Derek Henkle, LPC

You deserve to be happy. I am here to be an empathic partner on your journey to obtaining greater happiness, balance, and success. If you are like most of my clients you may have experienced some painful event in the past that keeps you stuck; others need help with anxiety and depression that is blocking them from living the joyful life to which they aspire. Many of my clients say past traumas prevent them from having the type of deep fulfilling relationships which they are worthy of. These clients often describe therapy with me as being relaxed and friendly -- like talking with a confidant -- and several have experienced gains through our sessions that they have not experienced in past attempts at therapy.

As a board-certified Licensed Professional Counselor; and a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, I believe that therapy should leverage the latest science to create solutions and healing that help people overcome the past and live a more powerful life. It is my goal to provide you with a safe and non-judgmental place to get to know yourself better and tap into the inner-ability you already have to rise above both past and present struggles. I strive to be a non-pathologizing practitioner, in that I believe that people most often have the internal ability to transcend a diagnosis. Likewise, I am experienced in working with clinical issues stemming from insomnia, anxiety, depression, panic, PTSD, dissociation, ADHD, mood state changes, low self-esteem, eating and body image issues, as well as past childhood adversity and abuse.

I earned a Master of Science degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Walden University, in Minneapolis, Minnesota; and I was trained in Narrative Therapy at the Vancouver School for Narrative Therapy, in British Columbia. Specific to trauma care, I am experienced with EMDR, Narrative Exposure Therapy, and I am also trained as an IFS-informed (parts therapy) clinician. Earlier in my career, I completed a bachelor’s degree in International Political Media at American University, in Washington, D.C., where I found fervor for hearing how people’s stories shape the world. I later went on to serve as a newswire correspondent, working across six countries -- including international crisis zones -- where I helped many enduring trauma begin to heal by sharing their story. In addition to my counseling work, I also am a broadcast correspondent for the world’s oldest newswire.

With a history as a long-time human rights advocate, I was privileged to serve as a leader in the U.S. anti-bullying and safer schools movement -- which has led to my passion for helping LGBTQ+ people, and others, overcome the toxic effects of bullying, harassment, and discrimination. To do this, I embrace a solution-focused and narrative-based social justice approach to psychotherapy to work with adolescents and adults from all backgrounds. This integrated approach seeks to separate the person from the problem and address existing challenges while simultaneously celebrating the whole individual for who they are and how they impact the world.

Email: d.henkle@wellmanpsychology.com