Lonnie Stapp

Dr. Lonnie M. Stapp, LPC, LCPC, LHMC, DE, Ph.D (he/him/his) I have deep respect for all of my patients. Therapy involves change, openness, and willingness, and is a personal investment. For these reasons, I believe that the treatment you receive should be effective, and I use a blend of established research and your personal goals to ensure that it is. I specialize in Acceptance-Commitment-Therapy (ACT), which means that I am interested in how you perceive the world through your thoughts, emotions, and senses. This method also ensures that treatment is tailored to you, as we will work together to establish mutual goals. Ultimately, I want to help you improve your life, teach you skills to cope with difficulties you may face in the future, and put myself out of a job! Through our work together, you will become an expert in coping and resilience.

My approach

My approach to counseling is first, the patient(s) is (are) the experts on their lives. And understanding their goals and values, which will translate into a rich, full, meaningful life. As a therapist, I bring a toolbox full of strategies, tools, and skills learned over decades of training and working with individuals and families from all walks of life to help my patients implement the skills, tools, and strategies that will help them achieve their goals. It is important to emphasize it is the patient's goals that inform the choice of evidence-based treatments. As your therapist, I will give you the options, benefits, and risks so you can make an informed decision. I will be right there along side you during the whole process.

My focus

I am competent and have received advanced trainings in treating, MDD, ANX, BPI&II, BPD, PTSD, addiction to cyberporn, couples counseling, OCD, Elimination disorders, Gender Dysphoria, LBGTQ+, suicide assessment and treatment, and grief to name a few.

My communication style

What I hear most from my patients is they feel listened to and heard. I try to keep my opinions to myself and can approach the presenting issue with compassion and most all non-judgmentally.

My journey to mental healthcare

I think I have always had an interest in psychology. Psychology was one of my favorite subjects in my undergraduate studies. However, when my wife was killed in an automobile accident in 1996 and our children were only 5 & 8 I realized I could not help them unless I was healthy physically and mentally. I engaged in therapy as did the kids. And as I like to say I don't like to think of how things might have gone without therapy. We all credit a few mental health professionals who helped us get unstuck from the grief, anger, bitterness, and the feeling of how unfair life can be. Therapy helped my family. It has been a "calling" so to speak to help others with the skills I have learned to help other families get unstuck and go on to become the best version of themselves. It is humbling and an honor to walk along with those individuals who do the hard work that is therapy.

My goals for you

Without goals, we are floating around on the river, lake, or ocean without a rudder. From the Acceptance-Commitment-Therapy (ACT) objective goals give us a measure of how therapy is progressing, or not, is it time to change therapy modalities, and to consider how other medical and mental professionals may be brought onto the treatment team to help the patient achieve their goals.

My first session with you

At each session but especially the first session, I want to connect with the patient on a human-to-human basis. I want to begin the trust-building so vital to building a therapeutic alliance. Of course, a big part of the trust building is honesty and communicating my commitment to helping the patient and equally committed to my ethical responsibilities to the patient, the organization, and myself.