Meet the Team
Emily
LCMFT
Emily grew up in south Johnson County, KS, and graduated from Kansas State University with a Bachelors in Family Studies and Human Services. After, she attended Friends University in Kansas City and graduated with her Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Emily’s post graduate career began in Boston. Her clients ranged from youth in the foster system to people struggling with family separation, suicide, drug abuse, prostitution, poverty, severe mental illness, and homelessness. She has worked with all ages, ranging from three to 93 years old, in one of the most impoverished and violent cities in the United States. Emily’s work has helped homeless, spiritual, transitional living, and psychiatric facility communities.
With Emily’s extensive experience, she took what she learned and brought it back to Kansas City developing Healing Towards Wellness. Her specialties range from transitional living to adulthood, and include eating disorders, self injury/suicide, sand tray therapy, premarital/couples work and overall family therapy.
Emily can also be found on Everywhere is Queer, OutCarehealth and Headway.
Therapist Intern
Morgan
Morgan grew up in Northwest Arkansas and graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a Bachelors of Theatre and University of Arkansas, Fayetteville with a Masters of Education. She is currently in her last stage of her Masters of General Mental Health Counseling degree through Capella University.
Morgan has worked within the foster care system, education system, and foreign exchange programs to help children and adolescents and families reconnect and build relationships while healing from mental health, physical health and safety, and attachment difficulties.
Morgan has worked with all age to discover strategies that work for the client! She is excited to start her internship at Healing Towards Wellness and support clients in their growth and healing.
Staff Therapist
Lauren
Lauren Miller is a licensed clinical professional counselor, passionate advocate, and lifelong community member rooted in the Kansas City metro area. With deep ties to the area, she is dedicated to helping individuals in her community lead healthier, more fulfilled lives.
Lauren's academic journey began at the University of Kansas, where she studied Psychology, graduating in 2018. Motivated by a desire to support others, she went on to earn her Master's Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from MidAmerica Nazarene University in 2022. Her clinical experience is wide-ranging, encompassing anxiety, depression, chronic trauma, personality structures, ADHD and more, but she has a special interest in trauma work. Lauren approaches therapy from a humanistic and psychodynamic framework, grounded in the belief that each person is inherently good and unique.
Lauren strives to create a safe, empathetic and nonjudgemental space where clients can explore their stories, be heard fully, and pursue meaningful change. She brings curiosity, compassion, and openness to every session, believing healing emerges when people are seen, understood and supported.
Therapist Intern
Clarissa
Clarissa grew up in St. Joe and graduated with a BS in Elementary Education from Missouri Western State University.
She later earned an Assoc. degree in Physical Therapy Assisting from Kansas City Kansas Community College.
She is currently completing her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Capella University.
She has professional experience working supporting individuals in their education and supporting emotional connection with physical healing.
Her passion for mental health has grown through personal and professional experiences and has led to her interest in supporting those with anxiety, depression, OCD, grief, self-esteem concerns, women’s issues, infertility, and relationship conflict.
Clarissa hopes to support clients in finding meaning and move toward wellness on their unique journeys.
Her interests outside of counseling include music, hiking, yoga, crafts and being creative!
Our Board Members
Lyndsey
Lyndsey is a born and raised Kansas Citian who recently returned home after a short stint in Louisville, KY. Her love for her hometown was only solidified with her time apart and she’s excited to be able to give back to KC through Healing Towards Wellness.
In her professional life Lyndsey is an entrepreneur, horsewoman, and is currently working to bring the InvestMidwest Conference to Kansas City in April 2023. She’s passionate about helping businesses and organizations grow and find their ideal customers.
In her free time Lyndsey enjoys spending time with her husband, kids, and their ever growing menagerie of pets.
Marisa
Marisa is a Kansas City native with a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design, a Kansas MBE/WBE/DBE certification, and a WBENC certification. She also runs her own business: Marisa Gonzales Studio, LLC. Marisa focuses on leaving a legacy she can be proud of by making the best of her circumstances. In her opinion, the best way to get there is through supporting one another.
“As someone who's experienced chronic health issues, inclusiveness (or lack thereof) got me here from the corporate world of design agencies and as a healthcare physical therapy clinician. After working in that environment of the rigidness of their policies towards women and employees with chronic health issues, I knew I wanted to do better. And that’s why I’m very much family and health-focused in my business.”
This lived experience is the way Marisa helps female consultants increase their leads and build brand authority through website design, custom visual branding, SEO, and accessibility. In addition, Marisa is a wife and mother to one human and two dogs.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth grew up in a military family, having lived in over a handful of states across the country before making a home for her amily in Kansas City, KS. She graduated from Kansas State University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Family Studies and Human Services and in 2022, graduated with her master's in Marriage and Family Therapy!
Elizabeth has worked with kids, teenagers, and adults struggling with concerns around self-injury, the LGBTQ+ community, affair recovery, depression, anxiety, or those seeking premarital counseling.
She started her career out interning with Healing Towards Wellness and then came on as a staff person. Now she has transitioned to the board as she starts her own private practice at Gaming Changing Therapy.
Office Manager
Crystal
bio and photo coming soon
Social Media Manager
Dani
Dani grew up in McPherson, KS and spent nine years living in the Kansas City area before returning home to McPherson with her family. She works as an Instructional Designer at Fort Hays State University and is the owner of DRR Designs, where she partners with clients across Kansas on social media, websites, and branding.
Dani has a personal connection to Healing Toward Wellness from her time in the Kansas City area and is grateful for the opportunity to now support the organization through design and creative services.
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