Therapists answer…

Why did you become a therapist, and what motivates you to continue?

Allison Stahl

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Online & In-Person

Why did you become a therapist, and what motivates you to continue?

I have always loved kids, especially those who follow their own beat and don’t color inside the lines. I started out as a camp counselor when I was 19. Kids are fun, they’re funny, and they’re smart. I am motivated to continue by the resilience of the kids I work with every day.

I have been practicing pediatric mental health therapy for over 10 years. I approach therapy with kids by using play, creative techniques, and games to help kids feel comfortable and open up. I'd love to meet with your family and see how we can help your child and your family be the healthiest version of themselves.

Kristen Sherman

Why did you become a therapist, and what motivates you to continue?

I became a therapist to help clients feel less alone and to reduce the stigma of mental illness. What motivates me is my clients and watching them grow and build mastery while living their life worth living.

Hi, I am Kristen. I specialize in Mood disorders, ADHD, Substance use, and personality disorders. I like to look at the therapist and client relationship as a partnership where we both are rowing the boat instead of one person giving directions while the other one is doing all the work. Fun fact about me is I have two dogs who often will make an appearance in my therapy sessions named Winnie and Bear.

Sara Shuck

Why did you become a therapist, and what motivates you to continue?

I've always had a heart for helping others. I grew up in a small town and started volunteer at a young age. Over time, I continued to find ways to connect with others and to give back to the community.

I am Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor in Texas with 8 years of experience. As the wife of a veteran, I am dedicated to providing quality care for veterans and their loved ones. I am also a Certified First Responder Counselor and am here to support those on the front lines. I have experience working with a wide range of mental health and substance use conditions and have completed specialized training for treating anxiety and trauma.

Carlen Franklin

Why did you become a therapist, and what motivates you to continue?

The strong desire to help people, I empathize that it is so hard and sometimes even uncomfortable to open up about feelings and dealing with them so knowing that first hand I want to be the person that helps people realize no matter what they are feeling it is valid.

I believe that you are the expert in your own life and and the modalities I use are geared in empowering you as the client. I utilize solution focused therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy as well as a person centered approach in my sessions. I understand how it can be hard to open up sometimes, I meet you where you are and go at the pace you feel comfortable as it pertains to exploring what is going on in your life. I have a deep passion for helping others, allow me to join you on your journey of healing and self discovery.

Lauren Kleinow

Clinical Social Worker/ Therapist

Why did you become a therapist, and what motivates you to continue?

I became a therapist because my own therapist inspired me! I know what it’s like to sit in the client’s chair and I appreciated the space my therapist held for me while I sorted through my hardships. I continue to do this work because I view it as an honor to be with someone in their vulnerability.

You’re overwhelmed by being everything to everyone. While everyone else sleeps, your mind races with worst case scenarios as you dissect a minor experience from earlier in the day. It’s hard making decisions about even the simplest things. Life just isn’t as much fun as you want. You’ve tried talking to your friends about this stuff, but it never seems to help or change anything. Stacks of self help books go unread on your nightstand and following lifestyle influencers makes your self esteem plummet. Life is hard and it doesn’t come with an instruction manual. You deserve to be truly seen and heard without judgement. Your own answers live within you, and when you reach out for support, I’ll help you find them.

Tracy Adams

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Why did you become a therapist, and what motivates you to continue?

After working in medical social work for 8 years, often times with patients who were not willing or able to accept my help, I wanted to transition to a job where people desired to heal. I strongly believe that I have the ability to connect with all types of people in a unique way. I have been gifted with the ability to empathize with others along with a strength that allows me to carry the burdens of others. Seeing my client's lives change because of the hard work that they do motivates me. It is such an immense privilege to join along side clients who want to change and grow.

I grew up surrounded by nature and beauty in Northern California. I completed my undergraduate degree in Sociology at Biola University in La Mirada, CA with a minor in Biblical Studies. In 2012, I began my graduate studies at New York University, earning a Master’s in Social Work specializing in geriatric and end of life care. I have been a Licensed Clinician for four years and feel honored to have a practice where I can use EMDR techniques to help others heal.

Justin Hughes

Licensed Professional Counselor

Online & In-Person

Why did you become a therapist, and what motivates you to continue?

I wanted to become a therapist because I observed how great of an impact it had in my mom's life. It motivates me when people say "I feel so calm/happy lately."

Hello, My name is Justin Hughes and I am a licensed professional counselor in the state of Idaho. I have been in the mental health field for over 9 years. I have been able to help people from ages 12 to 65 address mental health needs. I have helped people learn to address diagnosis and live full and health lives. I can help you too.

Sarah Zimmerman

Online & In-Person

Why did you become a therapist, and what motivates you to continue?

In my childhood I saw so much sadness and pain in the world. I felt compassion toward people who were struggling with feeling different, unaccepted and unloved. Some were being ignored, neglected or abused. I didn’t want to ignore disturbing situations and the way I felt when I saw this. I just wanted to help in any way that I could. As a therapist I now have the skills and training to help people in difficult situations who want to move past their suffering. I see their strengths and ways to find solutions. I want to support my clients' path to living their best lives.

Are you ready to make some changes? I’m a therapist with 25+ years of experience. I help clients with anxiety and trauma develop new skills and insights to feel calmer, confident and in control. If you are struggling with feeling fearful, nervous, overwhelmed, irritable and physically ill, I can help. Therapy can provide you with the tools to be your authentic self, improve relationships and just feel better. I’m Certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and am a Certified Clinical Anxiety Professional and a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (Level II). I would love to speak with you about any questions you have and what you’d like to accomplish in therapy. I offer a free 15 minute phone consultation to see if we’d work well together. Let’s chat today.

christina gerteis

Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Addiction Counselor

Why did you become a therapist, and what motivates you to continue?

As a helper, I am humbled and grateful to have been on this healing journey with others over many years and would love to share with you ideas for increasing happiness and creativity, as well re-discovering direction and peace.

You have been through so much and come so far! What keeps holding you back from experiencing all of the joy and calm you are seeking? There are protective parts of self that surface to move us through times of trauma and loss, social discord and injustice, economic and environmental crisis, and separation and isolation in our relationships...and these extremely valid coping responses might be contributing to more pain and keeping you from a full, authentic connection to all of your world. Awareness is a big step, yet also needs momentum and action to actualize and heal. Take your journey further. The time is now.

Linda Sanderville

Psychotherapist, Anxiety and Trauma Recovery

Why did you become a therapist, and what motivates you to continue?

I have always been fascinated with people and figuring out the way that we work why we operate the way that we do, why we are the way that we are, I've always been interested in that since I was as young as maybe seven or eight. And so I knew even then that I would love being some kind of therapist, you know someone who works with people all day long, because that just seemed like the most interesting job in the world to me. And I've always wanted to help you know whether you know when I was little, I was like I wanted to grow up to be like Superwoman, I didn't know you couldn't like just become super woman, but I always want to be able to help and to save people from sort of desperate situations and bring them into like a new place of like hope and and joy. And so those things are still true for me today I've been doing this for about 10 years. And I really love the work that I do. That's why I'm still making room for it in my life, and I love working with my clients. They're incredible people. And, you know, seeing their progress seeing them, you know come in and they'll have the feelings that they're having and the stressors they're having. But eventually, shift out of those places, to where, you know, it's no longer just sort of survival mode but actually being able to have excitement about their lives and have a glow about them and tapping into, you know all the things that are possible for them. It makes it such a rewarding, you know career for me. And it's great to know that I can you know that the things that I love and the things I'm good at are combined like this, and then I can serve in this way. So, that's hopefully a lot of what motivates me, you know, I also have a lot of, you know, friends and loved ones growing up who had their own trauma, and have their own struggles with mental health conditions and seeing how, you know, they were affected when they didn't get the help that they needed also strongly motivates me, I think it's just there's no reason for that, there are so many tools out there that help people to experience relief from all kinds of things. That's when I went into grad school to find out what those things were. And there's so many tools and resources available and I just think it's completely unnecessary for folks to just sort of suffer, and just, you know, be resigned to that or get used to that, when there's so much that can be done to make life so different so that's a lot of what motivates me as a therapist and where my drive comes from so thank you for listening.