Foster and Adoptive Families:

IFAPA has created a list of Mental Health Professionals in Iowa.  This list contains therapists who have experience working with foster and adoptive families.  They are categorized by DHS Service Area.  If you have a therapist experienced in foster care and adoption related issues that does not appear on this list, please send an e-mail to magnall_ifapa@msn.com with your therapist name and contact info.  IFAPA will contact the therapist about being included as a resource on our website.

 AMES SERVICE AREA                                                                                           

Glenice Varley, LISW

The Richmond Center

125 South 3^rd Street

Ames, IA  50010

515-232-5811

Services provided: Evaluation and counseling for children and family

Specialties: Child and family therapy including play therapy, individual therapy and family therapy

Ages served: 3-18 years olds, and their family members

Insurances accepted: All major insurances and EAP benefits

Accepts Medicaid? Yes

Appointments available: 4 days per week, one evening – hours vary 9am – 7pm

Experience working with foster/adoptive families: I have specialize in child treatment for 35 years, serving many families

Other training: continuous education regarding family systems needs, and childhood disorders and behaviors

 CEDAR RAPIDS SERVICE AREA                                                                        

Steven Washlet, LISW

Cedar Centre

1730 1^st Ave

Cedar Rapids, IA 52402

319-365-3993

Services provided: Individual, couples and family counseling

Specialties: Family relationships, parent/child management issues, ADHD, ODD

Ages served: School age through adulthood

Insurances accepted: Yes

Accepts Medicaid? Unknown

Appointments available: Monday – Friday, 8am to 6:15pm

Experience working with foster/adoptive families: Many over the last 25 years

Tricia Hoffman, Psy.D.

Adoption and Attachment Treatment Center of Iowa

800 Webster Street

Iowa City, IA  52240

319-338-2722

dr_thoffman@yahoo.com

Services provided: Individual and family therapy, play therapy, psychological assessment, group therapy, parent education

Specialties: Attachment, trauma, adoption issues, psychological assessment

Ages served: All

Insurances accepted: All major

Accepts Medicaid? Yes

Appointments available: By appointment

Experience working with foster/adoptive families: Over 75 families

Other training:  Attendance at the ATTACh conference, an internship/employment at the Family Attachment Center in Minneapolis, training at the Trauma and Loss Institute in Detroit.  Also, completed doctoral dissertation on attachment disruption.

Jamie Berger, LMSW

Adoption and Attachment Treatment Center of Iowa

800 Webster Street

Iowa City, IA  52240

319-338-2722

jamieleeberger@yahoo.com

Services provided: family therapy, attachment and bonding therapy, trauma counseling, treatment for emotional and behavioral disorders in children/adolescents

Specialties: Attachment and bonding therapy

Ages served: 5-17

Insurances accepted: BC/BS, Midland’s Choice, United Behavioral Health

Accepts Medicaid? The Clinic accepts Medicaid, Jamie does not

Appointments available:  Monday – Friday 10am-7pm

Experience working with foster/adoptive families:  Have worked with over 75 foster/adoptive families

Other training:  Yes

Farrah Bonde, LISW

Coralville Family Counseling

1754 5^th Street

Coralville, IA 52241

319-338-1052

farrahbonde@yahoo.com

Services provided: Individual and family therapy, theraplay techniques, play therapy, EMDR, narrative therapy, children’s group therapy, home studies, attachment and bonding therapy, etc.

Specialties: Attachment related trauma/reactive attachment disorder, grief, loss, abuse, depression, anxiety, Oppositional Defiant Disorder.

Ages served: 0-18

Insurances accepted: All major insurances accepted

Accepts Medicaid?  Yes

Appointments available: Monday – Friday 10am-6pm

Experience working with foster/adoptive families:  have treated several hundred families

Other training:  EMDR, Registered Attachment Clinician, training in Theraplay technique, several hundred hours of specialized training in complex trauma and attachment disruptions, narrative therapy, play therapy, Certified Adoption Investigator, etc.

Katie Barreras, LISW

Coralville Family Counseling

1754 5th Street

Coralville, IA 52241

319-338-1052

kbarreras@mchsi.com

Services provided: Individual and family therapy

Specialties: Play-based therapies, pre and post adoption counseling, foster care counseling, child emotional and behavioral disorders

Ages served: Ages 3-12 and their parents

Insurances accepted: Yes, all major

Accepts Medicaid? Yes

Appointments available: Monday – Friday, evening appointment available

Experience working with foster/adoptive families: Have treated 50 foster/adoptive families

Other training: Six years of experience in family centered and foster care and adoption services.  Multiple training and workshops related to child mental health, adoption, foster care, play therapy.

 COUNCIL BLUFFS SERVICE AREA                                                                   

Berneeta Wagoner, MSW

Southwest Iowa Families Inc

215 E Washington

Clarinda, IA  51632

712-542-3501

swfamilies@iowatelecom.net

Services provided: play therapy, individual counseling, family counseling, group work

Specialties: play therapy, group work for behavioral disordered kids, victims of physical or sexual abuse or neglect.

Ages served: 0-18

Insurances accepted: Most all insurances will pay

Accepts Medicaid? Yes

Appointments available: Monday-Friday: 8am-7pm, Saturday am appointments

Experience working with foster/adoptive families: I have worked with many foster and adoptive families.  I have been in practice for over 30 years.

Other training: have attended numerous DHS and other workshops/training.

 DAVENPORT SERVICE AREA                                                                             

Charles S. Hayes, PhD

Psychology Health Group

2102 East 38^th Street

Davenport, IA  52807

563-359-4049

Services provided: Psychological evaluations, play therapy, individual and family therapy

Specialties: Child clinical psychology, ADHD, child abuse, child mood and anxiety disorders

Ages served: 2-Adult

Insurances accepted: Most

Accepts Medicaid? Yes

Appointments available: Mondays – 8:30am-8:30pm, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday – 8:30am-6:30pm, Friday – 9:30am-5:30pm 

Experience working with foster/adoptive families:  Have worked with over 50 families

Other training: Training in attachment disorders

 DES MOINES SERVICE AREA                                                                             

Tamra Jurgemeyer, MSW, LISW

Child Guidance Center / Orchard Place

808 5^th Avenue

Des Moines, IA  50309

515-244-2267

tjurgemeyer@orchardplace.org

Services provided: mental health

Specialties: attachment issues, abuse/trauma, mood, PTSD, behavioral

Ages served: 6-21

Insurances accepted: All

Accepts Medicaid? Yes

Appointments available: Monday-Friday daytime

Experience working with foster/adoptive families: Have worked with hundreds of families

Other training: extensive training

Gladys Noll-Alvarez, MSW, LISW

Child Guidance Center / Orchard Place

808 5^th Avenue

Des Moines, IA  50309

515-244-2267

galvarez@orchardplace.org

Services provided: individual, family, group therapy, attachment assessments and dyadic therapy

Specialties: young child who have been sexually abused and discovery work

Ages served: 0-18

Insurances accepted: All

Accepts Medicaid? Yes

Appointments available: Monday-Friday 8am-5pm

Experience working with foster/adoptive families: I have treated over 200 families.

Other training: I have knowledge in attachment disorder, attachment assessment and dyadic therapy.  I have worked extensively with the Juvenile court system with Model court and Court Improvement Project.

Pat Petersen, MSW, LISW

Inner Health Services

5525 Meredith Drive, Suite E

Des Moines, IA  50310

515-201-9953

pjmpete@aol.com

Services provided: Talk and play therapy

Specialties: depression, anxiety, OCD, domestic violence, relationship problems

Ages served: 6 - Adult

Insurances accepted: Most all insurances

Accepts Medicaid? Yes

Appointments available: Tuesdays & Thursdays: 12pm – 8pm

Experience working with foster/adoptive families: approx. 30

Daniel J. Harkness, Ph.D.

Iowa Health – Des Moines

East Des Moines Family Care Center

840 E. University Ave

Des Moines, IA 50316

515-265-1413 ext. 274

harkned2@ihs.org

Services provided: individual (including kids/adolescents). Marital/relationship, and family therapy and skill development (parenting, child emotional/behavioral)

Ages served: 3 & up

Insurances accepted: Most.  Call for more info.

Accepts Medicaid? Yes

Appointments available: Monday, Friday 8am – 12pm, Tuesday, Thursday 1pm – 5pm 

Experience working with foster/adoptive families:  Marriage and family therapist in practice for 14 years

Other training: Worked five years as an intensive in-home therapist serving DHS-referred children and families, including foster family environments.

Jeanne White, MSW

Kavalier & Associates

1003 Grand Ave

West Des Moines, IA  50265

515-267-1003

Services provided: Individual and family counseling

Specialties: Attachment, sexual abuse, depression

Ages served: 3 & up

Insurances accepted: Most

Accepts Medicaid? No

Appointments available: Monday, Wednesday, Friday – 8:30am-5pm; Tuesday, Thursday – 9:30am-6:30pm

Experience working with foster/adoptive families:  Worked with many families

Other training: I am an adoptive parent.  Previous counseling with birth and adoptive parents through Catholic and Lutheran Social Services.  CEU workshops.

 DUBUQUE SERVICE AREA                                                                                  

Rhonda Lettington, MS, LMHC, ACADC, NCC, CHTP

1340 250^th Street

Decorah, IA 52101

563-382-6446

let@oneota.net 

Services provided: Individual and family therapy, week-long intense treatment for individuals and caregivers on attachment issues

Specialties: trauma, children with attachment issues, chemical abuse/dependency, working burned out parents, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Healing Body Level Up, EFT and Healing Touch

Ages Served: Birth and up

Insurance Accepted: None

Medicaid (Title 19)? No

Days and hours available: unknown

How many foster and adoptive families have you treated? My case load is almost all foster and adoptive families.

Do you have any specialized training in foster and adoptive care?  Mrs. Lettington and her husband have been treatment level foster parent in Iowa and have adopted three children with RAD. 

 SIOUX CITY SERVICE AREA                                                                                

Carolyn Phillips, MSW

A Brighter Tomorrow

505 5^th Street, Ste 520

Sioux City, IA 51101

712-224-2892

abrightertomorrow@longlines.com

Services provided: mental health therapy and counseling, assessments, homestudies

Specialties: foster care and adoption

Ages served: 3-63

Insurances accepted: BCBS, other private insurances

Accepts Medicaid? yes

Appointments available: M-F 8:45am to 4:15pm, evening vary 

Experience working with foster/adoptive families:  have treated over 100 families

Other training: Adoption Specialist Training, PS-MAPP leader/licenser

Lynnette Aschinger

824 Flindt Drive, Suite 103

Storm Lake, IA  50588

712-732-3736

lynnettea@seasonscenter.org

Services provided: Outpatient therapy

Specialties: Sexual abuse, victimization/loss issues, attachment disorders, play therapy

Ages served: 3 & up

Insurances accepted: Majority of insurance

Accepts Medicaid? Yes

Appointments available: Monday & Wednesday 8am–1pm, Tuesday & Thursday 7:30am–4:30pm

Experience working with foster/adoptive families: Approx 15-20% of caseload is foster/adoptive children/families.

Other training: Extensive training in foster care, adoption, attachment disorders, abuse, grief and loss, play therapy and sexual abuse.

Marty Wallace, LMHC

Creative Living Center

1905 10^th Street

Rock Valley, IA 51247

712-476-5245

mwallace@hickorytech.net

Services provided: child therapy, play therapy, theraplay, filial therapy, attachment therapy

Specialties: Attachment therapy, transferring the bond, play therapy, theraplay, filial therapy

Ages served: 3-16

Insurances accepted: Most insurance

Accepts Medicaid? Yes

Appointments available: Monday & Tuesday 9am-9pm, Wednesday & Thursday 9am-4pm, Friday 9am-1pm

Degree held: MA Ed Psych, LMHC, RPT/S

Other training: attachment disorders, support group management

 WATERLOO SERVICE AREA                                                                               

Sarah E. Gellhaus-Thomas, LMFT, LMHC

Anastasi Counseling Services

1520 6^th Street SW

Mason City, IA  50401

641-423-4180

Services provided: Therapy, counseling with individuals, couples, families

Specialties: certified alcohol and drug counselor, adolescents with behavioral problems

Ages served: preschool - adult

Insurances accepted: Most insurance, We are in-network providers for Blue Cross, Midlands Choice, Principal and other major networks.  We are not in the United Health Care, John Deere, Three Rivers Provider Networks.  Call with questions on other companies.

Accepts Medicaid? No

Appointments available: Wednesday: 3:00pm – 8:00pm; Friday: 8:00am – 12:00pm

Experience working with foster/adoptive families: several

Other training: Subject specific seminars, supervised treatment of special needs children/adolescents

Melody Stone, MA, LMHC

516 N Jefferson Ave

Mason City, IA  50401

641-424-8344

melody.stone@fbx.com

Services provided: Individual, couples and family therapy, children and adolescents from age 3 to 18.  I also provide consultation and education services to schools and organizations as well as mediation services.

Specialties: foster care and adoption, family counseling, attachment and bonding, grief and loss, abuse, play therapy, PTSD, depression, anxiety, OCD, ADHD, individual and couples relationship counseling.

Ages served: 3 to elderly

Insurances accepted: Yes, some

Accept Medicaid (Title 19)? Yes

Days and hours appointments are available: Monday – Friday 7am to 7pm

How many foster and adoptive families have you treated? Hundreds over the past 15 years.

Do you have any specialized training in foster and adoptive care? I have been a foster and adoptive parent since 1988.  I have worked for several private adoption agencies in the past and Gerard of Iowa as a clinical therapist in their residential and day treatment programs working with children with special needs.  I am a member of ATTACh.

Margaret Zander, MAE

Psychiatric Associates of NE Iowa

Common Ground Mediation & Counseling

146 West Dale

Waterloo, IA  50703

319-233-3351

Services provided: Mental health counseling, family theraphy

Specialties: trauma, children

Ages served: 3-80

Insurances accepted: Most

Accepts Medicaid? Yes

Appointments available: Monday-Thursday: 8am-6pm, some Saturdays

Experience working with foster/adoptive families: Have treated over 100 families

Other training: Former, DHS worker, completed NOVA and DHS trainings, Attachment treatment training

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Attention Mental Health Professionals:

If you would like to be included on this resource list and have experience working with foster and adoptive families and practice in Iowa or near the Iowa border, please complete our therapist form and return to IFAPA.  Forms can be e-mailed to cthomason@ifapa.org.