Courtney Ackerson, LMHC-T

Courtney Ackerson is a licensed clinical mental health counselor. She received her degree in forensic psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, Illinois and then moved back to Des Moines, Iowa to start her clinical career. She has a history of working with children, parents and families in residential treatment and then worked as an outpatient therapist at New Beginnings. She took a break to work in quality oversight of care, but has returned part time to therapy while she consults with non-profit businesses and organizations. Areas of focus include trauma, grief and loss, anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism,and intellectual and developmental disorders co occurring with mental health issues. Courtney takes a systems-based approach in therapy considering the individual in the context of their systems and works with families alongside individuals. She is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a therapeutic approach used to heal past and/or current trauma or other areas of distress. She is also trained in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Trauma Focused CBT, motivational interviewing, and the neurosequential model of therapeutics assessment. She sees all ages 10 and older. In her free time, she enjoys biking, traveling, volunteering, and creating art. Courtney is serving as the American Mental Health Counseling association president-elect and enjoys contributing on a national level to the mental health profession.