Laurie St. Patrick
About Me
This section has been written and re-written a few times. What does one say about themselves in a role such as a therapist? I feel like I’m writing to you (whom I haven’t yet met), trying to sell my personality and highly trained skill-sets, yet I have no idea what you are looking for when it comes to therapy. Depression can look very different from anger issues, which can look very different from career counseling. I am not only trained in all of these areas, but have extensive experience as well, alongside other major concerns such as anxiety, relationship issues, major and minor traumas, couples counseling, family counseling, etc.
What makes me different from other therapists?
I am a licensed mental health therapist in Nebraska with decades of experience in helping and healing professions. Before earning my Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Crown College, I worked in public schools, community-based nonprofits, and private settings since 2003. These experiences set me up to open my own private practice in 2022. I am deeply committed to my own personal growth and development. I have deep gratitude for the many teachers, healers, and mentors that have supported me. I chose Crown College because I wanted to be able to incorporate Christian counseling confidently and successfully, as I feel one’s relationship with God is an important part of healing.
The attitude that shapes my therapeutic approach is informed by many disciplines and practices, combining the traditional elements of psychotherapy (Christian Counseling, EMDR, IFS, Attachment, DBT, and Trauma Focused Therapy) with other proven therapeutic techniques to fit the specific needs of different clients (Enneagram and holistic methods focused on gut healing). Having a wide array of trainings has positioned me to be able to help individuals, parents, teens, and couples from numerous different angles, providing deeper and authentic healing.
I have a particular passion for working with those who are:
- seeking to heal childhood wounds and resolve trauma
- navigating significant life transitions, including marital concerns/tensions
- dealing with loss, bereavement and grief
- struggling with depression, anxiety, confidence, and low self-esteem
- seeking to create healthier relationships
- grappling with aging concerns, life meaning/purpose, and work burnout
- exploring beliefs and questions with religion, relationship with God
So where do you fit into this?
Reaching out to start working on oneself is not an easy task. It takes not only courage to reach out, but the humility to realize help is needed. Once that first step has been taken, the work that follows is not usually simple. It takes commitment and determination to work through the pain of the past, the stories those events have written on your heart, and creating different pathways against those that seem so concrete and unchangeable. There are constant setbacks and challenges, as life doesn’t just take you down a yellow brick road of happiness just because you started therapy.
But, oh my, are the rewards worth it! I cannot guarantee a life of constant peace and harmony, but a stronger sense of self and better understanding of how to navigate difficult situations in more healthy ways are certainly just glimpses of what those rewards can look like. And YOU are responsible for that change and healing (I just give tools and support you on your journey)!!
I offer a non-judgmental, compassionate, and informed space for individuals to explore their experiences and heal. My style is deeply relational, trauma-informed, intuitive, and interactive. Working from a non-pathologizing, compassionate stance allows me to meet clients where they are without shame or judgement. I truly believe people are SO MUCH more than their worst moments, darkest thoughts, and severest symptoms.
I hope you reach out today so we can talk about how life for you can look differently!
What I am currently reading
November 2024
Soul of Shame, Curt Thompson
https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Shame-Retelling-Stories-Ourselves/dp/0830844333
Why Do I Do What I Don’t Want to Do? Jonathan “JP” Pokluda
https://www.amazon.com/Why-What-Dont-Want-Life-Giving/dp/0801094968
October 2024
Untangle Your Emotions, Jennie Allen
https://www.amazon.com/Untangle-Your-Emotions-Naming-Knowing/dp/0593193415
September 2024
Is God Real? Lee Strobel
https://www.amazon.com/God-Real-Exploring-Ultimate-Question/dp/0310367875
August 2024
TRAUMA AND MEMORY, PETER LEVINE
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/252750/trauma-and-memory-by-peter-a-levine-phd/
SECURE RELATING, SUE MARRIOT & ANN KELLEY
https://therapistuncensored.com/secure-relating/?v=1
Education
- Master of Arts, Clinical Counseling, 2022 (Crown College)
- Bachelor of Science, Secondary Education, English, 2009 (Wayne State College)
- Bachelor of Science, Writing & Journalism, 2002 (Wayne State College)
Licenses
- Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner (#3492)
- Licensed Professional Counselor (#2878)
- Secondary Education Educator (#20200008823)
Specific Therapeutic Training
2024
November – EMDR + IFS Integration Training, Level 2, Virtual, Kendall Hart & Kristie Boggs
October – Mastering EMDR Intensives, Virtual, Kristie Boggs
October – AACC National Conference, Dallas Texas
August – EMDR + IFS Integration Training, LEVEL 1, Virtual, Kendhal Hart
2024 – Kate Walker Supervisor Training, Virtual (Kate Walker Institute)
2024 – Christian Counseling & Biblical Studies with Logos, Virtual (AACC)
2024 – Nebraska Association For Marriage And Family Therapy Spring 2024 Hybrid Conference: Ethics and Major Mental Disorders, Virtual
2024 – Gottman Couples Therapy Level 1, Virtual
2024 – Using IFS to find & develop an EMDR Target, Virtual (SYZYGY Institute)
2024 – EMDR + IFS Integration Training, Virtual (Kendhal Hart)
2023
2023 – The Increase in Covert Teenage Suicide Ideation and Self-injury: Practical Ideas for
Changing Dynamics, Dr Mayfield, Virtual (AACC)
2023 – Enneagram Informed Mental Health Professional Training, Virtual
2023 – Restorative Wellness Solutions, Jumpstart Gastrointestinal Healing, Virtual
2022
2022- EMDR with Adolescents and Adults, Deb Wesselmann & Ann Potter
2022 – IATP-C EMDR, Omaha Nebraska
2022 – Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Jill Rathus & Alec Miller, Virtual
2022 – Sand tray Training, ESU 2, Fremont, Nebraska
2022 – Social-Emotional Learning from the Inside Out: Teaching Kids Interoceptive Awareness Skills to Build Insight, Empathy, and Compassion, Dr. Daniel Siegel, Virtual
2021
2021- Addiction Severity Index (ASI), Bellevue University, Omaha, Nebraska
2021 – Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI) Virtual
2021 – Understanding Trauma in Children and Adolescents, Nebraska Counseling Association Spring Conference, Cathy Schweitzer & Stefanie Armstrong, Omaha, Nebraska
2021- Neuroptimal Training, Omaha
2021 – American Association of Suicidology (AAS) Crisis Training, Boystown
2021 – 2-Day Trauma Conference: The Body Keeps the Score-Trauma Healing with Bessel van der Kolk, MD, Virtual (PESI)
2021 – Treating Children with Pervasive Emotion Dysregulation using EMDR, Cathy Schweitzer & Stefanie Armstrong
Facts about me
I Believe In
God created everyone with unique purposes, getting to the point, sports are meant for entertainment purposes, and change is difficult but always worth it.
You Can Find Me
Researching and studying new ways to help clients, writing blogs, making dinner for my husband, meeting with others to learn how to grow my private practice, traveling the world, and shopping for new clothes & self-care products.
Daily Rituals
Devotional/journaling time, Iced coffee from The Beanery, cuddles with my two dogs, classes on my Peloton Tread, and cleaning/tidying the house so I can enjoy winding down at night with husband watching pointless reality tv shows.
Schedule your first session
westocounseling@gmail.com
402-982-3158
11717 Burt Street, STE 101
Omaha, NE 68154
5814 142nd St STE B
Omaha, NE 68137