to help others. To me, nothing was more interesting in college than learning about people. One of my greatest joys is watching clients grow and evolve out of struggle. We all experience obstacles in life, and it is my honor to help you find new approaches to the many and varied problems that pop up. My commitment to you as a helping professional is to keep you and your values front and center and to leave judgment at the door. I believe therapy is a partnership and I’m so eager to partner with you! So, are you ready for this? I’m excited to meet you and I consider it a privilege to walk alongside you on your journey. I hope you’ll reach out so we can get something scheduled today!

I began my addictions counseling career six years after entering recovery from alcohol/drug use, on 5/13/1982. My original counseling schooling was in Rational Emotive Therapy, which evolved into Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and led to my schooling in Narrative Therapy and Transactional Analysis. Most recently, I have become interested in Miller & Rollnick's Motivational Interviewing, Prochaska & Diclemente's Stages of Change model of behavior change, Berg & Miller's Solution-Focused Therapy, Marlatt & Donovan's relapse prevention strategies and techniques, ACT therapy, and Internal Family Systems therapy. My most recent Certification is in Robin Shapiro's Eye Movement and Desensitization Reprocessing-EMDR-, through the EMDRIA International Institute in November of 2021. As a Therapist, I necessarily became conversant in telehealth methodology during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. I approach counseling holistically: I understand individuals as "whole cloth", i.e., as the current product(s) of their total life experiences. I also firmly believe in all-ways maintaining a positively enthusiastic outlook on life and living!

I am a licensed Clinical Psychologist in Missouri with 16 years of clinical experience. I have worked with individuals and groups around issues related to race-based stress and trauma, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, anxiety, and depression. I’ve worked in multiple settings including private practice, prisons, hospitals, community-based clinics, and schools. I absolutely love my career and would choose to do anything else! I work with my patients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards change. Although it can be scary, and you’ve probably visited this website a dozen times before- just know I am here to support & empower you on that journey. It’s okay, not to be okay. It takes more courage to ask for help, than to suffer in silence. I applaud you for making it this far- and I hope you take another step further and schedule a session with me today. I tend to lean towards a solution-focused, behavioral orientation. My goal is narrow down your treatment plan and start you on a path to wellness within the first few sessions. With skills and new tools, you'll be able to navigate life's journey as the ebbs and flows occur.

Keep it Simple! Over several decades of studying and practicing a variety of counseling styles, I came to the conclusion that there is not just one “correct” way to understand human behavior. Each path has a unique focus, but no single framework could claim to deal with the wide variety of problems and challenges that people faced. During those years, I have worked with clients with a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, relationship issues, parenting problems, career challenges, and so forth. However, while the theories of psychotherapy were getting MORE complicated, the daily practice of working with the clients actually became simpler! I began to create a simple program that demonstrated that search for simplicity. With my current BetterHelp clients, we started to call this program “the Four SuperPowers”! Step One: listen to the client’s challenging stories Step Two: teach a simple exercise (superpower) to address those challenges Step Three: practice, and then repeat the first two steps! As a Licensed Professional Counselor and a licensed school teacher and counselor, I had always been a counselor at heart. Long before “Mindfulness” became popular, I served as the "Relaxation Therapist", having devised a pretty simple, yet universal, set of basic exercises to calm down any and all clients in the facilities in which I worked. My counseling sessions might combine the standard "Western" therapy models with more universal techniques. Also, a touch of humor and artistic creativity can be very helpful in the process. I look forward to traveling that Search for Simplicity with you!

Hi I am Veronica Besch. I’m licensed in Missouri with 5 years of professional work experience in social services and foster care. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, & coping with grief and loss. I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. 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 as a clinical marriage and family therapist in Kansas with 17 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, & at risk youth and children. Every person has a story that is unique and worth telling. When that story takes an unwanted turn, it is normal to want to erase certain parts or just stop writing it altogether. Taking the first step to change the story for the better takes courage and a great act of sure will. I am here to support you in creating a more positive and fulfilling story that is felt and experienced in the now.

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology. I value therapy as being a collaborative process and strive to create a warm, welcoming and non-judgmental environment for my clients. I use a holistic approach and aim to be culturally sensitive, catering to each individuals’ unique worldview. Through therapy, my goal is to help clients feel empowered and validated so they can increase self-efficacy, decrease problematic symptoms, gain insight and self-awareness and learn how to heal in order to have a more positive life experience. I use a strengths- based, person centered approach. I am interested in helping people who struggle with anxiety, grief, depression, self-esteem issues, emotional disturbances (including anger management concerns), and/or are trying to cope with situational life stressors. I use a blend of compassion-focused therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy as well as a solution focused model where appropriate. I also have years of experience working with adults with severe and persistent mental health disorders.