Therapy for Adults

If you are looking at this site, you are probably wondering, “Can counseling help me?”  Counseling does work and life can get better.  Our caring, knowledgeable therapists provide counseling for adults in the Columbia, MO area who are struggling with a variety of mental health concerns. Below are just a few of the many mental health concerns our therapists treat on a daily basis.

Trauma Therapy

Whether you’ve been in a serious car accident, raped, were sexually assaulted, or have a work injury, counseling can help you get unstuck, think about things in a new way, and move forward. Trauma symptoms that may indicate you have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can include avoiding situations that cause you fear, nightmares, feeling like you’re reliving the trauma over and over again, anxiety attacks, or feeling disconnected from others. We will do a full assessment and then make recommendations about your treatment. Trauma therapy typically begins with a focus on self-care, mindfulness, and relaxation techniques. As we move forward and begin to talk about the trauma itself, your therapist provides you with extra support and encouragement.  Trauma therapy is hard work, but you can and will find healing.  Without help, when you are in the midst of suffering from PTSD symptoms, it’s hard to see a path forward.  Through counseling, healing is possible. Through years of training and experience, I’ve learned that trauma therapy is effective. With trauma treatment, you can find hope, overcome your fear and move forward with your life.

Grief Counseling

Grief is unique for each person, and each time you lose a loved one it feels a little different because your relationship was different.  Whether you’ve had a parent, spouse, child or friend die, it’s hard to move on without your loved one. You may feel lost, lonely, or even confused. Having a safe place to process that loss can be incredibly powerful.  Through grief counseling, you’ll be able to process your emotions and learn to focus on your love and positive memories of the other person. Together we will focus on the “love” side of the equation so you can feel happy again but also hold the person in your heart.  A space in your heart will always feel different, but you can get to a place where you fondly remember positive memories and are also able to move forward.

Anxiety Treatment

Anxiety is hard to live with. It holds you back.  You may feel like you’re always worried about the future or reliving past mistakes. The good news is that anxiety treatment can be very effective in helping you overcome your fears and learn to stop avoiding them. We provide evidence-based treatment individualized to meet your needs.  Sometimes we use specific protocols for panic attacks, OCD, or frequent worry, and other times we use more general techniques such as mindfulness training or cognitive behavior therapy. In general, anxiety treatment typically includes learning and practicing coping skills, exploring your anxiety, and then facing your anxiety and fear head-on with the support of a caring and knowledgeable therapist.  It can be scary to work on these issues, but the freedom you will find with anxiety treatment is worth the energy. Your anxiety therapist will partner with you and provide support every step of the way.

Life changes

A bad breakup, beginning college, divorce, children moving out of the home, a change in jobs, or any other major life change can feel overwhelming.  If all of your normal ways of coping are no longer working, it may be time to see a therapist. Our therapists understand that change is difficult. Transitions, even positive ones, mean that you have to find a new normal. We’ll work together in therapy to find new ways to approach the situation. Rather than continuing to feel lost and stuck, begin to get the support you deserve.

Depression Treatment

Depression is very, very common and also incredibly hard to live with. According to NIMH approximately 6.7% of all US adults have suffered from depression. If you're depressed, you're likely living in a bit of a fog.  Maybe it feels like life is passing you by. It's hard to feel hopeful at all.  The good news is that people DO recover from depression.  You CAN feel better.  The skilled therapists at Aspire Counseling are trained in specific techniques that are very effective at helping you overcome your depression and begin to feel more like yourself again.

College Students

Adjusting to the many changes that take place during an individual’s college career can feel overwhelming. Many college students can cope better with stress, feel more confident, and move forward in a meaningful way by working with a mental health therapist. We often work with students from the University of Missouri (MU), Stephen’s College, Columbia College, William Woods University, and other nearby schools and enjoy helping college students get the most of the college experience.  We offer counseling for college students that will be tailored to your individual needs. Therapy can help you get the most out of this critical time in your life so you are able to make lasting memories and be fully prepared for life after graduation.

Other concerns

Our therapists are also trained to help clients facing depression, eating disorders, self-harm, and many other mental health concerns.  Please call or send us a message today to ask if we have a therapist with training and experience treating your specific concern.

Evidence-Based Mental Health Treatment

Our therapists are trained in and use well researched, effective interventions that will help you improve your mental health and create your ideal life. You and your therapist will decide together the approach to take in your treatment based on your strengths, treatment goals, personality, and the issues you are struggling with. Some of the specific, evidence-based therapeutic techniques our therapists are trained in and use with adult clients include: Dialectical Behavior TherapyAcceptance and Commitment Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Interventions, Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)

Starting Counseling

If you are ready to begin the journey to better mental health, please contact us today. Aspire Counseling is a Columbia, MO counseling clinic providing effective therapy services to adults from all walks of life.  Please call today.  573-328-2288. Healing starts here.