Grief counselors and therapists in Independence, MO

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 am a Licensed Professional Counselor in both Michigan and Missouri with over a decade of experience specializing in mental healthcare and addiction counseling. Additionally, I proudly served 10 active-duty years in the world's greatest U.S. Navy, from where I bring valuable insights as an honorable veteran. In my capacity as a Sailor, I served as both the Command Drug and Alcohol Program Advisor and as a Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Victim Advocate. Aside from work, I enjoy time with my husband, our 4 wonderful children, and loving on our pug, Miss Pearl.My areas of expertise include assisting clients in managing stress, anxiety, addiction, grief, loss, motivation, self-esteem, confidence, depression, perimenopause, and serious mental illnesses. I specialize in addiction treatment in both substances and pornography/sexual addiction. I believe deeply that you are the expert of your own story, possessing numerous strengths that will empower you to overcome life's challenges.Taking the initial step toward a more fulfilling and purposeful life requires courage. My role is to support you throughout this journey, providing tailored guidance aligned with your individual goals and needs. Together, we will build insights and strategies to enhance your overall sense of purpose and well-being.

I am a Christian counselor. I like to watch the Lord transform lives and bring order to the chaos in our lives. I am a grief specialist. I've been helping people walk through grief for almost 15 years. It's not 'goodbye' forever, it's just 'goodbye' for now. There is peace in knowing Jesus and that faith brings comfort in all types of struggle.

I am a clinically licensed therapist who works with teens and adults. I support clients who are dealing with anxiety, ADHD, depression, emotional regulation, relationship stress, life transitions, and self esteem concerns. I aim to create a space that feels warm, genuine, and safe. I believe therapy does not have to feel intimidating to be effective, and I often use appropriate humor to help clients feel more comfortable while doing meaningful work.

If you're dealing with anxiety that won't let up, a life change that's left you off-balance, or relationship tension that keeps getting in the way — I can help. After 10 years as a school social worker in St. Louis, I know what it looks like when people are overwhelmed, and what it actually takes to move through it. Today I work with adults navigating similar territory: the pressure that builds quietly, the transitions that feel harder than expected, the moments in relationships that leave you stuck. My focus is on making therapy practical, grounded, and worth your time.

With a career spanning nearly two decades in child welfare and clinical social work, Laura provides a specialized safe place for youth (ages 3–26) navigating life’s most difficult experiences. Her practice focuses on building inner coping and resilience by enhancing bodily awareness and active curiosity, ensuring that healing isn’t just a cognitive process, but a physical one.

Specialized Clinical Focus:

Childhood Trauma: Expert in childhood sexual abuse, abuse and neglect, grief, bullying, complex medical diagnosis/complications, and all the BAD, SAD, and SCARY things in-between.

Specialized Sexual Behavior Work: Extensive experience facilitating therapy for children and adolescents with inappropriate and illegal sexual behaviors.

Systemic Support: Navigating foster care, adoption, divorce, family and/or sibling dynamics, behavioral struggles, and school avoidance.

Therapy can be a powerful space for support, insight, and meaningful change. With more than 20 years of experience, I work with clients across the lifespan, including those in the "sandwich generation," older adults, caregivers, and people facing serious illness. I help individuals navigate complex family dynamics, work and health stressors, and major life transitions. A central focus of my work is helping clients communicate more effectively in the relationships that matter most-with partners, parents, adult children, and siblings-and break the patterns that keep important conversations stuck.

Taking the first step toward therapy can feel difficult, but you don’t have to navigate challenging seasons alone. I’m a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with over a decade of experience supporting adolescents and adults through anxiety, depression, ADHD, grief and loss, life transitions, and relationship and family concerns.

As a Certified Grief Educator, I have a particular passion for helping people navigate grief and loss. I understand that grief is not linear and that everyone experiences loss differently. Together, we can create a supportive, compassionate space where you can process your emotions, make sense of your experiences, and find ways to move forward while honoring the people and relationships you’ve lost.

My approach is warm, collaborative, and individualized. I use evidence-based strategies, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and DBT-informed coping skills, along with practical tools you can use in everyday life. We may also focus on emotional regulation, communication, boundaries, coping strategies, and building confidence.

Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed by anxiety or depression, adjusting to a major life transition, working through relationship concerns, or trying to find your way through grief, therapy can provide a place to feel heard, supported, and understood. I would be honored to support you along the way.

Some things stay buried for years before you are finally ready to look at them. I work with adolescents, adults, and older adults carrying trauma, grief, family conflict, and depression. Some of my clients come to me in the middle of a crisis. Others come because something from the past is quietly running their present. In either case, you deserve a space that is honest and supportive while you do the hard work of becoming more like the version of yourself you want to be.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Missouri–Kansas City and clinical experience in both civilian and military settings. Over the years, I’ve supported individuals facing trauma, anxiety, stress, life transitions, relationship challenges, and identity concerns.

I’ve worked as a therapist in outpatient settings, private practice, and as a behavioral health provider within the Missouri Army National Guard. These experiences have given me a strong foundation in trauma-informed care, EMDR-informed approaches, CBT, and strengths-based therapy.

I support clients dealing with trauma, anxiety, depression, stress, burnout, relationship strain, and transitions. I take pride in creating a grounded, non-judgmental environment where you can explore what you’re facing and develop strong, sustainable coping skills.

I have been practicing for 17 years, primarily seeing adults and senior citizens. I operate from a person-centered, emotionally-focused basis. You are the expert on your life, and my goal is to help you with that. I utilize experiential and psychodramatic techniques.. These methods allow for role plays and visualizations. Such techniques increase your ability to get more deeply in touch with your issues and see situations clearly. When you reenact what happens at home, in the safety of the therapy office, solutions become clear and your voice becomes strong.