Clinical Counseling Associates

03/26/2026

💙✨ Happy National Medical Billers Day! ✨💙
Today we recognize the important work of medical billers and the role they play behind the scenes in making healthcare accessible and sustainable. Medical billing requires incredible attention to detail, persistence, and expertise to navigate insurance systems, ensure claims are processed correctly, and help keep practices running smoothly.
At Clinical Counseling Associates, we want to give a special thank you to our amazing billers Brandi and Talesha. Your dedication, organization, and hard work help ensure our clinicians can focus on what matters most—supporting our clients and providing quality mental health care.
We truly appreciate everything you do for our team and the clients we serve every day. 💙

03/23/2026

💙 Developmental Disabilities Awareness Day 💙
As professionals in the helping field—and as individuals with lived experience—many of us have the opportunity to witness powerful moments of reframing. These moments happen when people stop viewing developmental disabilities only through the lens of a diagnosis and begin seeing them through the lens of a life lived fully.
Developmental disabilities—from Down Syndrome and Autism to Cerebral Palsy and Dyslexia—are not problems to be solved. They represent different ways of experiencing, learning, and interacting with the world.
Rather than simply “providing services,” we can work together to reduce stigma and dismantle barriers that limit opportunity. Nearly 17% of people—about 1 in 6 individuals—live with a developmental disability, and every person deserves access to meaningful work, connection, community, and joy.
Awareness leads to understanding, and understanding helps create more inclusive communities for everyone.

03/22/2026

Meet CCA Therapist– Marie Clifton! 🎉
Marie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Missouri and Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker (LSCSW) in Kansas with a Master of Social Work degree from Kansas University. She specializes in working with depression, anxiety, stress management, grief, eating disorders and trauma. Marie is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing Therapy) certified. Her career experience has been in child welfare, case management, group therapy, and individual therapy. Marie is described as compassionate, warm, caring, and insightful. Marie's favorite self-care activities include yoga, listening to audiobooks, and exploring the city with her daughter and nephews.
📞 Looking to schedule an appointment with Marie?
We’re here to help! 💙Visit www.clinicalcounselingassociates.org
and fill out the contact form or give us a call at 816-781-8550 to get started.

03/21/2026

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
As mental health professionals, we see how racial discrimination can impact both the mind and body. Research shows the “weathering” effect—the cumulative stress and harm caused by ongoing discrimination and systemic inequities.
We cannot talk about mental health without acknowledging racial trauma. True well-being cannot exist in environments where individuals are treated as less than because of the color of their skin.
Healing involves more than individual support—it also requires communities that actively work toward equity, safety, and dignity for all.
Today and every day, we recommit to being a safe, supportive space for those navigating the effects of racial trauma and to continuing conversations that challenge discrimination and promote understanding.
Everyone deserves to live, work, and heal in a world free from discrimination.

03/20/2026

📢 Blog Alert! 🌿✨
Take a few minutes today to read our latest blog:
“When ADHD and Trauma Look the Same: Understanding the Overlap” by Miranda Reeves, LCSW!
ADHD and trauma can often look very similar on the surface—difficulty focusing, emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and feeling overwhelmed. Because of this overlap, it can be easy for symptoms to be misunderstood or misdiagnosed, leaving individuals feeling confused or stuck.
In this blog, Miranda explores how ADHD and trauma can present in similar ways while also highlighting key differences in how they develop and show up over time. Understanding these distinctions is important for ensuring individuals receive the most effective and appropriate support. When we take a closer look at the root of symptoms, we can better tailor treatment and create meaningful, lasting change. Clarity leads to more accurate care—and more effective healing.
🔗 Read it now on our website!
https://www.clinicalcounselingassociates.org/post/when-adhd-and-trauma-look-the-same-understanding-the-overlap

It’s not uncommon for someone to walk into therapy wondering: Is this ADHD... or is thistrauma? The truth? Sometimes it’s one. Sometimes it’s both. And sometimes trauma can look so much like ADHD that it’s easy to confuse the two.Understanding the overlap matters — because treatment looks ...

03/17/2026

St. Patrick’s Day & Your Mental Health
St. Patrick’s Day is often filled with celebration, connection, and tradition. For many, it’s a fun and lighthearted holiday. For others, it can bring social pressure, anxiety, loneliness, or challenges around alcohol use and boundaries. However you experience today is valid.
As you move through the day, give yourself permission to prioritize your well-being. You are allowed to:
💚 Set boundaries without guilt
💚 Limit or avoid alcohol if that supports your goals
💚 Leave events when you feel overwhelmed
💚 Choose a quiet evening over a crowded gathering
💚 Spend time with people who feel safe and supportive
The real “luck” in life isn’t found at the end of a rainbow—it’s built through intentional self-care, emotional awareness, healthy coping skills, and supportive relationships. Small choices add up to lasting wellness.
Take a breath. Check in with yourself. Protect your peace.
Your mental health matters today and every day.
If you or someone you love needs support, Clinical Counseling Associates is here to help.

03/16/2026

🧠✨ It’s Brain Awareness Week! ✨🧠
This week, we celebrate the incredible power of the human brain — the command center behind every thought, memory, emotion, and movement. From solving complex problems to dreaming big dreams, your brain makes you, YOU.
Brain Awareness Week is a global campaign to inspire public enthusiasm and support for brain science. It’s a time to learn how neuroscience impacts our everyday lives — from mental health and memory to sleep and stress management.
💡 Did you know?
Your brain has about 86 billion neurons.
The brain uses about 20% of your body’s energy, even though it only accounts for 2% of your total body weight.
It continues to change and adapt throughout your life (thanks, neuroplasticity!).
🛠 Ways to support your brain this week (and every week!):
✔ Get enough sleep
✔ Stay physically active
✔ Challenge your mind
✔ Eat brain-healthy foods
✔ Check in on your mental health
Let’s raise awareness, reduce stigma around neurological conditions, and celebrate the science that helps us better understand ourselves.
🧠

03/13/2026

🐾 K-9 Veterans Day 🐾
On K-9 Veterans Day, we honor the incredible bond between working dogs and the humans who depend on them. Military K-9s stand beside their handlers through some of the most dangerous and difficult moments of service.
In therapy, we often talk about co-regulation—how one nervous system can help calm another. Few examples show this more clearly than a K-9 quietly resting beside their partner after a hard day.
These dogs don’t just serve missions—they support the humans who carry the weight of those experiences. Today we honor the military K-9s who served our country and the police and search-and-rescue K-9 teams who continue protecting our communities.
Thank you to the dogs who served with loyalty, courage, and unwavering devotion. 🐕‍🦺

03/10/2026

Meet CCA Therapist– Teresa Flaugher! 🎉
Teresa is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) with a master’s degree from the University of Missouri–Kansas City. She is licensed in both Missouri and Kansas and is under the clinical supervision of Sheena Kirkendoll, LCSW. Teresa has over 20 years of experience in the medical field, with the past 11 years focused on geriatrics, dementia care, inpatient psychiatric treatment, and hospice care. She is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and is experienced in facilitating individual and group sessions using evidence-based modalities such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), as well as a variety of therapeutic strategies to individualize care based on client needs. She enjoys supporting clients as they process their concerns, with a focus on uncovering underlying causes, setting meaningful goals, and working toward effective solutions. Teresa believes that everyone has the capacity for growth, and together, clients can develop skills that foster healing and transformation. Teresa’s favorite self-care activities include spending time with her beloved family and friends, drinking coffee in nature-preferably while camping near a beautiful body of water, hiking, reading, kayaking, cheering for Kansas City sports teams, and watching cooking shows while relaxing on the sofa.
📞 Looking to schedule an appointment with Teresa?
We’re here to help! 💙Visit www.clinicalcounselingassociates.org
and fill out the contact form or give us a call at 816-781-8550 to get started.

03/09/2026

😴 National Sleep Awareness Week 2026 😴
📅 March 9–15, 2026
Sleep isn’t a luxury — it’s essential for mental health. Quality rest supports emotional regulation, focus, mood, and overall well-being.
At Clinical Counseling Associates, we often see how stress, anxiety, depression, and life transitions can disrupt sleep and how improving sleep can become an important part of the healing process.
Gentle reminders for better rest:
💤 Keep a consistent sleep and wake schedule
🌙 Create a calming bedtime routine
📵 Limit screen time before bed
🧠 Be kind to your mind — racing thoughts deserve support too
If sleep has been difficult lately, you’re not alone and help is available.
💙 Rest is not lazy. Rest is restorative.

03/08/2026

🌸 International Women’s Day 🌸
International Women’s Day is a reminder that equality is not a privilege—it’s a right. Today we celebrate the achievements, strength, and resilience of women everywhere, while also recognizing the ongoing work needed to ensure safety, autonomy, and respect in every space.
We honor the women who paved the way and those who continue to advocate for progress and change. When women are supported, empowered, and heard, entire communities grow stronger.

03/05/2026

📢 Blog Alert! 🤱💙
Take a few minutes today to read our latest blog:
“When Baby Blues Become Something More” by Emily Androes, Master of Social Work intern.
Welcoming a new baby can bring joy, but it can also bring emotional challenges. While “baby blues” are common after childbirth, sometimes those feelings can develop into postpartum depression or anxiety. In this blog, Emily explains the difference between typical baby blues and postpartum mood disorders, highlights warning signs to watch for, and reminds parents that needing support during this transition is both common and valid.
💙 You are not alone, and help is available.
https://www.clinicalcounselingassociates.org/post/when-baby-blues-become-something-more

Becoming a parent is supposed to be one of the most joyful, fulfilling experiences in life, right? For many people, it is, but it can also be disorienting, exhausting, and emotionally overwhelming. Both experiences can be true at the same time.Many postpartum parents feel pressure to present as happ...