Online therapist for Ames, Waterloo, Cedar Falls and central Iowa

Close to campus, and well beyond it

In Ames and Cedar Falls, university employees and their families often want a therapist outside the campus community. And in the small towns around them, getting to any therapist can mean a long drive.

Video sessions mean you can meet from home, the office or a parked car, and keep your sessions even in a snowstorm.

You might be looking for help with

• anxiety and perfectionism
• depression or feeling flat
• burnout from work, school or caregiving
• relationship stress
• grief and loss
• parenting and the mental load

This is individual psychotherapy with a licensed clinician. It isn’t coaching. Couples and family sessions are a different format that insurance may treat differently, so ask before you book if you’re interested in a joint session.

What we might work on

• Perfectionism and the belief that everything is urgent
• Anxiety and overthinking
• Academic-calendar burnout: the crunch weeks and the crash after
• Isolation in a small town or a new job
• Grief and loss
• Sharing the load at home

How sessions work

Sessions combine a standard clinical assessment with the Care Map Method™, the framework I use to look at your sleep and health, your feelings, your relationships and your daily demands, then build one practical change at a time. More about therapy in Iowa.

Lower one standard on purpose

Pick one thing you do to a high standard that no one else would notice if you did it to a lower one, like the inbox, the house or the perfect lunchbox. For two weeks, do it at “good enough.” Notice what happens to your time and your stress.

Sessions, licenses and insurance

Sessions are online by video for adults who are physically located in Iowa, or another state where I’m licensed, during each session. I’m licensed in Iowa (LISW #141693), and also in California, New Jersey, Oregon and Maine.

Through Alma, I’m in network with Aetna, Cigna, Carelon, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, and Optum plans including UnitedHealthcare, Oscar and Oxford. Coverage depends on your specific plan, not only the insurance company’s name. Alma checks it before your first session, including any copay or deductible, and handles the billing. How using insurance works.

Check Insurance and Availability on Alma →

Questions people ask

Do you work with university faculty and staff?

Yes, adults in any field. If your employer offers an employee assistance program, that’s a separate benefit; you can also use your health plan through Alma if it covers sessions with me.

Do you see Iowa State or UNI students?

Yes, adult students who are physically in Iowa during sessions. Many students also have counseling through their school, which is worth checking first.

What if I live outside town with spotty internet?

We’ll plan around it: a better spot, a phone hotspot, or a backup by phone.

What happens in the first session?

We talk about what brings you in, your history, your support and your safety. You leave with one small, specific thing to try.

Do you take my insurance?

I see clients through Alma, and through Alma I’m in network with Aetna, Cigna, Carelon, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, and Optum plans including UnitedHealthcare, Oscar and Oxford. Coverage still depends on your specific plan. Alma checks it before your first appointment, including any copay or deductible. Please share plan and health details through Alma’s secure intake, not by text or email.

Do I need to be in Iowa for sessions?

Yes, or in another state where I’m licensed. Sessions are online by video, and you need to be physically in Iowa, California, New Jersey, Oregon or Maine during each one. If you’ll be traveling, tell me ahead of time so we can plan around it.

More for Iowa