Bipolar disorder therapists & psychiatrists in Missoula, MT

You have probably been managing this longer than you let on, to yourself or to the people around you.

I work with people across every stage of life, from children and teenagers to adults and seniors, and I have been doing this work long enough to know that no two people carry things the same way. Whether you are navigating anxiety, processing something painful from your past, managing shifts in mood, or simply trying to figure out who you want to become, I want to help you get there. My goal is to help you find the version of yourself that you actually want to be.

I believe healing happens within a safe, genuine, and supportive relationship. My goal is to create a space where you feel accepted without judgment and free to show up exactly as you are.

Clients often describe me as warm, compassionate, and thoughtful. I combine empathy with practical, evidence-based strategies to help you better understand what you’re experiencing while also building tools you can use in your daily life.

As a therapist who primarily works with women, I understand how often women carry significant responsibilities while caring for others. Therapy is a space to slow down, reconnect with yourself, and receive the same compassion and care you so readily give to those around you. You don’t have to navigate life’s challenges alone—I’m honored to support you on your journey.

As we swing into Fall it's normal for stress to increase! Take a moment to Book Now. Accepting new clients. Flexible hours available. Kathleen is Board Certified (CCMHC), Licensed Professional Counselor w/ 30+ years of experience.

Choose Kathleen when you want expert help! Licensed in five states! Texas, Florida, Alaska, Oregon, and Montana.

Graduate of University of North Florida.

Reviews:

"My connection with Kathleen feels like she understands what I’m going through and has helped me make sense of my thoughts and not fear them. I’m really fortunate and grateful she exists and I found her."

"Kathleen really cares, and it shows!"

"I saw incredible improvement in less than a month!"

I am a seasoned therapist of 30 years, and I learn something new with each individual I connect with. My goal is to address the issues of life we all face with grace, compassion and a little humor. I might not know all the answers... but together we will develop strategies to make a better life.

Having worked in community care settings, the school setting, and in private practice, my strengths are working with teenagers, individuals, adults, families, and couples experiencing challenges in relationships and connection. With 15 years of counseling experience, I offer a depth of compassion, wisdom, and appreciation for the difficulties that we all face in life. I expect my clients to engage in therapy with intent and the expectation that they will gain the skills and strategies to empower themselves to live their best lives.

I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 15 years of experience supporting individuals from diverse backgrounds. I’ve worked extensively with clients navigating depression, anxiety, trauma, and military and Veteran-related concerns, as well as a wide range of life challenges. These include relationship and family conflict, parenting stress, career transitions and workplace challenges, financial stress, grief and loss, identity and self-esteem concerns, major life changes, caregiving stress, burnout, and adjusting to new roles or stages of life such as pregnancy, postpartum, or empty nesting. I also have experience supporting individuals managing mood disorders, family-of-origin dynamics.

I’m Zara Hanson, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a passion for helping people reconnect with themselves, heal from the inside out, and show up more fully in their relationships.

My interest in mental health started early, rooted in a curiosity about human behavior and a desire to help others feel less alone in their struggles. I earned my undergraduate degree in Psychology and Research Psychology, followed by a Master’s in Clinical Social Work with a focus on both direct therapy and systems-level care. Over the years, I’ve worked across a range of settings—from community mental health to private practice—supporting individuals, couples, and families navigating complex emotional terrain.

My practice focuses on trauma, neurodivergence (including ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder), substance use, mood disorders, relationship conflict, and emotional dysregulation. I’m especially drawn to working with clients who want to make sense of their story, process unresolved experiences, and find a more grounded, authentic way of being. I also work with couples to deepen connection, repair trust, and build more effective communication.

Therapy with me is relational, honest, and insight-driven. I aim to meet you exactly where you are, while gently encouraging growth, curiosity, and self-compassion along the way.

I'm looking forward to coming alongside and walking with you as your mental health journey unfolds. In 2023 I completed my doctoral training as a psychiatric nurse practitioner at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. I earned my board certification in the fall of that same year. Since then I've had opportunities to work with clients from diverse backgrounds with a wide variety of mental health needs. Whether you're looking for help with ADHD, anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, or sleep issues I'm confident that, working together, we can create positive change in your life.

I enjoy learning about ways we can change and understand our human existence. We are thinking, feeling and doing beings. Cognitive behavioral therapy provides a framework to identify ways to do it differently and better. Trauma treatment modalities like EMDR may support processing neurological and physiological reactions and being able to feel secure and safe while staying connected to others more fully. Our story is just that; we write it and edit it. We get to choose the chapters and path of our lives, through the unknowns, mysteries and celebrations.

I am a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner dedicated to providing specialized, Mental Health care, and private Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) treatment to individuals across Montana, specifically in our rural and frontier communities.

I understand that living in rural Montana often means traveling hours for care. My mission is to bring high-quality, evidence-based medication management directly to your home via secure telehealth. I believe in treating the whole person, including underlying anxiety or trauma.