Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Cauldwell.
Hi Courtney, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi, I am a mom of four (two boys and two girls). I’ve been married to my husband for 18 years. I have a bachelors in Psychology, Masters in Criminology, and Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I have previously worked in the foster/adopt field, at Missouri Baptist Children’s Home, where I worked with relative/kinship families in fostering kiddos that were either family or known to them through friends.
Before I worked there, I worked in substance abuse treatment. I began to feel that God had called me to something more, where I could affect more direct change. I felt when working in the fostering/adoption field, as well as the substance abuse field, I was just another worker in a broken system and helping others wasn’t as easy as I had hoped.
I began school MidAmerica Nazarene University in 2017 to pursue my masters in counseling. While at MNU I completed my practicum hours at the MNU student and community center where I counseled undergraduate students as well as members of the community. I really enjoyed working with undergraduate students. I graduated in May 2020 (great time to be starting a business, ha) and opened my practice in July.
I originally had planned to work in trauma and in substance abuse for adults. The one group I did not want to work with was adolescents and teenagers. I felt like they were probably the hardest group to work with as they had high walls and getting them to open up seemed like an impossible task. God had other plans, it seemed that every client that ended up on my caseload was an adolescent or a teen. As I began to work with them, I fell in love.
I have been seeing, almost exclusively, adolescent, teen, and young adult clients since and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Opening. a business in 2020 was difficult. The pandemic held many uncertainties as well as fear of being shut down for the lockdown again after paying rent, and all of the business expenses. I took a blind leap of faith and trusted that God would provide and he absolutely did.
The biggest struggles I have faced with being a therapist in today’s world is dealing with the mental health aftermath from COVID-19. It has caused so many mental health issues not only in our society, but in our kids’ lives. Especially for the kiddos that were going into middle school and high school when the pandemic shut us out.
We are seeing such a crisis with teenagers. Suicidal ideation has increased, suicides have increased, and there was a time last fall where it felt so dark and heavy with news story after news story of another child taking their own life.
But, every kiddo that I get to meet with, talk to, and work with, is another one that didn’t go down that road and that will always be success to me. Saving one soul is success.
As you know, we’re big fans of Restore Counseling Johnson County. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I began my private practice, Restore Counseling Johnson County in 2020. I specialize in working with women, adolescents, teens, and young adults.
There are a bunch of great therapists in the Kansas City area. I am different because of the approach I take to counseling. Since becoming a mom in 2013, there is nothing more important to me than my relationship with my children and their well-being. They are my whole world. I cannot imagine taking my child to see a therapist and not knowing what they were talking about or knowing what type of person they were spending time with. That is why I am so transparent in approach with parents.
Obviously there has to be confidentiality between me and my teen client, but there are rules in which I have to contact the parents. I go over the reasons for breaking confidentiality with the parents and with the kiddo. But, I make it clear that their relationship with their child is much more important than my relationship with their child. My goal is not to see your child forever. My goal is to work with them to give them some coping skills, someone to talk to, and work through whatever is going on at the time. Then, they leave. I do parent updates every 3-4 sessions where I will go over with the parent what I have seen in therapy and give them a chance to discuss things they have concerns with, questions, etc. I never discuss with the parents something the client hasn’t already okayed first. In the session prior to the session with their parents, we discuss what is okay to discuss with their parents as well as some things they would like for their parents to know.
I have watched the most difficult relationships between parents and kiddos transform through therapy into incredibly solid and close relationships and that is my greatest joy.
I also structure my sessions in a way that enables the teen or adolescent to open up easier. I have games, snacks, candy, art supplies, fidget toys, and a therapy dog. His name is Dr. Aaron Beck (named after the famous CBT psychiatrist). He is a one year-old Mini Goldendoodle. When the weather is nice, we take walks during therapy on the many trails in and around Corporate Woods.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I think most people are surprised when I tell them that I have four kids. I guess I am pretty good at giving off a “young and cool” vibe. Although, I think my time where teens see me that way is probably limited.
Pricing:
- Individual Session Fee is $140
- I don’t accept insurance but I do provide superbills for clients who have insurance to submit to their insurance companies for reimbursement.
- I also have a slidng scale for clients who are not able to pay the full amount (I have a limited number of clients who I can have at one time on a sliding scale).
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.restorecounselingjoco.com
- Instagram: in.betweensessions
- Facebook: Restore Counseling Johnson County
- Youtube: @counselingcourtney
- Other: TikTok : in.betweensessions
