Michelle (Shelly) Stewart-Sandusky is the president and founder of SS Therapy and Consulting, Ltd. She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) who provides individual, couple and family therapy services. She actively works to create a comfortable, non-judgmental environment where all clients feel safe and heard by the therapist and/or family members.
Michelle has a M.S. from Iowa State University in Human Development and Family Studies with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy. Michelle is a Clinical Fellow with the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.
Michelle is particularly interested in:
Individual Therapy: trauma related issues, depression, anxiety, oppositional defiance, conduct/behavior issues, LGBT related issues.
Couples Counseling: divorce and co-parenting, life change stressors, infidelity, premarital counseling.
Family Therapy: parent/child issues, sibling discord, blended family issues, parenting issues, familial conflict.
Michelle has a M.S. from Iowa State University in Human Development and Family Studies with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy. Michelle is a Clinical Fellow with the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.
Michelle is particularly interested in:
Individual Therapy: trauma related issues, depression, anxiety, oppositional defiance, conduct/behavior issues, LGBT related issues.
Couples Counseling: divorce and co-parenting, life change stressors, infidelity, premarital counseling.
Family Therapy: parent/child issues, sibling discord, blended family issues, parenting issues, familial conflict.
Anne is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) who works with individuals, couples and families who are struggling to manage life circumstances. She provides a non-judgmental, safe and supportive environment that offers guidance to help meet your goals through open and honest conversation. She works with children, adolescents and adults within an individual, couple and/or family setting to empower self-growth, healing, improvement of relationships and the reduction of emotional suffering while addressing areas of concern including: anxiety, depression, addictions and compulsions, relationships, trauma, adjustment to change/life transitions, self-esteem, grief and loss, and stress management.
Anne has a M.S. from the University of Nebraska- Lincoln in Child, Youth and Family Studies with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy and a Post-Degree Certification in Medical Family Therapy. She is a Clinical Fellow with the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.
Anne has a particular interest in working with adolescents and their families who are struggling with defiant behaviors, conduct concerns and sexual boundary issues. Sessions focus on increasing one's empathy towards others, as well as identifying abusive behavioral cycles and learning healthy alternatives to these behaviors.
Anne has a M.S. from the University of Nebraska- Lincoln in Child, Youth and Family Studies with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy and a Post-Degree Certification in Medical Family Therapy. She is a Clinical Fellow with the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.
Anne has a particular interest in working with adolescents and their families who are struggling with defiant behaviors, conduct concerns and sexual boundary issues. Sessions focus on increasing one's empathy towards others, as well as identifying abusive behavioral cycles and learning healthy alternatives to these behaviors.
Please help us welcome two new therapists to our team.
Amanda Ackerman started working with us part time in October. She will be transitioning to full time in January. Amanda is a licensed Mental Health Counselor. She has experience working with adolescents, adults and families. Amanda has worked in inpatient settings with adolescents and their families in the past so is very competent working with court involved, DHS involved and complicated cases. Amanda is also trained in EMDR which is a specialized trauma treatment that helps clients move past traumatic events more quickly than traditional talk therapy. Amanda works in our Ankeny location Monday thru Thursday and has immediate evening openings at this time.
Paul Guerdet will be joining our team full time starting on January 2nd, 2018. He is a licensed Social worker. Paul has experience working with individuals and families. He has worked with children, adolescents and families through Functional Family Therapy for the past several years. Paul has experience working with Juvenile Court cases, DHS cases, complex family cases, and with individual struggling within larger systems. Paul is able to work with children as young as five years old, adolescents and adults on an individual or family basis. Paul has immediate daytime and evening availability. Paul works from our Merle Hay location on Mondays and Tuesdays and our Ankeny location on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Amanda Ackerman started working with us part time in October. She will be transitioning to full time in January. Amanda is a licensed Mental Health Counselor. She has experience working with adolescents, adults and families. Amanda has worked in inpatient settings with adolescents and their families in the past so is very competent working with court involved, DHS involved and complicated cases. Amanda is also trained in EMDR which is a specialized trauma treatment that helps clients move past traumatic events more quickly than traditional talk therapy. Amanda works in our Ankeny location Monday thru Thursday and has immediate evening openings at this time.
Paul Guerdet will be joining our team full time starting on January 2nd, 2018. He is a licensed Social worker. Paul has experience working with individuals and families. He has worked with children, adolescents and families through Functional Family Therapy for the past several years. Paul has experience working with Juvenile Court cases, DHS cases, complex family cases, and with individual struggling within larger systems. Paul is able to work with children as young as five years old, adolescents and adults on an individual or family basis. Paul has immediate daytime and evening availability. Paul works from our Merle Hay location on Mondays and Tuesdays and our Ankeny location on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Chewy is a Goldendoodle trained as a therapy dog. He loves attention, fetch, and making people feel a little bit better. He works in the Ankeny location most Mondays and Tuesdays. He is hypoallergenic. While he loves attending sessions and working to help people, he understands some people are not comfortable with dogs and he will wait in another office if his help in not wanted or needed. Chewy has worked in an adolescent inpatient setting, a children's hospital, a hospice center and now in private practice.
Chewy is able to contribute to sessions by helping people feel more comfortable and offering a distraction that can help making opening up feel a little easier. Chewy will offer comfort to people he sees in emotional distress by laying beside them, holding hands, sharing his tennis ball or just sitting close by. He responds well to verbal and hand commands. Chewy has been working as a therapy dog since 2015.
Chewy is able to contribute to sessions by helping people feel more comfortable and offering a distraction that can help making opening up feel a little easier. Chewy will offer comfort to people he sees in emotional distress by laying beside them, holding hands, sharing his tennis ball or just sitting close by. He responds well to verbal and hand commands. Chewy has been working as a therapy dog since 2015.
