Trauma and PTSD therapists & psychiatrists in Columbia, MO

If you feel stuck in toxic relational loops, exhausted by chronic stress, or weighed down by trauma, you don't have to carry it alone. Healing after emotional abuse, narcissistic dynamics, or toxic family systems requires more than standard talk therapy—it takes validation, practical strategy, and real clarity. I work with individuals, married couples, families, and First Responders dealing with issues of shame, depression, anxiety, relational difficulties and sexual brokenness, work/family struggles, anxiety, grief, and spiritual confusion. I am experienced in Christian counseling for those who would like to engage with their faith in counseling. I also specialize in Narcissistic Abuse Recovery.

I am a therapist and strategic behavioral‐health leader with more than a decade of experience supporting youth, families, and adults navigating complex trauma, transition, and systems involvement. My background spans emergency shelter work, foster‐care transition programs, community‐based counseling, and clinical supervision of multidisciplinary teams.

Clients often describe me as steady, collaborative, and deeply attuned to the stories people carry. I bring a trauma‐informed lens to every interaction, honoring the resilience people develop in the face of adversity. My work is shaped by years of program development, crisis intervention, and advocacy for underserved communities — and by a belief that healing grows in environments where people feel seen, safe, and respected.

Welcome! I’m so glad you’re here. I have several years of experience working with teens and young adults, and I strive to create a space that feels comfortable, supportive, and easy to open up in - where you can truly feel heard and understood. My approach is warm and collaborative, and I’m here to help you build confidence and develop the tools you need to navigate whatever life brings your way.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with experience in both inpatient psychiatric settings and outpatient therapy. I earned both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Social Work from Missouri State University, where I developed a strong foundation in evidence-based, client-centered care.

My background includes working with individuals across a range of needs, from acute crisis stabilization to ongoing therapeutic support. I have extensive experience helping clients navigate depression, anxiety, ADHD, OCD, self-harm, anger, aggression, and oppositional defiant behaviors. I am also trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which I frequently use to help clients better understand the connection between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors while building practical coping strategies.

Hi, I’m Marilynn Minich, LCSW. I’m a licensed clinical social worker with an MSW and experience supporting individuals through anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship concerns, grief, life transitions, and other challenging experiences. My professional background has given me the opportunity to work with people navigating complex emotional and life circumstances, and I bring that experience into my practice with warmth, compassion, and genuine curiosity.

I believe therapy should be a space where you feel safe enough to be honest, understood without judgment, and supported in making meaningful changes. I especially enjoy helping clients better understand themselves, their relationships, and the patterns that may have developed from past experiences.

I believe that everyone is worthy of love and belonging and we all have a story to tell. I use my education and background to help you process past trauma, current confusion, and relational dynamics so you can experience true healing and flourishing. If you feel stuck in the same patterns or bogged down by shame, I'm so glad you're here, and I would be honored to walk with you through the darkness to a place of light and life!

I am curious and validating, providing a nurturing environment to talk openly and honestly about your struggles, strengths, weaknesses, needs, likes, and dislikes. I love helping people explore their unique and particular powers as well as how these powers impact their world and their relationships. As a passionate supporter of those who have been through unjust or otherwise traumatic experiences--including those experiencing discrimination based upon race or gender identity or sexual orientation--I am particularly interested in helping people gain skills for dealing with, and making sense of, the remnants of their pasts.

Having completed Bessel Van der Kolk's Trauma Research Foundation's Certificate in Traumatic Stress Studies in early 2025, I have a strong foundational understanding of the most cutting edge approaches to treating trauma. I am also comfortable using a combination of approaches, including Psychodynamic, Gestalt, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. I received an MSW from the University of Pennsylvania, a psychodynamically focused program, after which I completed Bryn Mawr's certificate program in psychodynamic psychotherapy. I have also completed 1 year of Gestalt Therapy training and the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Immersion Program.

As an LCSW, my training emphasized the role of social environment--from the family to society at large--in how we construct our narratives, enabling me to help you make sense of what in your life is yours to own and what is a product of your environment.

I am drawn to matters of the heart, the deep questions we ask, how we find meaning, move through pain, and become more free. My own healing through relationships, therapy, spirituality, expressive arts, and body movement led me to become a therapist. I completed my MA in Couples and Family Therapy from Seattle University in 2019, opened my private practice in 2021, and have trained in Internal Family Systems Therapy for 6 years. I also bring experience as a yoga instructor, doula trainee, and spiritual seeker.

I am an empathetic, patient, and inclusive therapist with a passion for helping others that are going through difficult transitions in life and experiencing hardships. My foundation is based on establishing trust and providing a safe and accepting space for open communication to build a strong therapeutic alliance. I collaborate with clients to improve their emotional quality of life, develop their capacity to handle life’s stressors and mental health concerns. My counseling style is diversified, integrating person-centered, psychodynamic, emotionally focused, cognitive-behavioral, and existential therapy into counseling sessions.

I am passionate about helping adults of all ages struggling with mood disorders, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, trauma/post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive behaviors. I welcome clients from diverse backgrounds, including neurodivergent and those who identify as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.