what products do you offer?

Individual Therapy, EMDR, DBT, TF-CBT

what is your business address?

302 Campusview Dr Ste 201, Columbia, MO 65201, US

what payments do you accept?

Cash, credit card, health savings account - We are "out of network" with insurance providers but can provide a superbill you can use to try to get reimbursed for part of your expense.

What do you know about my business?

Aspire Counseling offers individual counseling for preteens, teenagers & adults through retirement. Our therapists specialize in trauma therapy, anxiety treatment, Dialectical Behavior Therapy & grief counseling. We are LGBTQ+ affirming and work with clients of diverse gender, sexual orientation, culture, race & life experiences.

Do you accept reservations/appointments?

All counseling & therapy sessions are by appointment only.

How many employees work with your company?

We currently have 7 therapists at Aspire Counseling

What is Unique about your business?

We focus on providing high quality evidence based mental health services, because we believe you deserve counseling services that work so you can live life in a way that feels authentic to who you are as an individual.

What holidays are you opened for?

Each therapist decides their own hours and decides which days they will work. Therefore, while some therapists may see clients some holidays others may choose not to.

What insurance do you accept?

We are out of network for all health insurance plans but can provide a superbill upon request.

Are you taking new patients?

Yes! We have limited openings with some therapists right now. Please call our client care team at 573-328-2288 to find out if we have an opening with a therapist who might be a match for you.

Do you see patients on weekends?

We have very limited openings on weekends.

Is there a unisex restroom?

Unfortunately, there are only "male" and "female" bathrooms in our building. That said, we support you using whichever restroom you are most comfortable using.

Hello! At Aspire Counseling, we believe you deserve counseling that truly works. You can ask about what is unique about our business, our hours, what type of payments we accept, parking and more!

We're happy to answer all of your questions and help you figure out if Aspire Counseling is a good fit for your needs. Please call us at 573-328-2288 with any questions you aren't finding an answer to right away. Otherwise, you can ask our address, if we accept insurance, and other basic questions on here.

I'm sorry, but we haven't programmed an answer for that question. Please call us to get a quick answer.

Don't forget to check out our blog and social media for regular mental health tips and information!

Do you have any Deal/Coupons/Offers available?

We offer a very limited number of sliding scale appointment slots.

Do you have a wheelchair accessible restroom?

Our restroom is considered wheelchair accessible but does not have a push button to make opening the door easier.

Is your establishment kid-friendly?

While our business was originally designed to see kids 10 and older we now see a limited number of younger children, particularly if the main concern is anxiety or trauma.

Is your business pet friendly?

Generally no. However, clients have brought their pets in rare situations when it's relevant to the work being done in counseling sessions. We do have a dog that visits the office about once a week and of course welcome all service animals.

Do you offer free wi-fi?

We do not currently offer wi-fi for visitors.

If You’ve Tried Everything and Still Can’t Get Rid of Your Nightmares, Read This

If you have been struggling with nightmares for a long time, you may feel like you have tried everything and there is no hope. You may be wondering if your nightmares will ever go away. In this blog post, we will answer that question for you. We will also discuss the relationship between PTSD and nightmares, and whether or not therapy can help.

A blurred photo to represent a nightmare, and how difficult it can be to have regular nightmares — Photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash downloaded 11/19/22

Let's face it: Nightmares are hard to live with

We know that nightmares can be exhausting and frightening. If you have nightmares early in the night, they may wake you up and keep you from getting enough REM sleep to really be refreshed in the morning. And if you have recurring nightmares, you may even start noticing anxiety when you think about going to sleep. Furthermore, nightmares are associated with a variety of other mental health concerns.

Will my Nightmares ever go away?

You've tried everything. And I do mean everything. Staying up later. Going to bed earlier. Avoiding caffeine. Taking a warm bath before bedtime. Keeping your bedroom dark and cool. Reading blog posts (including this one or this one on our website). But no matter how hard you try, the nightmares keep coming.

A photo of a gnome with a sign reading "go away" to represent asking if your nightmares will ever go away — Photo by John Bussell on Unsplash downloaded 11/19/22

The truth is, nightmares can become a vicious cycle: the more anxious you get about going to sleep, the less restful sleep you will get and the more nightmares you may experience. It can feel like an endless loop that you can't escape from.

And now you find yourself googling, "Why won't my nightmares stop" or "How to stop trauma nightmares" or "Why do I have nonstop nightmares?"

The good news is that it IS possible to break the cycle and find relief from nightmares. It's just going to take some dedicated time and effort. And it's probably time to speak to a professional.

What is the Relationship Between PTSD and Nightmares?

It is not unusual to experience nightmares after a traumatic event. In fact, it's very common for people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to have recurrent and distressing nightmares that are related to the trauma they experienced. These dreams can be reliving the traumatic event itself or may simply reflect general themes associated with the trauma.

There are a variety of great, effective, evidence-based treatments available that can help treat PTSD. Treatments such as cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) can work together to target both PTSD symptoms and the nightmares associated with them.

It's important to note, however, that even if you successfully treat your PTSD, you may still experience residual nightmares that need to be targetted directly. I focused on treating PTSD for years and would occasionally see some residual nightmares even after someone's other PTSD symptoms had decreased. That's what led me to discover specific treatments for nightmares and eventually get trained in Cogntive Behavioral Therapy for Nightmares (CBTn).

So, if you've experienced something traumatic and successfully completed a PTSD treatment but still find yourself having nightmares, there is still hope. Targeting the nightmares very directly with a specific nightmare protocol may be the next step you need to consider.

Can a Therapist Help with Nightmares?

A photo of a therapist writing notes and practicing CPTn for a client with nightmares — Photo by Kateryna Hliznitsova on Unsplash downloaded 11/19/22

In short, yes! A therapist trained in a specific nightmare protocol such as CBTn can help you learn to better manage your nightmares.

And honestly, if you find yourself reading this particular blog post, it's probably time for you to reach out for help. It's not easy to live with nightmares day after day and night after night. And you don't have to. Your nightmares are just a bit persistent and need some extra targeting to get rid of.

You don't have to live with Nightmares

Nightmares can become a very difficult cycle to break, on their own or when they are related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If you've experienced something traumatic and noticed an increase in nightmares, it is important to seek professional help as soon as possible.

Treatments such as cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) can effectively target PTSD symptoms which often help with trauma nightmares as well.

But if you find yourself trying everything and still struggling with nightmares, it's likely time to reach out for help from a professional trained in a trauma protocol such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Nightmares (CBTn).

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Nightmares in Missouri

If you're looking for help with PTSD-related nightmares or just nightmares in general, our therapists at Aspire Counseling can help. If you're just coming in for nightmares, we'll likely use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Nightmares (CBTn) which only takes around 6 sessions. In fact, if you have another therapist you like and are seeing for other issues, you may ask if they feel it would be helpful to supplement with a quick round of CBTn with one of our clinicians.

The bottom line is that you don't have to just accept the nightmares as part of your life. Aspire Counseling offers Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Nightmares (CBTn) in our counseling office in Columbia, MO or to anyone in Missouri online. If you're just coming in to treat the nightmares, this may take as few as 6 sessions. Or, if you want to treat overarching PTSD, depression or other concerns that's possible as well. Reach out today and start getting help for your nightmares!

About the Author

Jessica Tappan owner and therapist at Aspire Counseling — Jessica Tappana is owner and therapist at Aspire Counseling. She specializes in working with college students and adults experiencing trauma, anxiety, OCD and much more!

Jessica Tappana , LCSW, is the owner and director of Aspire Counseling in Columbia, MO. She specializes in working with individuals who have experienced trauma or severe anxiety and has treated clients with nightmares for years. She was recently trained in Cogntive Behavioral Therapy for Nightmares (CBTn), and is also trained in PTSD treatments including Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Jessica is passionate about helping her clients break free from the cycle of nightmares to live more peaceful, fulfilling lives. She is licensed in the state of Missouri and works with clients all over the state through online counseling sessions.