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About My Approach at Alternative Therapy STL
Meet Emma Donovan, MA, LPC, LCPC
Therapist In Saint Louis, MO and Online in MO and IL
I’m Emma Donovan, a Licensed Professional Counselor providing integrative, whole-person mental health care in Saint Louis, MO, and virtually throughout Missouri and Illinois.
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My work is grounded in psychotherapy while taking into account the broader landscape of emotional well-being, nervous system regulation, physical health, life purpose, spirituality, lifestyle, and personal growth.
I work with people who want thoughtful, comprehensive care that leads to real relief, rather than symptom management alone.
“Emma is one of the most dedicated & innovative therapists I know. Emma is compassionate, holistic, and non-pathologizing in her approach. She is highly skilled at holding space for clients to access their own inner wisdom. I feel 100% confident referring clients to Emma.”
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-Julie Wrocklage, MC, LPC, NCC, Colleague
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My Philosophy of Mental Health & Wellness
Over time, I’ve seen that meaningful healing requires an understanding of the whole as well as the parts: how emotional patterns, the nervous system, physical health, life context, meaning, and behavior interact. When one area is addressed in isolation, progress often stalls. When they are understood together, change becomes possible in a much deeper and more lasting way.
My work is grounded in psychotherapy, but informed by a broader, integrative wellness lens. I pay attention not only to thoughts and emotions, but also to stress physiology, trauma responses, lifestyle factors, personal values, and spiritual or existential themes when relevant. This enables us to move beyond coping and insight alone, toward genuine relief, resilience, and growth.
I work collaboratively and intentionally. Rather than following a predetermined protocol, I focus on understanding what is actually happening for you, where patterns are being reinforced, and what will make the greatest difference at this stage of your life.
This approach attracts people who want depth, clarity, and real change - people who sense that something more comprehensive is needed, and are ready to engage thoughtfully in the process.
After working with Emma, I feel I don’t ‘have to’ anymore, but can live, love and work from my place of flow. I know my inner world and its parts way better and I’m able to heal myself, check-in with myself, give myself what I need, and the best part: I can be there for others in a way that is more loving and healthier for myself.”
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-Past Client Testimonial
How My Integrative Perspective Evolved
Early Curiosity and Global Lens
I have always been a deep thinker, oriented toward understanding why. Early on, I was less interested in surface explanations and more drawn to the patterns that shape people’s lives. That curiosity led me to study religious studies and global studies in college, where I began to see how culture, belief systems, and lived context profoundly influence how people experience themselves and the world.
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During that time, I studied abroad in Nicaragua, Jordan, and Bulgaria, and traveled widely throughout the world. Living in these very different environments challenged the assumptions I had grown up with in the United States. It expanded my sense of what is considered “normal,” “healthy,” or even possible. I began to see how much of human suffering and resilience is shaped by context rather than pathology.
Discovering the Mind-Body Connection
My interest in the mind-body connection led me to become a yoga teacher, where I experienced firsthand how movement, breath, and awareness can shift mental and emotional states. This naturally drew me toward psychotherapy, and I went on to earn my master’s degree in mental health counseling. That training gave me an essential foundation in therapeutic relationships, ethics, and clinical care. At the same time, I sensed that something was still missing. What I learned was valuable, but it felt incomplete.
A Holistic Model in Practice
Shortly after completing my graduate degree, I booked a one-way ticket to Southeast Asia. I spent nearly two years there and worked as a therapist and personal development educator at a mindfulness center in Northern Thailand. This experience profoundly shaped my worldview. I witnessed people heal not through therapy alone, but through a combination of supportive relationships, mindfulness, nature, nourishing food, purpose, movement, sunlight, and meaningful work. I saw mental wellness as a way of living, not a technique. This experience shaped how I understand lasting change.
Bringing the Parts and Whole Together
When I returned to the United States and opened my private practice, I brought this holistic perspective with me. But I was struck by how it was the exception, rather than the norm.
These elements were neglected or siloed in conventional mental health care, even though their integration leads to better outcomes. Rather than accepting that limitation, I resolved to deepen my understanding of both the individual parts and the larger whole.
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This fragmentation is often why clients feel stuck: they have worked hard in one area at a time, but have never found a professional who can help them address the whole.
My Integrative Therapy Approach
Over the years, I pursued transdisciplinary training in approaches including Internal Family Systems, depth hypnosis, trauma and nervous system work, shamanic and spiritual frameworks, psychedelic-assisted therapy, coaching, functional medicine, nutrition, neurofeedback, ego development, and whole health leadership. My goal was to understand how these domains interact and how they can be integrated responsibly and ethically. This helps me meet each of my clients where they are, understanding the bigger picture of their lives.
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I believe that the one-dimensional and siloed approach that is dominant in this field is, ironically, a significant contributor to the current mental health crisis.
My work today reflects a commitment to addressing this fragmentation by offering an integrative, whole-person approach to healing. This philosophy now forms the foundation of my clinical work, my assessment process, and the way I support people to create lasting change.
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If you’ve sensed that something essential has been missing, this integrative approach may be just what you’re looking for.
What This Looks Like In Practice
In sessions, we move between reflection, awareness, and targeted intervention.
Depending on what’s most relevant for you, our work may include:​
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Finding and addressing root causes of your challenges
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Supporting nervous system regulation and emotional steadiness
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Exploring patterns shaped by past experiences or trauma
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Clarifying values, meaning, and life direction
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Strengthening lifestyle foundations that support mental health, such as sleep, restoration, exercise, and nutrition
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Working with relationship patterns, boundaries, empowerment, and self-trust
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Integrating symbolic, experiential, or spiritual work if needed and desired
Sessions are intentional and specific to you, balancing the depth you need with the forward movement you’re seeking.
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Over time, the work becomes less about managing symptoms and more about building capacity, clarity, and agency, so that therapy supports real change rather than ongoing dependence.
Alternative Therapy STL's Guiding Principles
Compassion for Suffering
I approach suffering with care, respect, and clarity, with the intention to help people transform pain at its roots by addressing patterns keeping it intact.
Agency & Empowerment
I work from the belief that people are capable of growth and change, supporting clients in reclaiming agency and taking responsibility for their lives and choices.
Insight Balanced With Action
Insight is an important part of the change process. It is most impactful when it is integrated into how you live, relate, and make decisions.
Depth Over Symptom Management
I prioritize depth of understanding over quick symptom suppression, working with underlying patterns so change can be lasting rather than temporary.
Whole-Person Integration
Emotional wellbeing does not exist in isolation. Lasting change emerges when the whole person is addressed together, rather than in parts.
“f you're looking for someone who will do ALL the trainings and read ALL the research so that she can provide you with the best possible therapeutic treatment, Emma is your person. You are in the best hands with her and it shows. She is phenomenal!"
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-Maria Miller, LPC, Colleague and Therapist
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Curriculum Vitae
Higher Education
Southern California University of Health Sciences
Doctorate in Whole Health Leadership (in progress)
University of Western States
M.S. in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine (in progress)
Lindenwood University
M.A. in Professional Counseling
Graduated with high honors
Missouri State University
B.A in Religious Studies; B.A. in Global Studies
Graduated with honors
Clinical Licensure & Board Certifications
LCPC in the state of Illinois
LPC in the state of Missouri
Board Certified Holistic Nutritionist
Board Certified Coach
Training & Clinical Certifications
Psychiatry Redefined
Psychiatry Redefined Fellow (in progress)
Institute of Functional Medicine
Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice, Bioenergetics, Gastrointestinal, and Environmental Health Advanced Practice Modules
Nutritional Therapy Association
Nutritional Therapy Practitioner
International Association of Depth Hypnosis Practitioners
Depth Hypnosis Practitioner
Foundation of the Sacred Stream
Applied Shamanic Counselor
Foundation of the Sacred Stream
Ordained Buddhist Minister
Internal Family Systems Institute
Internal Family Systems Levels 1, 2, and 3 trained
Integrative Psychiatry Institute
Certificate in Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy
Integrative Psychiatry Institute
Certificate in Nutritional Psychiatry
Somatic Experiencing International
Somatic Experiencing Beginning I & II
TRE International
Trauma & Tension Releasing Exercises Provider
It's Yoga International & Vinyasa Yoga School
Yoga Teacher Training (500 Total Hours)
“Emma is kind, curious, and committed to learning. She is constantly expanding her knowledge to better serve her clients and has so much wisdom to offer! She's an amazing guide for anyone who's ready to do deep body/mind/spirit healing."
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-Jessie Kissinger, LPC, Colleague and Therapist
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How I Relate to Clients
While my work is thoughtful and integrative, it is never rigid or prescriptive. I work collaboratively, at a pace that respects your nervous system, goals, values, and readiness. My role is to listen deeply, support you, and meet you where you need to be met.
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You are the authority on your life. I hold the map to help you make sense of things. I offer clarity, guidance, and perspective while supporting your autonomy, inner wisdom, and growing capacity to navigate your life with confidence.