Grief counselors and therapists in Columbia, MO

Have you spent years trying to meet someone's expectations, avoiding conflict, or striving for perfection just to feel worthy? Many of us struggle with not-enoughness. Early childhood experiences, family dynamics, high pressure environments, and past relationships can all contribute to the belief that you must earn love, safety, or acceptance. When your nervous system has learned to stay on alert trying to please, perform, or stay in control it makes sense that self-doubt and anxiety would follow. Those patterns you learned can be unlearned and self-acceptance can be cultivated through getting curious about your inner world. My focus is treating anxiety disorders, complex PTSD, and adjustment disorder. If you are searching for a therapist who has a lot of education, training and patience, a half a century of life experiences, is a fan of Grace and Frankie, hikes and loves dogs, then you have found her.

I am seasoned therapist with over 10 years of experience. I have worked with a wide range of clientele.

Hi, I'm Jessica — and I'm really glad you found your way here.

I've been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker since 2012, and in that time I've had the honor of sitting with people through some of their hardest seasons — anxiety, depression, PTSD, and everything life piles on in between. This work never gets old to me, because every person who walks in brings a story I've never heard before.

One thing I believe deeply: you already know yourself better than anyone. My job isn't to hand you a roadmap — it's to help you trust the one you already carry. I'll follow your lead, meet you where you are, and help you move in the direction you actually want to go.

Hello, I’m Abby Pease, LCSW, QS! As a therapist, I strive to create a safe and welcoming space where clients feel truly seen and supported. I bring warmth, energy, and a touch of humor into my work, helping clients navigate challenges while also reminding them that healing doesn’t always have to be heavy. My goal is to walk alongside you with compassion and clarity as you move toward growth and resilience.

I came to train and serve as a counselor after being helped by counseling in my 40s. Sometimes reaching out for help and making changes in life is scary and overwhelming. Sometimes we need support as we navigate these changes. I love to support my clients as they make life-giving changes.

I am a therapist and strategic behavioral‐health leader with more than a decade of experience supporting youth, families, and adults navigating complex trauma, transition, and systems involvement. My background spans emergency shelter work, foster‐care transition programs, community‐based counseling, and clinical supervision of multidisciplinary teams.

Clients often describe me as steady, collaborative, and deeply attuned to the stories people carry. I bring a trauma‐informed lens to every interaction, honoring the resilience people develop in the face of adversity. My work is shaped by years of program development, crisis intervention, and advocacy for underserved communities — and by a belief that healing grows in environments where people feel seen, safe, and respected.

With a career spanning nearly two decades in child welfare and clinical social work, Laura provides a specialized safe place for youth (ages 3–26) navigating life’s most difficult experiences. Her practice focuses on building inner coping and resilience by enhancing bodily awareness and active curiosity, ensuring that healing isn’t just a cognitive process, but a physical one.

Specialized Clinical Focus:

Childhood Trauma: Expert in childhood sexual abuse, abuse and neglect, grief, bullying, complex medical diagnosis/complications, and all the BAD, SAD, and SCARY things in-between.

Specialized Sexual Behavior Work: Extensive experience facilitating therapy for children and adolescents with inappropriate and illegal sexual behaviors.

Systemic Support: Navigating foster care, adoption, divorce, family and/or sibling dynamics, behavioral struggles, and school avoidance.

Sometimes life changes in ways you never expected. Whether you're navigating anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, the transition into parenthood, or the emotional demands of caring for others, it's easy to lose sight of yourself while trying to keep everything together. You don't have to face those challenges alone. For more than 20 years, I've partnered with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, grief and loss, women's issues, and trauma, helping them build resilience, strengthen relationships, and rediscover hope during life's most difficult seasons. Working with children, adolescents, and adults, I strive to create a compassionate, supportive space where you feel genuinely heard, respected, and empowered to move toward lasting healing.