Derek earned his master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Adler University in Chicago, Illinois.  Derek is an Iowa native who moved back to central Iowa after graduate school to focus on helping people in the community to achieve and maintain mental and emotional wellness. 

Derek approaches each client through a collaborative, humanistic, and strengths-based lens, tailoring each client’s treatment according to their unique individual needs, strengths, and personalities.  He has experience working with a wide range of concerns, issues, and populations spanning in age from fourteen years of age through late adulthood.  Derek’s approach is eclectic, integrating internal family systems, dialectical behavioral therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, solution-focused therapy, as well as person-centered therapy in a way that provides a safe space for every client to explore their experiences and identities while collaboratively setting goals and striving for holistic wellness.  He has experience working with neurodivergent clients, including those who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.  Derek also has experience helping client’s process and heal from the fallout of traumatic experiences, including those who have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression.