Debra Younger

Welcome,

My name is Debra Younger and I am committed to offering a safe, supportive, and caring space where you can gently explore and address your life’s challenges. Whether you are wrestling with self-esteem concerns, harsh inner critic voices, depression, anxiety, early childhood trauma, attachment wounds, spiritual struggles, work/life balance, anger management, emotional regulation, grief and loss, military or first responder trauma, interpersonal relationship difficulties, PTSD, or CPTSD — you do not have to face it alone.

My approach is grounded in compassion, respect, and the belief that healing is possible for everyone. Together, we work toward increased self-esteem, stronger self-confidence, and a deeper sense of empowerment. You can learn to develop positive, supportive inner voices; overcome depression and anxiety; heal early childhood wounds; grieve in healthy ways; improve your relationships; recover from trauma; and release the self-limiting beliefs that have held you back — so you can live a fulfilled and meaningful life.

Before becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor in Missouri, I spent over 33 years serving as a Registered Nurse. I have also worked as a Certified Grief Counselor and Pastoral Counselor. These experiences deeply shaped my holistic understanding of healing — caring for the mind, body, and spirit.

I am a Trauma Informed Therapist, an Internal Family Systems (IFS) and EMDR-trained clinician, and a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCPT). I have also held certification as a First Responder Counselor. In addition, I am an Ordained Minister and Chaplain with the Civil Air Patrol, and I am a proud U.S. Army Veteran. These roles have strengthened my commitment to serving those who serve others, as well as individuals navigating trauma and life transitions.

In therapy, I utilize Internal Family Systems (IFS) integrated with EMDR to address your challenges at their roots — helping you process trauma, understand your internal system, and restore balance and resilience.

Initially you will complete a few assessments, some may be done prior to our session, that will help me better understand what may be happening in your life.

In our initial sessions you will be invited to share about what is going on in your life that brought you to counseling and we will talk about the assessments you would have taken.

Together, we will then develop a plan for the goals that you want to accomplish in your therapy work, and talk about how we will plan to accomplish these goals.