Our Mission
is to facilitate and empower individuals and encourage emotional healing and growth through the intimate experience of individual and group therapy.
MELODY ANDERSON
Melody Anderson, a licensed clinical social worker, has been providing trauma-informed therapeutic services to children, teens, adults, couples, families, and groups since 2015.
Melody worked for several years in child welfare where she found her passion for working with individuals and families to facilitate healing from trauma. After completing the Master of Social Work program at Indiana State University, she moved to Kansas City where she continues to work with children, teens, and families through play therapy. Through her therapeutic work with children and families, Melody continues to facilitate healing and growth, including improved behavior in school and at home, increased parent-child attachment and relationships, reduced anxiety and depression, and improved self-esteem.
Melody also works with individual adults, teens, and children to facilitate healing from trauma using cutting-edge, evidence-based treatment including Neurofeedback, EMDR, and mindfulness. She uses a holistic approach to therapy to heal individuals and families through the power of the mind-body connection.
Melody is passionate about providing a safe, nurturing, therapeutic space for LGBTQIA+ youth and adults to explore gender identity and sexual orientation, process trauma, and learn self-acceptance and self-love.
Outside of the office, Melody enjoys spending time with family & friends, board games, sand volleyball, cooking/baking, arts and crafts, and reading.
Melody is in-network with Kansas Medicaid (Sunflower and Aetna only).
Melody's session rates:
Therapy: $150
Neurofeedback: $140
Shannon
Schmitz
Shannon Schmitz is an art therapist who specializes in working with those with Borderline Personality Disorder.
Shannon does not accept insurance.
Carla
Essay
Carla is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and has an extensive background in substance abuse, childhood trauma, PTSD (which includes First Responders), and Borderline Personality Disorders.
She is trained in both DBT (Dialectical Behavior therapy) and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), and practices unconditional positive regard and empathic understanding in her therapy, which helps facilitate client self-discovery and self-actualization.
Carla is in-network with Cigna, BCBS, and United Healthcare.
LAUREN DEES-Pedroza
Lauren Dees-Pedroza, a licensed clinical social worker, has been providing trauma informed- therapeutic services to teens, adults, couples, families and groups since 2012.
Lauren specializes in work with teenagers & adults with trauma and emotional dysregulation as well as facilitating mental health groups.
Lauren has developed and led many groups, including but not limited to strengthening families, mind over mood (depression & anxiety), PTSD support, positive psychology, DBT for families/teens/adults, anger management, mindfulness, adolescent coping skills and women's focused sex/sexuality.
Lauren strives to create a safe, nurturing and uplifting atmosphere in which individuals find support in their efforts to change and connect with others, as well as enhance strengths and develop life long goals. She believes that the therapeutic relationship should be founded on trust, humor, and authenticity, and she strives to maintain and enhance relationships through every interaction.
Lauren is also EMDR and DBT intensively trained and uses tools/skills from both modalities to shape her treatment style. She finds EMDR therapy helpful in areas such as trauma, grief and loss, anxiety, and when an individual feels “stuck.” Lauren uses DBT skills to help clients recognize positive emotion, establish control of problematic behaviors and impulses, and enhance a sense of mastery.
Outside of the office, Lauren enjoys exercise, cat/dog parenting, experimenting with cooking, photography, playing music, watching scary movies, and spending time with her husband and daughter, Remi.
Lauren is in-network with Cigna, Optum, Ambetter, Tricare/Triwest and Kancare insurances.
