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.
Shelly has a M.S. from Iowa State University in Human Development and Family Studies with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Shelly is particularly interested in:
Couples Counseling: divorce and co-parenting, life change stressors, infidelity, sexual addiction, communication.
Family Therapy: parent/child issues, sibling discord, blended family issues, parenting issues, familial conflict.
Shelly is available in the Merle Hay office.
Shelly has a M.S. from Iowa State University in Human Development and Family Studies with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Shelly is particularly interested in:
Couples Counseling: divorce and co-parenting, life change stressors, infidelity, sexual addiction, communication.
Family Therapy: parent/child issues, sibling discord, blended family issues, parenting issues, familial conflict.
Shelly is available in the Merle Hay office.
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 is available in the Ankeny office.
Amanda Ackerman is a licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). Amanda is certified in EMDR and working towards EMDRIA certification. Amanda enjoys providing therapy to individuals and families. Amanda encourages my clients to be comfortable, open, and honest. Amanda works with clients focusing on anxiety, depression, delinquent defiant behavior, conduct concerns, school or work issues, trauma, relationships, stress management, substance issues, or self-esteem.
Amanda is available in the Merle Hay office.
Paul is a Licensed Individual Social Worker who works with teens, adults, and families. Paul enjoys working both with adults going through difficult times as well as quiet/shy teenagers who have difficulty opening up to others. Paul believes in matching his therapy style to the goals and the pace that you feel comfortable with. Paul strives to make therapy a positive experience in which you feel heard, understood, and appreciated. Paul has extensive experience working with teenagers, adults, and families who are dealing with difficult transitions, prior traumatic events, or individuals who have been involved with outside systems like Juvenile Court or the Department of Human Services. Paul works out of our Ankeny office Monday through Friday with evening times available. Paul's goal is to be the type of therapist that you brag about and recommend to your friends and family.
Tiffany is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). She enjoys providing therapy to individuals and families. She provides a safe supportive environment and encourage her clients to be comfortable, open, and honest. Together, in a casual and comfortable environment, Tiffany and her clients identify and approach life's challenges because only together are we able to make life-changing decisions. She has experience working with anxiety, depression, delinquent defiant behavior, conduct concerns, school or work issues, trauma, relationships, stress management, substance issues, and self-esteem.
Tiffany has obtained training and is working toward certification in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) which enhances work with adverse life experiences to address how negative belief systems impact present functioning. Through EMDR these systems can be rewired to allow for room to grow and heal.
Tiffany holds an M.S. in Counseling from Drake University. She is a National Certified Counselor.
Tiffany is available in the Merle Hay office
Tiffany has obtained training and is working toward certification in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) which enhances work with adverse life experiences to address how negative belief systems impact present functioning. Through EMDR these systems can be rewired to allow for room to grow and heal.
Tiffany holds an M.S. in Counseling from Drake University. She is a National Certified Counselor.
Tiffany is available in the Merle Hay office
Janet is a temp-licensed mental health counselor (T-LMHC). She works with children individually and as a family, individuals, and couples Janet spent twenty years as a pastor before going back to school to become a therapist. She has a wealth of experience from helping congregations work through life hurdles. She is able to incorporate as much or as little spiritual work as is desired by the client into therapy. Janet understands the challenges that people can face within their faith and their faith community and is able to connect with clients to help them find what they need through those challenges.
Janet is especially passionate about adoption and infertility concerns. She has both personal and professional knowledge in those areas and feels strongly about the importance of working through the emotions brought up through these areas of life to reach acceptance for oneself. Janet utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy and narrative therapy approaches in her work to help draw on existing strengths to build and move forward.
Janet is full time in the Merle Hay office and sees people Monday - Friday from 7am - 7pm and Saturday from 10am-4pm.
Sarah is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), who works with teens, adults and seniors. She has experience working with people struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD, relationship concerns, LGBTQ related issues, as well as mood, personality and adjustment disorders. She also has experience working with people dealing with end of life issues and grief. She believes in meeting clients where they are in therapy and using an empathetic and compassionate approach. Sarah's goal is to build a solid, trusting relationship with people by creating a safe, non-judgmental space.
Sarah enjoys working with people using a person-centered, strength-based approach. She utilizes a diverse approach to therapy employing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), solution-focused therapy, and narrative therapy. Sarah is sensitive to how a range of experiences over a lifetime may relate to a person's current behavior. Sarah believes people are capable of overcoming adversity in life by using the strengths and skills they already possess, but may not realize they have.
Sarah is currently accepting new clients in the Ankeny office.
Sarah enjoys working with people using a person-centered, strength-based approach. She utilizes a diverse approach to therapy employing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), solution-focused therapy, and narrative therapy. Sarah is sensitive to how a range of experiences over a lifetime may relate to a person's current behavior. Sarah believes people are capable of overcoming adversity in life by using the strengths and skills they already possess, but may not realize they have.
Sarah is currently accepting new clients in the Ankeny office.
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.