Anxiety and depression therapists and psychiatrists in Kansas City, MO

Life can be challenging from time to time, rather than continuing to struggle reach out and I can help you obtain the necessary skills to be confident in the decisions you make.

I’m a licensed therapist with a background in Marriage and Family Therapy. I work with individuals, couples and families who are navigating depression, anxiety, relationship challenges, or just feeling stuck. My approach is collaborative, supportive, and grounded in research—I’m here to help you make sense of what you’re going through and find a path forward. Whether you're facing a tough transition or looking to strengthen your emotional well-being, we’ll work together to create meaningful change.

As a Licensed Professional Counselor with my PhD in Psychology, I have been providing counseling for over 20 years. In that time, I have acquired the skills and compassion to help clients create the life they want for themselves. I serve as a guide and companion to clients on a journey of healing and self-growth.

I love animals, travel, and new experiences. I've lived abroad in two different countries over a 6 year period, gaining great exposure to different cultures and people. I find it a privilege to serve and help people through their struggles. I feel my own life experiences help me connect with others.

My name is Vanessa Cox. I'm the Founder and CEO of Extensive Prevention Intervention Counseling Services (EPICS) LLC, a professional counseling practice, and the Founder and Board Secretary of EPICS J. R. Foundation. The driving force behind my lifework has been a personal mission to live with integrity and make a difference in the lives of others. With over 30 years of clinical and administrative experience,

It takes a lot of courage to reach out for help! Showing up that first time may be the hardest part of the journey. Being someone who has sat in that chair, I have a good idea how you are feeling. Being someone who has done her own personal work of therapy and helped hundreds of others with theirs, I also know how much better life can be! The emotional wounds may be heavy and the burden of experiences may seem like there is nothing that can be done to make it better. Medication may help, but the feelings can make living feel like swimming with a shot put ball. As a therapist, I strive to come alongside those struggling with anxiety, depression, grief, and bereavement to provide support and understanding, education and encouragement. I have worked with clients from age 5 to 103, and what I have found to be most important is the connection (or the “fit”) of the therapist and client. You need a therapist you can bring your authentic self to. You are hiring me to do a job, to help you think, feel, and behave better. You will be best served if we have a good connection. I want that for you, even if it is not me, so never be afraid to interview a few therapists before deciding! After all, if it is me, I will be in your corner and I will challenge you, at the same time. You want to know you chose wisely for yourself.

EPIR Source is built on the foundation of trust and accountability between clinician and client. We pride ourselves on providing the EPIR Experience which includes clients having a life transforming, therapeutic experience.

I care about real connection, steady progress, and creating a space where you can show up as yourself. I’ve spent years helping people sort through heavy thoughts, navigate big life changes, and rebuild a sense of direction. I won't rush you or force you into a mold, I help you understand what matters to you and take the steps to move towards it. I'm happy to be the calm, steady guide who will walk alongside you.

Partner 1: “I reach for you, but it feels like you’re already gone.” I’m left wondering if I matter to you at all.” Partner 2: “When you come close, I feel the pressure to be perfect, so I pull back to protect us both.” These unspoken messages leave couples lonely and stuck. I help break this anxious–avoidant cycle so partners feel safe, seen, and deeply connected again.

“I don’t understand why I want closeness so badly, yet feel disappointed when I have it. Why do I feel lonelier than others, even when I’m not alone?” Or: “I care deeply, but people say I’m distant or hard to read. When emotions get intense, I shut down—not because I don’t feel, but because it feels like too much.”

These quiet tensions live beneath awareness for many people. Longing and self-protection pull in opposite directions. Needs feel confusing, emotions feel overwhelming or unsafe, and core beliefs quietly form—I’m too much, I’m not enough, connection costs me something.

I help people loosen these patterns, reconcile the Self with more truthful and adaptive beliefs, and move toward self-acceptance and interdependence—where connection no longer threatens safety, but deepens it.

After nine years serving in the U.S. Coast Guard, I realized my deepest fulfillment came not from fixing systems, but from walking with people. Leaving the military was not a departure from service—it was a continuation of it. I pursued social work and theological training to better support people in their most important relationships. Today, my practice is devoted to couples counseling and trauma-informed care. Drawing primarily from Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and EMDR, I help couples slow conflict, understand what drives disconnection, and emotional safety. As a veteran and seminary-trained therapist, I bring structure, compassion, and steady hope—meeting clients with respect, grace, and a belief in lasting change.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, stuck in painful patterns, or like you’ve had to carry too much on your own, you’re not alone. I work with teens and adults facing anxiety, depression, substance use, relationship stress, domestic violence, anger, bullying, trauma, crises, and suicidal or self-harm thoughts. I’m a down-to-earth counselor, and I show up with honesty, support, and real care.

I have 26 years of experience dealing with individuals, couples, families in therapy. We will work together to develop plans that are unique and right for you.