Helping Professionals Interview Series: Art Therapist Maggie Schmidt, MA, LPC
Have you noticed anxiety in your child?
Our therapists at Compassionate Counseling St. Louis have a lot of experience working with anxious kids, teens and college students ,and we wanted to take the time to really showcase the work that we do!
We have our ongoing interview series, which is a great way to get to know other therapists in the area, but we also want you to get to know the therapists here at our office, too! Each of our therapists tailor their approach to you and your child, so you get the most out of your sessions and you feel supported the whole time.
This week, we spoke to Art Therapist Maggie Schmidt on her clinical experience, what it’s like working at Compassionate Counseling St. Louis, and when it might be a good idea to get therapy for anxiety. We’re so lucky to have her at our office!
Can you talk about why you decided to work at Compassionate Counseling St. Louis?
I am relatively new to the Compassionate Counseling St. Louis team, having started in March! Over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to strengthen my clinical skills with children, adolescents, and their families in a school environment. I have been focusing on anxiety and anger with my clients. While I love working in a school environment, I have always been interested in ways my clinical skills could support others needing more support.
I love how Compassionate Counseling offers support for clients to work through anxiety and anxiety-related concerns in a way that tailors to each client’s unique needs. An additional benefit of working at Compassionate Counseling St. Louis is working alongside knowledgeable and skillful counselors who share my passion for helping clients work through their issues.
What kind of treatment do you provide?
As a client-centered therapist, it is really important to me that we can channel the work we do in sessions to best fit client’s preferences and needs. I have training and background experience with a few approaches to help make this happen. My treatment approaches include using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Additionally, my clinical background training is as an art therapist. I feel that art can be a helpful tool alongside any of these approaches with managing stress, promoting self-awareness, and with gaining new perspectives and insights on challenging or traumatic situations.
What can parents expect to leave with after working with you?
While I spend the majority of the time working directly with my clients, I also develop relationships with parents over the course of our therapy work. We touch base at the beginning of sessions, processing through symptoms and concerns their children may be exhibiting and checking in on how skills learned in session are being practiced or demonstrated at home.
I want parents to feel just as supported as my clients.
These check-ins are important for parents to feel more confident and prepared to work with their children through any future issues that come up later down the road after therapy. My clients’ parents can expect to feel supported even after a clients’ graduation. I actually encourage parents to check in with positive updates or future questions and concerns so they can continue to feel supported.
How long have you been working with anxiety, and how long have you been in St. Louis?
I was born and raised in St. Louis. I received my graduate school training at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville in 2015 and have had the privilege of working professionally in the area since.
Anxiety has been a topic that has come up in a lot of my work with clients. I have identified it in many ways, noticing that it may often be accompanied by several other emotions. My experience of working with a variety of clients has shown me that anxiety impacts everyone differently. Over the years I have familiarized myself with the different warning signs and triggers for anxiety as well as many coping skills and activities that can help
Who are your favorite types of clients to work with?
I have always felt honored to be a part the process of helping clients who are open-minded and committed to working toward targeted goals, such as developing better relationships with peers and family, improving mood, decreasing anger, and feeling more comfortable and successful in school and other activities.
That being said, another part of me also really enjoys working with clients who are more resistant to therapy. For some, the thought of beginning therapy can be really scary and intimidating. I enjoy being part of the process that helps clients feel safe and supported in stepping outside their comfort zone to begin to overcome some of their struggles. Both of these types of clients make the job a rewarding experience for all.
What happens during a first appointment with you?
I believe that one of the most important components of therapy is developing a strong, positive relationship, so my main goal for our first session is building rapport while gathering as much information as we can about the reason the client is seeking treatment.
Parents will meet for the first few minutes without the client to discuss polices and goals for treatment and explore any other thoughts they have about starting therapy. Then, the clients and I will meet for the remainder of the session. We focus on getting to know each other, answering questions and going over the structure of the our sessions so they know what to expect over the next few weeks. We start to build rapport and explore what the client wants to get out of therapy to make sure we are focusing on this in forthcoming sessions.
Could you talk a little about how you work with anxiety and anger management in kids and teens?
I use a cognitive behavioral approach and focus a lot on emotional regulation. When working with younger clients, we learn ways to pay attention to what kinds of warning signs our bodies give us and what kinds of situations trigger us when we feel overwhelmed by worry and anger. We also actively practice coping skills and discuss the importance of developing a coping skills “tool box”, as one coping skill may not work for all stressful and overwhelming situations.
When working with adolescent clients, we do a lot of similar work to this, but often do more work exploring our underlying thoughts and beliefs around situations resulting in intense anxious or angry emotions. Although the two do not always go hand-in-hand, I have noticed that anxiety and anger can often be connected. For instance, anger can result from a person internally dealing with intense worry, stress, and feelings of discomfort.
What are some of your favorite things about working at Compassionate Counseling St. Louis?
I have been with Compassionate Counseling for a few months and have had the best experience! I have really enjoyed working with my clients, families, and fellow Compassionate Counseling St. Louis colleagues. I have appreciated the dedication and determination of my clients to work hard, practice skills at home, and remain open to exploring what we need to continue to work on. I have appreciated the support and level of engagement of the parents I have worked with, and I have most definitely enjoyed working alongside my knowledgeable, supportive, and amazing therapeutic team.
What do you wish people knew about getting treatment for anxiety disorders?
One thing I wish people knew about anxiety disorder treatment is how making the decision to seek treatment is such an important first step in the healing process. It can be a hard decision upfront, but the longstanding effects from seeking help can help you with the challenges you are presently faced with while helping you build resiliency to handle any other challenges that come up later down the road.
Share one fun fact about you that most people don’t know.
I have played the harp for 26 years! It was an instrument my grandmother passed down to me.
Curious to learn more about how we provide anxiety therapy for teens and college students? Getting a little overwhelmed with the thought of a whole new year at school? We can help. Our therapists specialize in anxiety management for teens, college students, and children, age 4 on up. Schedule your free 15 minute phonecall on our website, at www.compassionatecounselingstl.com/consult.