Rebecca Baxter, LPC

Integrative Psychotherapist

KCCO Owner, Therapist & Teacher

It has been my honor to have worked as a school counselor and private practice therapist for the past 20 years. My current practice was largely inspired by my work with children. Counseling young people requires creativity, activity, and curiosity. I apply this theory to my private practice and work with adults. I believe that talk, EMDR, movement, stretching, or a calming restorative pose can help heal the nervous system.

Both Pilates and Yoga serve to awaken physical and psychological pathways. They give us an opportunity to reconnect with our body in an intentional way. Talk therapy and dream work can help to unlock the door to our unconscious and psychological blocks. I follow a Jungian approach to the unconscious, shadow material, and dream work. I believe that the mind and body heal better when they heal together.

Due to life events, we essentially learn to hide from or block that which is too painful, confusing, frustrating, or traumatic. In “The Body Keeps the Score” by Van Der Kolk, he discusses that those who have been traumatized feel unsafe in their own bodies. He goes further by stating that the "past is alive in the form of gnawing interior discomfort. Their bodies are constantly bombarded by visceral warning signs, and, in an attempt to control these processes, they often become expert at ignoring their gut feelings and in numbing awareness of what is played out inside (p. 97)."

Joseph Pilates states that, "The mind, when housed within a healthful body, posses a glorious sense of power". When we open ourselves up to an integrative approach we are encouraging an element of curiosity, investigation of our relationship with food, power, and compassion within ourselves. All healthy movement comes from our core, it is our anchor. Yoga and Pilates focus on breath, balance via supported movement or poses, and the core. Where as Yoga is isometric, going into a pose and holding it, Pilates is an isotonic exercise, meaning you go into a pose and add supported movement.

Nervous System Benefits:

"The autonomic nervous system is divided into the sympathetic system, which is often identified with the fight-or-flight response, and the parasympathetic, which is identified with what's been called the relaxation response. When you do yoga - the deep breathing, the stretching, the movements that release muscle tension, the relaxed focus on being present in your body - you initiate a process that turns the fight or flight system off and the relaxation response on. That has a dramatic effect on the body. The heartbeat slows, respiration decreases, blood pressure decreases. The body seizes this chance to turn on the healing mechanisms."

Richard Faulds

Walk and Talks

A client favorite (and mine, too) is walk and talks. These sessions typically run about 1 hour and we get so much done! The cardio naturally ups the dopamine in our system which is our “feel good” hormone. In addition, walking releases serotonin which is crucial for things like: sleep, digestion, and mood. All the while, we are processing and working through a traditional talk therapy session. They are incredibly effective and efficient!

Certification and Licensure:

Undergraduate: Bachelors of Arts

Whitworth Presbyterian University, Spokane,Washington, 2000.

• Art Education, K-12

• ESL, K-12.

Graduate Degree: University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2005.

• Masters of Science degree in Counseling

Licensed School Counselor

Private Counseling License: LPC, State of Missouri

EMDR Certified Therapist & EMDRIA Member

International STOTT Mat Pilates Certified

Mat Certified, KC Pilates

International STOTT Reformer Certified

STOTT Pilates Chair Trained

200hr Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) - Kansas City Yoga Center (RYS)

The Great Yoga Wall- Kansas City Yoga Center

Inversion Therapy Hammocks

IT Hammock Master Teachers: Tina Sprinkle, Pilates 1901

Kate (Cookie) Dune, Flow Cayman Islands

Volunteer:

Rape Crisis Center Advocate, Fayetteville, AR, 2002-2004 SARPA (Sexual Assault Recovery and Prevention Agency), Fayetteville, AR - Board member, 2004-2009.

MOCSA (Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault). Young at Art committee member, 2012-2015.

School Counseling:

As a school counselor, I worked on a daily basis with issues such as: divorce, blended families, death, sexuality, peer isolation or harassment, incest, molestation and rape, physical and emotional abuse, neglect, and a wide range of mental disorders. In addition, I participated as a team member with other educators to work proactively for our Special Education, including Gifted and Talented, & 504 populations. I happily served all populations and worked as a constant liaison between parents, students, educators, mental health facilities, police, The Department of Human Services, and administrators. My primary focus, however, was always the advocacy and empowerment of children.

Pilates and Personal Training:

Pilates 1901 is the premiere Pilates studio in Kansas City. I had the great fortune of working at 1901 as both an instructor and personal trainer. Each member of 1901 has been STOTT trained, and works with a variety of clients to promote proper form, alignment, and strength. Under the supervision of Lisa Looy and Tina Sprinkle, each instructor’s skill set is further enhanced through an internship program and ongoing supervision. Before an instructor ever works with a client, they have received hundreds of hours of education and supervision. 1901 is an amazing family of people who always strive to educate, guide, and promote total health. Through Tina Sprinkle’s transformative T School program, health is taken head on using a multi faceted approach to weight loss and management. This program provides compassionate group support and insight through speakers, doctors, and educators. Tina feels very passionately that T School isn’t just about changing a number on the scale, it is about changing your life.

Link to: Pilates 1901

Yoga:

Yoga gave me a deeper understanding of the beauty of meditation, biomechanics in isometric poses, and a sense of interconnectedness to the universe and those around me. Yoga gives all of us an opportunity to enhance our internal flame so we can heal and support ourselves and each other, while connecting to the universal light. I received my 200 hr RYT yoga certification under the direction of Kelly Collin, MSEd, E-RYT 200, E-RYT 500, 1000 HR, YACEP and C-IAYT. Kelly has a holistic approach to Yoga and Yoga Therapy. An asana, or pose, is no longer just a pose in a progression of other poses, it is a means to ground, strengthen, calm, open, or soothe.

Mentorship:

Professionally the most profound mentor in my life is my guru and guide, William Symes. Bill’s life work has been to promote the psychological healing and empowerment of everyone he meets. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor, State Clinical Supervisor, American Psychotherapy Association Board Certified Counselor, and a National Board Certified Counselors approved Continuing Education Provider with over 40 years of experience. A follower of Buddhism, Jung, Gestalt, and Masterson, Bill has also recently become an author himself. "Mastering the Art of Psychotherapy" was released in 2015 and geared as a tool for clinicians. This brilliant, fierce, and warm man has given me the education that no degree or school ever could. His teachings are the foundation from which I am built. Thank you, Bill.

Therapeutic KC Friends:

It has been such a blessing to be welcomed into the Aster Counseling family. Aster Counseling is a collective of wonderful and intelligent women doing important therapeutic work throughout the Kansas City area. Elizabeth Goslinga, Alicia Beatty, and Carron Montgomery have all showed me such incredible love & support through this private practice journey. Elizabeth & Alicia have graciously listened, encouraged, and supervised me through my licensure process. Elizabeth, thank you for your patience and encouraging me to get trained in EMDR. Alicia, thank you for your bold and beautiful nature. Carron, you have played such a integral part of this journey. Thank you for sharing your world with me. I love each one of you.

www.astercounseling.org