Sharp's firm ready to heal mental wounds

Jan. 18--Adults and children with mental health issues have a new place where they can seek help. Susan Sharp opened Therapy Group Counseling at 506 Jefferson St. in Burlington on Dec. 8.

Sharp worked as an office manager for a mental health office in Burlington for 16 years before starting her own enterprise.

"I've always enjoyed working in mental health and wanted to re-create that environment," Sharp said of creating a calming and nurturing atmosphere. "Burlington is kind of underserved for mental health and counseling services."

Sharp, not a therapist herself, has hired two therapists and will have a third one join the team Feb. 9.

Considered a general practice by Sharp, Therapy Group Counseling can tackle the gamut of mental health issues.

Though the firm's three therapists -- Candi Francis, Holly Conlee and Erin Maher -- can work with any client, they each have areas of interest.

Francis, a temporary licensed marriage and family therapist with a master's degree from Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, does a lot of work with children from 3 years of age through the teen years.

Therapy Group Counseling has a designated room for play therapy for children. It is filled with toys, books, a table and a small pup tent.

"Play is a way for kids to communicate. Kids won't sit down on a couch and tell you what's bothering them," Sharp said.

One technique Francis uses with children to get them to talk is sand trap therapy.

"Running your fingers through the sand is a way to relax," Francis said.

After that, Francis has a child "Build me their world." The child can use any of the figures and toys in the room to "paint a picture" in the sand.

Francis then tries to process what's going on in their world: whether the child is being abused, bullied, having trouble with their parents' divorce or suffering some sort of trauma.

"Divorce is a big issue for kids," Francis said. "Some kids need some extra help."

Francis, who has worked in the mental health field 18 years, also will use puppets and art in an effort to get children to communicate their problems.

If a child is being bullied, for example, she wants to help him or her with their support systems in order to make sure they are safe. With any client, child or adult, a lot of the cure is working out their relationships with others -- family, friends or acquaintances.

"We try to pull in the family whenever possible," Francis said.

If a child is a bit of a loner, Francis can teach them "how to build a friend and be a friend."

Conlee will work with children, but tends to work more with adult clients.

Conlee earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Northern Iowa and a master's degree in community counseling from the Quad Cities campus of Western Illinois University. She serves as the clinical director of Therapy Group Counseling, is a licensed mental health counselor and a national certified counselor. She has worked in the mental health field in Burlington the past six years.

"We see a lot of anxiety and depression," Conlee said, regarding adult clients.

Because of a person's mental health issues, the firm also might have to help clients with sleep and food issues. Weight gain, weight loss, pain and substance abuse issues are other areas the therapists have to tackle.

When Maher, a temporary licensed marriage and family therapist, comes on board, she can help individuals with human sexuality issues or couples with sex therapy.

Treatment modalities offered by Therapy Group Counseling include: cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectic behavioral therapy, mindfulness, relaxation techniques, solution focused therapy, imagery and rational emotive behavior therapy.

Sharp is a certified mediator and handles divorce and family mediation in the office.

When a new client enters the door, the therapists try to design a treatment plan for the individual and take a bio-psychosocial history.

"We determine what types of treatment would best help the client," said Sharp.

Sometimes treatment might last just a couple of sessions, but most often it falls between three and six months.

"Generally, people start weekly or bi-weekly," Sharp said.

Therapy Group Counseling accepts most insurance plans, and falls under the same regulations as psychologists. The company protects a client's privacy. If the therapists feel a client needs medication to help them with their problems, they recommend they visit a physician for the prescription.

Therapy Group Counseling is open 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday. The firm can be reached at (319) 209-2084 or visit the website at therapygroupinc.com.

"We have room to expand here and have more therapists," Sharp said.

Group therapy could be a service added down the line.

"Our therapists are available to do workshops and continuing education on a wide variety of subjects," Sharp said.

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