MENTAL WELLNESS COUNSELING

A HOLISTIC MENTAL HEALTH CENTER

 

You’re here because you know that life can be better. Through counseling, we’ll help you identify how best to make progress toward creating a life of wellness. Our mental health therapists take a whole health approach to help individuals, couples and families find balance. Click on ‘Our Traverse City Counselors’ Tab or read about our clinicians to find the right therapist for you. We are really glad you are here.

We know it takes a while to decide you need counseling. No matter what that final thing was that made you come here, we want to help.

We also offer on-site wellness services such as massage therapy and acupuncture. These services can aid in your quest for mental wellness and balance by offering enhanced sense of well-being and relaxation. These services can alleviate stress and depression symptoms by releasing endorphins, improving the circulation of blood, and increase oxygen flow. All of which can enhance recovery from diseases and improve mental health. Acupuncture and massage also decrease the stress hormone cortisol, lower blood pressure, reduce the heart rate, and relax muscle tissue.

 

If you’re ready to start a better life and you want counseling + natural wellness support, we’d love to join you in this journey!

For more information or to schedule a session please CONTACT US

MEET THE WELLNESS TEAM

SEE THE QUICK PROFILES BELOW OR CLICK ‘Our Traverse City Counselors’ TAB or read about our clinicians TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR MENTAL HEALTH THERAPISTS OR WELLNESS SERVICE PROVIDERS

To inquire about our services call us at 231-714-0282

Referrals can be send via fax at 231-216-7921

Nicole Ball

Nicole Ball

Counselor and Owner of Mental Wellness Counseling
Nicole works with clients that are dealing with anxiety and want quick results to get back to life. As well, clients that value a holistic approach to therapy tend to be drawn to Nicole, especially if they are working through a transition such as divorce, life change, or relationship change. Lastly, Nicole takes a compassionate and holistic approach to teaching parenting, working through past trauma, and building coping skills to find more peace in life.
Jeanice Knight-Bogatz

Jeanice Knight-Bogatz

Mental Health Counselor and EMDR Certified Therapist
Jeanice has extensive experience providing clinical services to children, adolescents, individual adults, and families. Her hope is for clients to achieve wellness through healthy integration of life elements, heal from past trauma, and become empowered to overcome anxiety, depression, life stressors and grief. Jeanice also offers EMDR Therapy.
Brendan O’Donnel

Brendan O’Donnel

Mental Health Counselor
Brendan helps those who are experiencing anxiety or depression, coping with complex medical concerns, confronting mortality, or distress related to some aspect of sexuality. He offers a safe and supportive environment to explore pathways to balance and well-being.
Jen Kraus

Jen Kraus

Mental Health Counselor
Jen specializes in early parenting, struggles with Attachment, Post-Partum Depression and Perinatal Mood Disorders. She also specializes in helping children heal from trauma, anxiety and depression.
Theresa Carey

Theresa Carey

Mental Health Counselor
Theresa uses a therapeutic approach grounded in mind/body theory. She assists those in crisis, feeling fragile, facing a difficult decision, addressing habits that no longer serve, struggling with anxiety, abandonment, depression, anger, domestic violence, loss and grief, life transitions and recovery from trauma.
Kara Schaub

Kara Schaub

Acupuncturist
Acupuncture is considered a safe, minimally invasive and effective modality that helps to enhance the body’s natural ability to heal itself in order to restore balance both physically and emotionally. Acupuncture works by increasing blood circulation in the body, decreasing inflammation, and working with the central nervous system by shifting from fight or flight to the rest and digest state. By utilizing a variety of ancient Eastern techniques Kara can eliminate symptoms of stress related disorders such as anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, pain, fatigue, headaches and digestive issues.
Christina Walsh

Christina Walsh

Mental Health Counselor

Christina takes a whole health approach to help those with anxiety looking to find calmness balance within their lives. She specializes in working with LGBTQ adults and teens addressing many areas of their lives including sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, gender nonconformity as well as mental health, addiction, intimacy, self-esteem, and self-acceptance. Christina also specializes in providing services to those experiencing addiction, substance use disorder, and recovery in finding and maintaining a life of sobriety that works for the individual and promotes overall wellbeing.

Samantha Garcia

Samantha Garcia

Mental Health Counselor

Samantha works with those experiencing anxiety, depression and family or relationship conflicts. She works with families trying to navigate systems such as Probate and Friend of the Court, child protective services, special education, and community mental health. She also works with those who are dealing with the complexities of caring and advocating for loved ones with disabilities.

Steve Greenman

Steve Greenman

Mental Health Counselor

Call Steve directly on his cell or text phone 231-631-3736 to get started right away. Steve’s specialty centers around the topics of addiction, families in difficult situations, cognitive awareness of bettering oneself and burdens from anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and working with couples.

Lauren Franklin

Lauren Franklin

Clinical Social Work Intern
Lauren joins Mental Wellness Counseling as an intern, with hopes to specialize in adolescent therapy upon graduation from her social work program. Lauren has experience working as a behavioral health technician in an inpatient mental health unit, as well as holding the position of outdoor recreational therapist for a youth residential substance abuse program. Lauren practices a holistic approach that keeps the client at the center of her work while placing a strong emphasis on cognitive behavioral therapy to help clients deeper understand how their emotions, feelings and behavior come-together.
Christina Lukas

Christina Lukas

Massage Therapist
Christina believes in the healing benefits of natural health approaches including manual therapy with massage and bodywork. She uses a variety of techniques including relaxation massage and different modalities to reduce pain and stress in mind and body. Massage and bodywork assists the person’s healing process of letting go of tension and anxiety while increasing feelings of being more self-aware, connected and integrated.

WELCOME

MENTAL WELLNESS COUNSELING

FROM WORRY TO WELLNESS

DEPRESSION TO HAPPINESS

FRUSTRATION AND CHAOS TO HAVING A PLAN FOR PEACEFULNESS

We help parents who are getting too many calls from the principal to have a plan for their kids and get fewer calls from the school.

Through counseling couples that are disconnected and fighting find that spark that was there and learn how to build the fire of their relationship.

When life seems chaotic and confusing we help to guide and direct you to find peace and happiness.

Clients that are depressed and sad work to create a plan to get out of the house, exercise more, and build happiness into their life.

We’re in the business of transformation! Through counseling, we join you in the process of moving from frustration, anxiety, depression, and hopelessness to having a clear plan for creating a happier and better life.

Mental Wellness Counseling is proud to call Traverse City home! We built a Traverse City counseling practice because we love this area, the people, and the families. That’s why we’re trying to make it better, with you. People come to Mental Wellness Counseling for a variety of reasons from depression to divorce, parenting to probation, anxiety to anorexia, we cover a lot of issues. We help people to set goals for their life and find more happiness and fulfillment, will you join us in helping you make life better?

GETTING STARTED

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

How do I pay for counseling?

Understanding counseling, insurance, and payment can be confusing. If at any time you want our help, just let us know. We don’t directly bill your insurance for a number of reasons. Mostly it is because we want you to have complete control over your records. We’d love to walk you through the process of getting counseling started.

Is counseling confidential?

In Traverse City, it’s usually not a big deal to run into someone. It’s sort of the charm of the area. But when that person is your counselor, you should know exactly how confidential your information is! We take your confidentiality very seriously! 

Not only is counseling protected by federal law, but we go well beyond what is required. We’d love to tell you more if you have questions.

Right Counselor for me?

You always get to choose your counselor. Even if you start with one, you can always switch. We want you to have the very best fit at our Traverse City counseling practice. When we look to bring on new counselors, we look for people that can cover a wide variety of issues. We have counselors that work from infant mental health all the way to retirement. You always have a choice!

TESTIMONIALS

OUR CLIENTS SAY

  • “[My counselor] was a good listener, and could readily focus on the core matter(s) at hand. He was able to address my key issues, and was able to guide me towards a perspective I may not have considered otherwise.”
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  • “The approach was very comfortable and accessible… meaning, it was easy to open up right away, which allowed the progress we made happen more quickly.”
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  • “[I learned] better ways to communicate.”
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  • “He didn’t force me to [change] but was like a motivational speaker.”
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  • “My counselor does a great job and should continue with their present strategies.”
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  • “I made changes in my life as a direct result of counseling to be more positive.”
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  • “My counselor helped me make some very valuable changes in my parenting choices.”
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COUNSELING BLOG

ADVICE FROM THE COUNSELORS

  • Battling Negative Thinking

    Read more
    Many times you may catch yourself with negative thoughts running rampant through your head. Although it may feel that these thoughts have a mind of their own, you have much more power than you may believe. The good news is that you are able to switch out those negative thoughts for positive ones with the…

  • Stress: Being on the Offense

    Read more
    Deadlines, busy schedules, taking care of others, dysfunctional relationships, unrealistic expectations for ourselves and others can all bring about feelings of stress. Even through intensely stressful times many of us can function, go to work, care for their families, and even participate in social events; all while ignoring the need to care for ourselves. Oftentimes…

  • Creating Our New Normal: Shifting From Fear to Strength during the Health Crisis

    Read more
    Our New Normal: Originally published in the Traverse City Record Eagle Nicole Ball, LMSW Life has changed Life has changed. For everyone. In so many ways. Many of us are now working from home. Maybe trying to balance parenting while working; and we are struggling. Many of us have lost our jobs or our businesses;…

  • Grief During the Holidays

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    The holiday season is considered ‘the most wonderful time of the year’. But for those who have lost loved ones, it can be the most difficult time of the year. The approaching holidays can feel discouraging and often come with a complicated mix of sadness, sorrow, anger and pain as we miss the ones we…

  • Practicing Gratitude during a time of Uncertainty

    Read more
    By: Nicole Ball, LMSW Mental Health Therapist and Owner of Mental Wellness Counseling: A Traverse City Counseling Practice Things are tough right now. Many of us are struggling to see the brighter side of things. When we do, it might come in waves; one day we are productive and feeling optimistic about the future, and…

  • Winter Blues or Seasonal Affective Disorder: When To Seek Help

    Read more
    For many of us, winter brings what is sometimes called the “winter blues” or “cabin fever”.  Most of us in Northern Michigan are familiar with these feelings. Lack of sunlight and being cooped up in our homes for months can cause low energy, frustration and the longing for warm summer weather. The promise of spring…

  • It might be depression

    Read more
    Summer is upon us, the air is warming, the flowers are in bloom, and the winter blah is over…or is it? Maybe someone you love is dealing with the “summer blues.” We assume that when the weather improves, so will our feelings of isolation and lethargy. But for over 16 million American adults, depression is…

  • How to Handle Anxiety

    Traverse City counseling practice
    Read more
    Imagine your boss tells you that you need to go to a networking event. What is your first emotional response? For many people they may not want to go, but they would make it work. Some would be excited. For about 18% of the population, it would probably trigger their anxiety. According to the Anxiety…

  • How do I get my spouse to stop using their smartphone?

    How do I get my spouse to stop using their smartphone
    Read more
    Are our smartphones the new mistress?  In a number of ways, our brains don’t understand where our body ends and our phones begin. We see them as an extension of our personality, experience, and life. Staying up-to-date on Facebook, posting pictures, and having our businesses more streamlined, makes it difficult to know where we end…

  • A World of Hurt: How to handle trauma

    how to handle trauma
    Read more
    Las Vegas, Puerto Rico, and by the time this article is published, another city will be on our list. We live in a world of hurt. What’s amazing about humans, is that when other people are hurting, attacked, and vulnerable, we feel something too. We cry thinking about others being shot at a country music…

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