OLENA SOWERS

LPCC., MS., MA.

Welcome, I am glad that you landed on this page. Making the decision to find help is hard enough. I am a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) and I’m here to walk beside you as you find your way to a better and more fulfilling life. Are you tired of feeling stuck, falling into the same old patterns, or reliving the past? Other therapy hasn’t helped as much as you hoped? People often come to me when they are tired of feeling anxious, depressed, angry, on edge, hyper vigilant, stressed or traumatized but talk therapy treatments have not had much success. I am here to tell you that you don’t have to live this way. Healing is possible. I believe that clients are experts on their lives, and ultimately know what is best for them and what they need. I won’t make decisions for you, but together, we will collaborate on how to best move forward and improve your well-being.

By now, we are usually ready to make whatever changes necessary and try specialized treatments such as EMDR or somatic work. I have experience working with childhood trauma, abuse and neglect, medical trauma, sexual assault trauma, first responders, veterans, motor vehicle accident victims, domestic violence victims, gun violence survivors and more.

Specialities

  • Childhood trauma
  • Abuse and neglect
  • Chronic PTSD
  • Acute PTSD
  • Medical trauma
  • Gun violence trauma
  • Sexual assault trauma
  • Domestic violence trauma
  • Stress management
  • Telehealth

After going through Adverse Childhood Experiences myself, I was drawn into the mental health field to learn more about people and human behavior. I first completed a Master’s degree in Forensic Psychology. Over time, I decided that I wanted to do more and pursued my second master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. In 2018, I was trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Processing) for the treatment of trauma and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and have been using it ever since. EMDR quickly became my specialty. I have experience working with clients who survived childhood physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and neglect; military related trauma; sexual and physical assault survivors; domestic violence victims; motor vehicle accident victims, and others.

What Approaches/Modalities Inform My Work

Although I use some CBT, I largely specialize in EMDR and trauma treatment for both chronic and acute PTSD. I also lean on person centered and somatic therapies, and am IFS informed.

What Makes Me Unique

My goal as your counselor is to help you figure out and treat the root cause of your concerns. I believe that many diagnostic labels are only symptoms of a larger underlying cause, and if we can treat the underlying cause of your concerns, the symptoms also dissipate. Instead of giving you band-aids for your issues, I prefer to help clients identify and treat the root cause of their concerns.

I like to laugh and have fun with my clients, but we also talk about deep and difficult things. Therapy is a process that requires collaboration between us and is time that is set aside specifically just for you. It helps to come to therapy prepared, and put in work outside of sessions. I am here to walk beside you as you figure out your way to a better or more fulfilling life.

Insurance and Fees

I am in network with the following plans in Ohio:
Aetna, Anthem / Carelon, United Behavioral Health / United Healthcare, UMR, Ohio Healthy (Ohio Healthy Preferred and Ohio Healthy Network only). Self pay is $220 per 55 minute appointment. There is a 50% discount available to self pay clients paying in full at the time of service. Unfortunately, I do not accept Medicaid or Medicaire plans at this time.

I am not able to complete paperwork related to FMLA, short or long term disability, medical leave, unemployment, or legal matters. Please know that additional fees will apply if I am subpoenaed to go to court on your behalf.

Cancellation Policy:

Our time is valuable, but we understand that things come up. If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, I require that you notify me at least 24 hours prior to the start of your scheduled appointment (I can be reached via email, phone or through encrypted message via the client portal). **If you cancel or reschedule with less than the 24 hour notice, you may be charged the full session rate for the missed appointment.**

Temporary Circumstances

Listen in to Temporary Circumstances, a free resource on mental health, on this website or your favorite podcast platform. On the podcast, we discuss many matters mental health, focus on de-bunking myths and uncommon topics, and share education on mental health and wellness.

Temporary Circumstances podcast was inspired by my former mentor and boss, Bill Mason. Bill tragically passed away in 2019 but I was not ready to let go of the idea of doing a podcast on mental health. Towards the end of 2019, I started to put together the podcast that would become Temporary Circumstances. The name was inspired by the idea that helped me get through difficult times – the idea that everything in life is temporary, and this [pain] too, shall pass. Joined by my co-host, Cora Mayfield, we discuss many topics surrounding mental health on the podcast.

Social Media Disclaimer:

Olena Sowers / Be Free Counseling LLC is pleased to provide you with social media content for your personal education and information purposes; however, nothing on these pages constitutes a recommendation for medical care, nor does Olena Sowers / Be Free Counseling LLC or other creators make a warranty of any kind in terms of the information’s appropriateness for individual online users. Nothing found on any of these social media pages is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric, or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Olena Sowers / Be Free Counseling LLC or other creators on these pages do not assume any responsibility or risk for your use of these social media pages including, but not limited to, content on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.

Olena Sowers / Be Free Counseling LLC makes no representation and assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained on or available through these websites and such information is subject to change without notice. You are encouraged to confirm any information obtained from or through my social media with other sources and review all information regarding any medical condition or treatment with your physician, licensed healthcare provider, or a licensed mental health practitioner.

Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read about or accessed through this page or any social media pages.

Olena Sowers / Be Free Counseling LLC does not recommend, endorse or make any representation about the efficacy, appropriateness or suitability of any specific tests, products, treatments, services, options, health care providers or other information that may be contained on or available through this page or my social media pages.