Our counselors are trained, experienced, and chosen for their ability to connect with real people dealing with real problems. You will not be handed off to a junior associate. You will work with someone who is skilled, present, and invested in what happens to you.
Credentials matter. But what makes a counselor genuinely effective is harder to put on a resume. It is the ability to build trust quickly. To hold a difficult conversation without flinching. To apply the right method at the right moment for the specific person in the room.
Every counselor we bring on is trained in evidence-based approaches and sent to ongoing advanced training. We do not consider clinical development finished at the point of licensure.
Counselor
Samantha Ricks is a compassionate and experienced licensed mental health counselor in Iowa and a licensed professional counselor in Georgia, currently serving clients at Des Moines Mental Health Center. She relocated to Iowa in 2024 from Savannah, Georgia, bringing with her a wealth of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults across a wide range of mental health needs.
Samantha is known for her integrative, client-centered therapeutic approach, meeting each individual exactly where they are in their journey. She believes that life’s challenges can leave people feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or uncertain—and her work is focused on helping clients move forward with clarity, confidence, and emotional resilience.
Samantha specializes in supporting individuals who are experiencing:
Her work is grounded in evidence-based practices while remaining warm, relational, and deeply personalized.
Counselor
Rachel began their career in mental healthcare in 2022 as a clinical intern in a residential treatment setting, where she worked with individuals on the autism spectrum with co-occurring mental health diagnoses. Driven by personal experiences of feeling unheard, Rachel entered the mental health field with a strong commitment to advocacy and to creating a therapeutic environment where clients feel validated, respected, and supported.
Rachel utilizes a primarily person-centered therapeutic approach, integrating evidence-based practices from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), behavioral theory, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). She is DBT-certified and has completed advanced study in Adlerian theory through a study-abroad program. These modalities allow Rachel to support clients in developing emotional regulation skills, healthier thought patterns, and greater insight into interpersonal dynamics.
Rapport-building is central to Rachel’s clinical work. She prioritizes creating a safe, collaborative space where clients feel comfortable exploring challenges related to mental health, identity, and personal growth. Experience working with complex clinical presentations, along with extensive travel and cross-cultural exposure, has strengthened Rachel’s cultural awareness and ability to meet clients where they are in their therapeutic journey.
While grounded in their current specialties, Rachel remains committed to ongoing professional development and expanding clinical expertise to support a wide range of mental health needs within the Des Moines community.
Rachel specializes in supporting individuals who are experiencing:
Most practices send their counselors to required continuing education and stop there. We invest in advanced external training programs because we believe our clients deserve counselors who are actively growing, not just maintaining a license.
Our team works with a wide range of presentations including anxiety, depression, PTSD, trauma, ADHD, bipolar disorder, autism, relationship issues, substance use, and co-occurring disorders. If you are not sure whether your situation is one we handle, the answer is almost certainly yes.
