Clinical Staff

“Often times people struggle to communicate their needs effectively, resulting in feeling not heard and feel invalidated. Some people have never been taught how to appropriately communicate their needs to others. I can be that pathway to empower people to express themselves and have their needs met in a safe and healthy way.”

Megan has five years of clinical practice with clients and three years working as a home-based family therapist. She holds a Masters in Social Work degree from Saint Louis University and has practices in a variety of settings. She is experienced in CBT, TF-CBT, PCIT, and sensory-based interventions.

Specialties/Areas of Experience:

• Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
• Trauma
• Abuse/Neglect
• Attachment
• Foster care
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Family dynamics/relationships

“What I do is really listen to people. I tell them that working with a full team like Provident’s is what you do when you want to reach your personal goals.

We’re able to combine counseling with medication in the best possible way. I think this allows our clients to feel that we have their back and can put them on a path to live their best lives. “

M. Susan Dawson, Ed.D, PMHNP-BC, is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with more than 45 years of experience providing mental and physical health care.

About Dr. Dawson’s Practice

• Accepting referrals for clients ages 18+
• Treats a variety of problems such as depression, mood disorders, anxiety, and trauma
• Fees based on a sliding scale
• Many insurances accepted
• Office hours are Monday-Thursday, 9 am-4 pm

“The most gratifying thing about my work with clients is watching them develop confidence in their ability to manage toxic stress and/or mental health symptoms independently during and/or after receiving therapy.”

LaTanya has 10 years of experience working in the social service sector providing treatment to at risk populations or assisting those in need gain access to resources, including, mental health care. LaTanya received her Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Truman State University and Masters Degree in Counseling from Webster University. LaTanya treats adults, children, couples, and families to meet their specific needs while facilitating mental and emotional wellness. LaTanya also serves as the St. Louis City office Clinical Supervisor and manages the Access Center which provides same day or next day counseling services for clients with an immediate need.

Specialties/Areas of Experience:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Chronic/Severe Mental Illness Management
• Crisis Intervention
• Family Therapy
• Play Therapy
• Trauma
• Behavior/Conduct Concerns in Youth
• Child and Adolescent Issues
• Couples/Marriage Counseling
• Relationship Improvement
• Common Life Stressors (work, interpersonal relationships, etc)
• Community Education

Christine is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with experience in child, adolescent, adult, and geriatric care. She has worked with some of the top mental health providers in the region and chose to bring her talents to Provident so she can help people of all ages, no matter their financial resources.

About Dr. Reynolds’s Practice

• Accepting referrals for clients of all ages
• Treats a variety of problems such as depression, mood disorders, anxiety, and trauma
• Fees based on a sliding scale
• Many insurances accepted
• Office hours are Monday-Thursday, 9 am-4 pm

Marge works with adult clients with mental health disorders ranging from depression and anxiety to victim issues or couples counseling.  She is licensed in Missouri and Illinois and is a member of ATSA and MoATSA. She uses the latest research to provide best practices for each client’s individual needs.

Specializations

• Group therapy
• Sex offenders
• Victims of sexual abuse

“The most gratifying part of my job is having the honor to be a part of someone’s most vulnerable moment and allowing me to be a part of their new or continuous journey.”

Lauren has been with Provident since January 2019 working as the Recruitment Coordinator for the Crisis Department. She is the first contact for students and volunteers who are interested in volunteering for Provident Crisis Services.

• Crisis Intervention
• Self-injury
• Trauma
• Community Education
• Solution-Focused Brief Therapy

“What I do is really listen to people. I tell them that working with a full team like Provident’s is what you do when you want to reach your personal goals.

We’re able to combine counseling with medication in the best possible way. I think this allows our clients to feel that we have their back and can put them on a path to live their best lives. “

M. Susan Dawson, Ed.D, PMHNP-BC, is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with more than 45 years of experience providing mental and physical health care.

About Dr. Dawson’s Practice

• Accepting referrals for clients ages 18+
• Treats a variety of problems such as depression, mood disorders, anxiety, and trauma
• Fees based on a sliding scale
• Many insurances accepted
• Office hours are Monday-Thursday, 9 am-4 pm

Christine is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with experience in child, adolescent, adult, and geriatric care. She has worked with some of the top mental health providers in the region and chose to bring her talents to Provident so she can help people of all ages, no matter their financial resources.

About Dr. Reynolds’s Practice

• Accepting referrals for clients of all ages
• Treats a variety of problems such as depression, mood disorders, anxiety, and trauma
• Fees based on a sliding scale
• Many insurances accepted
• Office hours are Monday-Thursday, 9 am-4 pm

“I believe that therapy has the power to help a person rediscover their sense of purpose and, when people realize their potential, they can experience great satisfaction from life and even do amazing things. When people overcome struggles and find healing, it can lead to healthier families and stronger communities.”

Brianna holds a Bachelor’s Degree in both Psychology and Criminal Justice and a Master’s Degree in Social Work. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Missouri. While working with clients, she chooses the methods that best align with their unique needs. She utilizes a strength-based perspective with all clients and then use combinations of Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Existential Therapy, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, TF-CBT, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Family Systems, and Art/Play Therapy techniques.

Specialties/Service Areas/Type of clients she serves:  

• Trauma
• Family Systems Therapy
• Couples
• Crisis Intervention
• Foster care
• Attachment
• Behavior issues
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Severe mental illness
• Work issues
• Grief

“I truly feel everyone should seek counseling when needed, even counselors, to be sure we are tuning in to our own needs for support and overall care. I love the work I do because I feel therapy can be a positive way to help lift my clients and support them until they can feel empowered and have the confidence to address life’s challenges on their own.”

Sarah Paradise LPC, NCC, graduated from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with a Master’s of Education in Counseling. Sarah has been with Provident since 2015, first working with the Life Crisis Services department before switching to the Counseling department at our South County location. She enjoys continuing to use her crisis intervention knowledge to help those who struggle with mental health issues, self-injury, grief/loss, and survivors of suicide. She also has a passion of working with clients of all ages to address child/adolescent issues, family/relationship conflict, and LGBT/sexual minority concerns. Sarah feels addressing mental health is key to overall self-care and can often be a first defense for healing and addressing emotional needs.

Specializations

• Crisis intervention
• Mental health issues
• Personality disorders
• Self-injury
• Grief/loss
• Survivors of suicide
• Family dynamics
• Relationship issues
• Child and adolescent issues,
• LGBT/sexual minority concerns

“I want my prospective clients to know that therapy is always a judgment-free zone. Those things in life that are hard or scary to talk about, you can talk about with me or any other Provident therapist without judgment. It can be challenging to open up to someone, but once you do, you have a partner who can help you carry the weight of your problems.”

Jessica holds a Masters degree in Mental Health Counseling and is a license DBT therapist. She is a nationally-certified counselor and a certified gambling disorders counselor. She has been practicing for three years and, in addition to helping individual therapy clients, is is the supervisor of Provident’s Life Crisis Services team.

“I would want any prospective client to know that every individual has the capacity to overcome challenges.  My goal is to help them to discover their inner strengths and to build from there.”

Angela has a Masters of Education in Counseling from University of Missouri-St. Louis. She uses an integrated approach when working with clients to ensure their treatment is individualized to meet their needs. 

Angela specializes in:

• Crisis/suicide intervention and prevention
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Self-esteem
• LGBT/ issues

“I believe one size does not fit all and finding the approach or approaches that work best for each individual is something that guides my practice.”

Caitlyn strives to create an inviting, comfortable, safe place for client’s to discuss whatever concerns they may have. “I achieve this with a person-centered approach to therapy in which you will feel unconditionally accepted as we work toward your goals for growth and healing.” 

Caitlyn feels the most gratifying thing about the work that she does is when client’s start to see progress and excitedly talk about things going well. The smile that most often accompanies these discussions is heart warming. 

Specializations:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Trauma
• LGBTQAI+
• Immigrants and Refugees

Linda has extensive experience working with special needs children and adolescents ranging in age from 5 to 17 and is experienced in both individual and group counseling. 

Specializations

• Learning disabilities
• Speech and language disorders
• Spectrum disorder

“The most gratifying thing about my work is having the ability to support and empower others during some of the most challenging times in their lives, and to be able to witness the incredible growth and transformation that’s possible when clients choose to engage in therapy.”

Alex is a graduate of both Truman State University and University of Missouri- St. Louis and holds a Master’s degree in Social Work. She gained extensive experience working with adolescents and adults for various mental health-related issues early in her career, particularly self-injury, depression, and anxiety.

Alex works from a strength-based approach, as she believes that everyone has an inner strength, and that a large part of her role is to assist individuals in discovering and utilizing whatever that strength may be. She focuses on establishing rapport and strives to create a safe and open environment in which people feel comfortable to be themselves. Alex provides both in-office and in-school services. 

Alex can now provide EMDR services to clients ages 18 and up.  EMDR is an abbreviation for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and is a specialized form of therapy that helps people heal from trauma or other distressing life experiences. When a disturbing event occurs, it can get locked in the brain, which can lead to past memories feeling very present. EMDR therapy works to stimulate this information in a way that allows the brain to reprocess the material in order to heal. EMDR is effective for helping people heal from emotional adversities such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, phobias, grief/loss, self-esteem & performance anxiety.

Specializations

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Relationship issues
• Adolescent issues

“I have a passion for people and their story. I believe in acceptance, warmth and empathy to help my clients achieve their personal best through therapy.”

Kathy works with clients ranging in age from 6-56 years old and personalizes the therapeutic experience for each. She has a professional background in radio/television broadcasting and travel, which helps her build rapport quickly.

Kathy has a Master’s degree in professional mental health counseling from Webster University and has been helping clients for 8 years.

Specialities

• Trauma recovery
• High-risk
• LGBTQI
• Depression
• Anxiety
• ADHD
• First-responder issues

“Being a mental health clinician is a privilege, as I am able to witness and support a client’s strengths and growth towards their desired future. I love working towards changes hopes and dreams into a reality.”

Elizabeth holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Dayton in Ohio and a Masters in Social Work from Saint Louis University with a specialization in clinical practice with families. She has practiced in variety of settings including hospital, residential, in-home and in-school and is experienced in in CBT, TF-CBT, MI, SFBT, Play Therapy, and DBT.  

Elizabeth recently spoke to Eric Schmid on St Louis Public Radio about the steps everyone should take to take care of their own mental health during the recent COVID-19 pandemic.  Click here to listen to the complete interview.

Specialties/Service Areas/Type of clients you serve: 

• Depression
• Crisis Intervention
• Anxiety
• Self-Injury
• Adolescent Issues
• Relationship Improvement
• Community Education

Marge works with adult clients with mental health disorders ranging from depression and anxiety to victim issues or couples counseling.  She is licensed in Missouri and Illinois and is a member of ATSA and MoATSA. She uses the latest research to provide best practices for each client’s unique needs.

Specializations

• Groups
• Sex offenders
• Victims of sexual abuse

“Therapy gives people the freedom to be themselves through natural authentic expression.  Once clients find that freedom, they are confident and able to move mountains.”

Brittney has been working with patients for four years and chose this profession because she loves how the benefit of counseling can touch the lives of people in such a healthy way. She feels the most important thing she can provide is the ability to enhance someone’s mental health; showing how that can change their lives, their outlook on the future, their relationships, etc.  Being the catalyst for these changes is what makes Brittney’s work so fulfilling for her.

Specialties

• Trauma-Informed Care
• School-Based Therapy

“Jefferson County is my home, too.  I understand the unique obstacles, experiences, and attitudes we have in our region.  I believe every person has the strength and capability to overcome challenges and become the happiest and healthiest version of themselves.  I also believe that sometimes that strength is buried or hidden from us.  Through therapy we can gain insight, learn new ways to cope with everyday life, and process difficult experiences in a safe and judgement-free space.  It is my hope that we can overcome old notions of what it means to ask for help so our friends, neighbors, and families can begin to heal.”

Ms. Casnar is a Jefferson County resident who was in private practice before joining the team. She will provide direct counseling to adult and youth clients in individual, family and group settings.

Residents can schedule an appointment by calling Provident’s Information and First Appointment number at 314-533-8200 or Ms. Casnar at 314-657-7224.

When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. – Viktor Frankl

Michael works with clients of all ages, helping them through difficult life circumstances and guiding them as they realize the change they want to see in themselves.

He has strong experience in child and adolescent therapy, personality disorders, and crisis intervention. 

Specializations

• Crisis intervention
• Adolescent and child therapy
• Personality disorders
• DBT
• School-based therapy

“One thing I like to do for my clients is to give homework to work through even when they aren’t sitting face-to-face with me. Therapy works best when we all practice self-care outside of the therapy session. I personally love to run, cycle, snuggle my dogs, and cook with my kids.”

Alicia has eight years of practice in providing in-home family services. She feels the work she does is important because more rural areas (such as DeSoto, MO) lack access to mental health resources. This is an area of high-need and low access. She welcomes collaboration with additional entities and resources to provide the best possible outcomes.

She has strong experience working with trauma in children, adolescents, and teens as well as in-home family therapy.

Specializations

• Adolescent and child therapy
• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
• Integrative Treatment of Complex Trauma (ITCT)