our therapists
Tracy Essa | she/her
Tracy holds a safe, warm, non-judgmental space to work with diverse clients throughout the adult lifespan including mid-life and aging adults. She is passionate about counseling individuals through challenges within family, relationships, life-stage, and career transitions. Having lived overseas for many years, she values working with multicultural individuals of varied experiences and backgrounds.
Tracy holds her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Viterbo University, La Crosse, Wis.
Tracy’s counseling practice incorporates an integrative approach including Cognitive, Cognitive-Behavioral, Reality, and Brief Solution-focused therapies. Mindfulness, meditation, and relaxation techniques are integrated into her counseling support. She enjoys sharing the journey of life with her clients and seeks to empower each individual through focusing on their own internal strengths and abilities. Her goal is to support each client in being the best version of themselves at their particular stage of life.
Tracy works with clients experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, other mood disorders, life transitions, stress, relationship concerns, work-life balance issues, parenthood, self-esteem, trauma, aging, and grief, as well as other areas. She co-creates a positive and rewarding path forward through healing, encouragement, empowerment, and motivation.
Tracy is currently accepting new clients for individual therapy.
Madie Miller | she/her
Madie provides family and individual therapy for clients of all ages with a wide range of mental health needs. She has specialized training in working with children, teenagers, and families. Madie creates a nonjudgemental space for clients to work toward growth and healing.
She is passionate about supporting parents and caregivers in ways that strengthen relationships and help them feel empowered to navigate challenges. Madie supports clients to learn skills and new perspectives from a trauma-informed and strengths-based approach.
Madie creates an affirming therapeutic experience and values the diverse identities and intersectionality of her clients including those who are neurodiverse, those in the LGBTQIA+ community, and the disability community.
She offers Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) for young children with aggressive and disruptive behaviors. PCIT is an evidence-based therapy for caregivers to learn behavior management strategies through in-the-moment support while wearing headphones. PCIT is endorsed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Click here to learn more.
Madie earned her Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree from Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis. Before working in the office setting, she travelled across Northeast Iowa, providing in-home behavioral health services. In her life outside of work, she loves to explore the outdoors while running, scuba diving, biking, or hiking with her dog.
Madie has a waiting list for new clients for individual, family, and PCIT therapy.
Betsy Peirce | she/her
Betsy enjoys bringing humor, compassion, and kindness into the therapy room and firmly believes that human connection is the most healing of all modalities. She aims to provide a safe, warm and welcoming environment to her work with children, adolescents, families, and individuals in all stages of life. Betsy works from a brain-based perspective, which means that she is especially interested in how the brain works in tandem with the body.
She has experience with all ages of clients from 3 to 75 and works with anxiety, depression, parenting, neurodiversity (autism, ADHD, PDA), PTSD, trauma, life transitions, grief, etc. Betsy is trauma-informed and gender-affirming and has a strong passion for advocating for and working with the LGBTQIA+ population.
In her work with children and families, Betsy uses elements of Theraplay, a modality that works to support healthy child/caregiver attachment. Through guided structured play-based time together, children and their parents learn to build attunement and connection, which serves to reduce baffling behaviors related to trauma, neurodiversity, and/or attachment related issues. She has completed the Theraplay Institute Level One and MIM training and is currently in the practicum level of training.
Betsy believes in meeting clients where they are by using the approach that works best for her client’s particular personality and problems. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and received her Master of Science Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis.
Betsy is currently accepting new clients for individual and family therapy.
Mariah Smith | she/her
Mariah works with adolescents, college students, and adults and offers individual, couples, and relationship counseling.
Mariah often integrates mindfulness into her practice and works primarily with clients who have experienced or are experiencing intimate relationship and family challenges, work- and school-related challenges, anxiety, and/or depression.
Mariah’s practice is emotionally-focused, active, goal-oriented, and client-centered. With an eye towards each client’s needs, her therapeutic approach incorporates a mix of techniques drawn from acceptance and commitment therapy, person-centered therapy, and cognitive behavior therapy. In addition, she has completed Level I training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy.
Mariah earned a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree from Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis. and completed her internship at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse Counseling and Testing Center.
Growing up in an Air Force family, she has lived in many parts of the USA and the world, but has made Northeast Iowa her home for nearly 25 years.
An accepting and affirming therapist, Mariah honors and celebrates the unique identities of all clients, including those in the LGBTQIA+ community and disability community.
Mariah is currently accepting new clients for individual, couples, and relationship therapy.