Confidential, compassionate counseling for all the seasons of life

Diakonos provides professional counseling in person at four Missouri offices and virtually through Telehealth appointments. We have more than three decades of experience helping people in all walks of life achieve peace and freedom. It would be our privilege to serve you as well.

TYPES COUNSELING WE OFFER

• Individual Therapy

• Family Therapy

• Group Therapy

• Couples Therapy

• Premarital Counseling

• Play Therapy

• Telehealth Counseling

INDIVIDUAL THERAPY

Individual therapy means a personal session with trained mental health professional (counselor). Sharing your thoughts, feelings and background help the therapist understand you and what you’re seeking to achieve. After information is shared, you’ll work together to achieve your goals. Every individual is unique. Therapy addresses a broad range of issues, ranging from everyday problems to conflicts to mental illness. Initially, sessions are usually scheduled weekly. The frequency of sessions is re-evaluated once you have time to apply what you are learning in daily life.

FAMILY THERAPY

Therapy can help families desiring change or adapting to new circumstances (such as a blended family, a new home or a loss). It can also help families who are seeking relational growth, encouragement, or conflict resolution. Counseling can address specific issues (loss, divorce, addiction) or overall family life satisfaction. Therapy emphasizes relationships as a foundation of family health. In the counseling context, family is defined in terms of strongly supportive, long-term roles and relationships between people who may or may not be related by blood or marriage. Most family challenges, whether large or small, can be resolved if family members work together.

GROUP THERAPY

Group therapy brings people who share similar backgrounds, interests or problems together with a trained therapist for 45-90 minutes. In these sessions, everyone in the group works with the therapist and each another to achieve healing and personal growth. Group members use feedback, problem solving and role playing to gain insights into themselves. Interaction between group members is encouraged and provides each person with an opportunity to explore new ways of behaving. Group therapy provides a safe environment in which members work to establish a level of trust that allows them to talk personally and honestly. The psychological safety of the group allows the expression of feelings which are often difficult to share outside of it. Individuals decide how much to disclose to the group; there is no pressure to share. Group therapy includes the expectation of confidentiality, and any breaches to confidentiality will be grounds for removal from the group. There are groups for adults and children that address diverse issues including ADHD, depression, anger, eating disorders and addictions.

Couples Therapy

Therapy helps couples understand and resolve conflicts and improve their relationship. Couples learn skills to communicate more clearly, work through differences, solve problems and even argue in a healthier way. Couples therapy can be short term or long term, depending on each couple’s needs. Illness, infidelity, sex, anger, pornography, money and communication problems can all contribute to distress in relationships. Therapy can help resolve conflicts and heal wounds. With a commitment to work together, a new level of acceptance and intimacy is possible.

PREMARITAL COUNSELING

Counseling can help ensure that you and your partner have a strong, healthy relationship, providing a foundation for a stable and satisfying marriage. Premarital counseling can also help you identify and work to mend weaknesses that could become problems in marriage. Marriage is both satisfying and challenging because it’s the union of two individuals from different families and backgrounds. Each partner has a different – and often uncommunicated – set of expectations. Because of this, each has a predetermined idea about:

• Handling conflict

• Managing money

• Religion

• Children and parenting

• What it means to love

Our premarital counseling is usually a series of five sessions that help couples prepare for a satisfying, enduring marriage.

PLAY THERAPY

Play therapy provides a way for children ages 3-11 to express their experiences and feelings through a natural, self-guided, self-healing process. This form of counseling uses play to communicate with and help children prevent or resolve emotional and social challenges. Play therapy can also be used as a tool for diagnosis.
 
How does it work? A trained play therapist observes a child playing with toys. The objects and patterns of play, as well as the willingness to interact with the therapist, can be used to understand underlying behavior and attitudes.

ALTHOUGH IN-PERSON COUNSELING IS OPTIMAL, WE REALIZE THERE ARE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LIMIT AVAILABILITY.

These include:

• Clients who are traveling yet want to continue counseling while away.

• An inflexible work schedule with long hours.

• Long-distance relationships where the couple cannot be physically together.

• Limited mobility and transportation.

• Suffering from a social phobia.

Telehealth counseling is an effective alternate to face-to-face counseling. However, we recommend face-to-face counseling whenever possible. The relationship and trust you develop with your therapist is a crucial component in the healing and growth process.  Being physically present with the therapist helps people feel more connected and comfortable expressing their emotions.

Important
Telehealth counseling is not appropriate for people who are suicidal, self-injuring or are prone to harming others. It’s also not appropriate for those with mental health issues that require more intense care. In these circumstances, please call 911 and go to the nearest hospital emergency room.