Summer McGowan is a licensed professional counselor in the state of Missouri. She has experience in the field as an elementary school counselor and high school counselor, in the private practice setting, and providing telehealth counseling services to Truman University students. Summer graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with a BS in Elementary Education, MA in School Counseling, Eds in Counseling Education and with a Psychological Examiner's certificate. She is also a National Certified Counselor. Summer has experience working with clients with anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, anger, low self esteem, and victims of abuse.
While Summer does not limit herself to one particular style of therapy, she tends to draw from Cognitive Behavior, Solution Focused, Client-Centered, Mindfulness, Positive Psychology, and Motivational Interviewing approaches to therapy. Summer believes the quality of the therapeutic client and counselor relationship is one of the most important components and crucial to the success of therapy. She strives to develop a therapeutic relationship built on mutual trust, empathy, and respect. She works collaboratively with her clients to help them identify their specific problems, issues, or challenges in life, help them identify their strengths and weaknesses, and work as a system of support to help them reach their goals and become the best version of themselves. While the past is important and has its place in therapy, most of her work tends to be in the present - how we can make changes in our mindset, thinking, and patterns of behavior in the present to create the changes in our life that we desire.
Summer and her husband live in southeast Missouri with their doodles (Harrison and Hudson) and are recently empty nesters, adjusting to life without kids at home. She has an 18 year old son, and a 25 year old step-daughter. And, Summer loves the beach, reading, and swimming.
Summer joined the team at UCS in the Spring of 2021.