Carolyn Schowengerdt, Psychologist

About me

About Me

I was raised a country girl on a farm. Once I experienced the cultural diversity and the many forms of the arts in a large city, I have never longed to move back to the country. But I do love to visit I believe Nature is very healing and now there is research to back that. So I under stand both cultures.

I have taken many online seminars on how our diet and our environment impact our mental and physical health.

I was a teacher first and then in response to the many problems my students had I went back to school to become a psychologist. I have had 31 years of experience as a therapist. Clients find it easy to talk to me due to my compassionate and non-judgmental nature. I work as one human being with another human being, because but for the Grace of God, go I.

A large wall hanging of Footsteps in the Sand, author unknown, dominated my office. This is an excerpt from the poem, ‘ “So I said to the Lord, you promised me Lord that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there have been only one set of footprints in the sand. Why when I needed you most, have you not been there for me. The Lord replied, “The times when you see only one set of footprints, is when I carried you”.’

I was raised in a church centered family. I have been associated with a church community for much of my life. I have been praying on Monday evenings with the same group of ladies for 26 years and when there were church choirs sang in the church choir. That is my Monday and Wednesday evenings so I will be offering times for therapy on Tue. and Thurs. and maybe Wed.daytime. I have formed close and lasting relationships in Bible study and other church study groups.

My first psycho-educational work is in defining the client role and therapist role in therapy. I work very client-centered. We collaborate on the goals and objectives that capture the issues you have come to resolve or at least improve. I give clients verbal feedback often on how they are progressing on their goals and objectives. Since changes on long term patterns of thinking and behavior come slowly it is often hard for clients to realize the progress they are making without this feedback.


I am a skills-based therapist. I also work on the basis of, if you change your thoughts and perceptions you change your feelings and your life. You don’t have to know how, I will guide you and collaborate with you on therapy experimental homework that will change your life. This is not like teacher-assigned homework. It is agreed upon by the client and therapist. Clients who have seen many therapists and been in therapy for years, come to work with me and their hospitalizations stop. They become more functional and more happy within their families, communities, and employability. Yes, change is scary, but I support you throughout the change process and teach you how to build a support system outside of therapy which many of my clients have lacked. That has been much tougher during these pandemic times.

During 1923 I have become certified in the treatment of Anxiety by taking a 3 day intensive workshop. I have also become certified as an integrative mental health therapist by taking a 3 day intensive workshop in which part of our curriculum was Nutritional Treatments to Improve Mental Health Disorders. I also have taken an all day CEU on Advanced Mindfulness Therapy that changes the brain.

Deep Skill and Successful Experience with Senior Citizens: As an independently contracted counseling psychologist I worked for Dr. John Bopp in Kansas City, MO, to provide therapy to hundreds of senior citizens. Many of these elders lived in assisted living, in nursing homes, group homes, in independent living in Senior apartment complexes. Following assessments, I found so often that their concerns and issues were founded in forms of Grief: grief associated with their aging, grief related to loss of their homes, their familiar circumstances, their nearby family and friend contacts, grief due to loss of mobility and frequent occurrence of pain. Nearly all found renewed balance and purpose when they experienced my individual compassionate counsel and guidance. Knowing that physical movement and exercise reduces depression and anxiety, I also frequently encouraged them, when able, to take advantage of available physical therapy, recreational movement, exercise classes, and interactive events. During treatment, it was my pleasure to observe their uplifted vitality and greater joy in living.


Specialties:

Depression
Anxiety,
ADHD
Sexual and physical abuse victims
Crime Victims
PTSD
Family relationship issues and parenting issues,
Personality disorders
Workplace/career issues
Grief and Loss
Life change and aging issues
Geriatric clients in a variety of living environments
Play therapy and art therapy with children
Worked in conjunction with parents on parenting skills for children with difficult to manage and to live with behaviors.


Also Experienced In

I have co-facilitated groups for clients with personality disorders, and groups for teenage sexual abuse victims. I have taught many kinds of groups and classes on Love and Logic Parenting. I have worked with Bi-Polar who often present to treatment with other issues such as addictions, eating disorders, family relationship problems, or workplace issues.


Clinical Approaches

I practice client centered therapy. I use Cognitive Based Therapy, , Mindfulness based therapy, Commitment and Acceptance, Solution Focused Therapy, techniques specific to anxiety issues and depression, and EMDR for trauma and PTSD issues, and Linahan's DBT skills based and containment skills. I do hypnotherpy, teach relaxation techniques, and somatic body work because all life events and feelings are stored in the body. I became trained in EMDR when I saw that old childhood traumas and other adult trauma issues were at the heart of limiting progress in therapy. I use guided imagery, progressive relaxation, and hypnotherapy.

Professional experience

Additional areas of focus: Addictions, Relationship issues, Grief, Anger management, Self esteem, Bipolar disorder, Coping with life changes, ADHD, Aging and Geriatric Issues, Caregiver issues and stress, Codependency, Hoarding, Hospice and End of Life Counseling, Impulsivity, Infidelity, Isolation / loneliness, Mood disorders , Panic disorder and panic attacks, Personality Disorders, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Sexual Assault and Abuse, Social anxiety and phobia, Women's issues

Clinical approaches: Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Hypnotherapy, Mindfulness Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Somatic Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy

License information

MO Psychologist 01088

Reviews

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