Those aren’t just buzzwords or some kind of unattainable dream – you can start down that path today.

My goal as a therapist is to find solutions that work for you on an individual basis, helping you to discover the true potential of your life, so everyday can be a celebration, and feel like a real ‘breath of fresh air.’ There may be no magic button or quick-fix solution when it comes to changing things from the past that have been difficult, but what we can do is work together to find comfort and resolve in the difficult areas of your life, and the challenges you have to face. Through various techniques and long-standing approaches with proven results, we’ll be able to figure out what behaviors and/or thoughts might be holding you back from living your best life, and finding meaning in everyday situations.

Whether you’re looking for support or guidance through a particularly difficult time, or you’re open to a real change in your life and where you’re going, together, we can work to achieve dreams, and meet your goals.

There is no ‘perfect person’ for this type of therapy. Anyone dealing with any type of behavioral or emotional issues, from depression to couple’s counseling, and everything in between, is welcome. You can rest assured that you will be in a comfortable, supportive, and encouraging environment, where the focus will be on you alone – there is no ‘cookie cutter’ way of doing things here, and your individual needs to achieve growth are the top priority.

Laura H. Siercks, LICSW, MFT

Please call or email me for a consultation.

Laura Howery Siercks
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
Marriage & Family Therapist

Laura graduated with her bachelor’s in social work in 1996. She started her career working as a multi county child protection worker. In 1999, she took a position as a therapist on the Children & Family Unit at North Central Human Service Center where she specialized in working with child abuse/neglect and high risk families. In 2005, she earned her master’s degree in social work. In 2007, she accepted a position at the Veteran’s Administration as a Clinical Specialist treating veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

In 2008, she started her own private practice clinic.

Laura uses a variety of evidence based interventions, and has special training in the following:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Solution Focused Therapy
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Prolonged Exposure Therapy
Emotion Focused Couples Therapy (EFT)
Play Therapy

Whatever obstacles and struggles someone may be going through in life, I consider it a privilege to help them deal with. I understand that the patients I see are entrusting me to give them the right resources to guide them down a new path, with a new perspective, so they can achieve their own goals. With a healthy balance of listening, guiding, and even learning, I take pride in using my own experience and resources to help people really start off on the right foot on that path. Whether you, or someone you know struggles with something like depression, or simply wants a different outlook on their life, it’s something to work through together, and by setting up a consultation, we can get started.

I consider all my patients to be more than just another name, or an appointment. Therapy is meant to be a completely individual experience, and I treat it as such, with deep compassion and absolutely no judgment. Not only do I want to provide support and encouragement for each of my clients, but it’s my goal to offer them practical resources that they can put into practice immediately in their lives. I used both modern approaches and tried and true methods to fit each client’s individual needs with understanding, no matter who they are, or their particular walk of life. Everyone can achieve more personal growth and strength, and it’s an honor to work on that together.

It’s important to face the challenges of life head-on, but with the right tools and resources in your arsenal. That all starts with a healthy mind, and a fresh perspective. From there, focusing on your well-being, mental and emotional health, and physical wellness comes into play like never before. You’re taking the first steps on a journey, but you’re not taking them alone.

Areas of Treatment:

As a professional therapist, my role is to guide you as you take steps towards positive life changes, healing, and a healthy mind. Together we’ll work to uncover and better understand life’s challenges and day-to-day stressors that detract from your life and focus, and begin identifying and practicing things that will make you stronger.

Please contact me to make an appointment.

What can therapy do for me?

There are a variety of benefits that can come from therapy, and they tend to be individualized. Therapists are there to provide levels of support, teach certain skills, and help patients discover new coping strategies for things like anxiety, depression, stress, or even creative blocks. You don’t need to have some kind of ‘major disorder’ to find usefulness from a therapist. In fact, if you’re simply looking for personal growth in any aspect of your life, you can typically find the skills and resources through therapy to help with family problems, marital issues, and more. Essentially, a therapist offers a different way of looking at things – perhaps a perspective you haven’t yet considered, which makes it easier to point you in the right direction, and find the solutions you’re looking for in life.

Of course, therapists can’t just ‘fix’ everything on their own. It’s about using those resources you learn in your everyday life that can really turn things around. Still unsure about what therapy could do for you? Let’s take a look a few examples of some common benefits:

– Grasping a deeper understanding of who you are
– Identifying your goals and dreams
– Obtaining the right skills for bettering your life’s relationships
– Learning resources to put an end to the issues that brought you to therapy
– Managing problem areas in your personal life, like anger, stress, depression, etc.
– Creating new patterns of behavior for yourself
– Changing your problem-solving perspective
– Boosting your self-esteem and confidence

If I feel as though I can handle my issues on my own, is therapy really necessary?

There isn’t a person alive who doesn’t experiences challenges of some kind throughout their life. Some people can simply get through them better than others, and even then, it’s never a bad idea to have additional support and understanding when it comes to the obstacles you’ve gone through. In all actuality, therapy is ideal for people who understand themselves enough to realize they actually could use some help, instead of denying it. Noticing that your life isn’t necessarily where you want it to be is a big realization and admittance, and taking the steps to change that for the better is something to be incredibly proud of. You’re taking the first step down an incredible path that can lead to long-lasting benefits for the rest of your life, even when challenges come up again.

What makes people go to therapy in the first place? How do I know if it’s the right decision?

While everyone’s reasons for coming to therapy are different, whether they’re going through a big life change, or a specific event like divorce, or just aren’t dealing with stressful situations ideally. Sometimes, the assistance of therapy can not only help with specific situations, but personal issues as well. Depression, anxiety, relationship issues, and even low-self esteem are often common reasons to seek out help. You may start out looking for one thing, and find on your journey that you can gain so much more through learning the right skills, and having the right kind of encouragement.

In terms of making the ‘right decision’ for yourself, of course therapy is a personal decision, but if you take a look at your life, and your desire is to make a change that starts from within, it’s likely that some form of psychotherapy could be a great benefit.

What can I expect from therapy?

Just like the reasons for therapy are different for everyone, most people can expect different experiences. The good news is that therapy is completely individually-focused, which is why everyone can get something different out of it. Generally, your life, your history, and any relevant insights will be important to the specific discussions, but in a very personal and individualized manner. Sometimes therapy can be focused on a specific need, in which case it’s a ‘short term’ solution, while in other cases, many people go to therapy regularly, each week, to simply look for more personal growth.

Again, therapy isn’t meant to be some kind of ‘quick fix’ where you simply sit back and listen. It is a participatory experience. The more you involve yourself in the process, the better results you’re bound to see. It’s a practice in everyday living, in which you take what you learn from the session, and apply it to your life. Therefore, it’s important to be mentally prepared to make those changes in your life, and desire new perspectives on things.

How should one consider medication vs. psychotherapy?

While medication has been proven to help with many different disorders, it has also been proven that time and time again, it simply isn’t enough. Medication often treats the symptoms of a problem, without getting to the root of solving it, which is where therapy comes in. The decision to take psychotropic medications or not, is a highly personal one, and your personal wishes will be honored. If in the course of treatment, you decided you might benefit from medications, I will refer you out to an appropriate provider.

Holistic Approaches

People are turning more and more to holistic and natural alternatives to modern medicine to treat mental, physical and spiritual issues. I fully support alternative options as such essential oils, chiropractic and massage care, yoga, Reiki, diet/exercise and nutrition options, and other means you might explore to improve your well being. During your initial appointment, we can discuss if some of these options might be beneficial for you. I have partnered with a Certified Yoga Instructor who specializes in Trauma Focused Yoga routines which can be highly effective in treating symptoms from past trauma and/or post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression. You can do the yoga sessions here at the office in our yoga room, or in the comfort of your home with the yoga instructor’s guidance. If you are interested in Reiki, I refer you to a colleague of mine. She is a Nurse Practitioner but also a Reiki Practitioner who has attained Usui Master Level in Reiki. Both the yoga and Reiki sessions are a separate cost but very reasonable.

I believe in treating the whole person, and this may mean completing an updated thorough medical physical to help rule out and/or treat any underlying medical issues contributing to your mental health issues. This may include micronutrient testing, advanced thyroid testing and advanced hormone testing. In my practice, it is very important to help you treat your physical health as it directly impacts your mental health.

How does insurance factor into therapy?

Insurance companies are different – some offer mental health coverage, while others do not. The easiest way to find out if mental health care is covered by your provider is to contact them, to make sure you understand their options. If you’re looking for a good place to start in asking them questions, you could consider asking what their coverage amounts are for therapy sessions, what an out-of-network provider might cost, or if prior approval will be needed from your primary care physician. Don’t be afraid to ask enough questions so you feel confident in knowing how your insurance responds to mental health care.

Do the topics in each therapy session remain private?

There is practically nothing more important in therapy than confidentiality. As with any doctor/patient agreement, your privacy is of the utmost importance. A good therapist understands the vulnerability and openness that must come from each patient in order to really get through, so therapy itself can take a lot of trust, and that needs to be developed over time. Make sure your therapist offers a confidentiality agreement before you begin your sessions, typically called ‘informed consent.’ It is your choice if you’d like to have your therapist share anything significant with your other healthcare providers, but this can only be done with your written consent. Nothing you share in your sessions is to be told to anyone else, with the rare exceptions of suspected abuse of any kind (including child protection), or if the therapist has any reason to believe their patient may hurt themselves, or others. These situations are a matter of ethical procedures, and sometimes, even the law.