Erika Russina is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the State of Missouri, a Nationally Board Certified Counselor (NCC), as well as a member of the American Counseling Association and International Society of Mental Health Online.  If you would like to verify her License as a Professional Counselor, you may contact the Missouri Division of Professional Registration at http://pr.mo.gov : click the "Professional Registration" button, and then  "Licensee Search" button; choose the Profession Name "Professional Counselor" from the scroll-down menu; search License #1999138387.  If  you are experiencing difficulty, you may contact the Division at (573) 571-0293, or by email at profreg@mail.state.mo.us.  To verify Ms. Russina's standing as a Nationally Certified Counselor, you may contact NBCC at www.nbcc.org. 

Erika Russina obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Southern Illinois University.  Her Master of Arts degree is in Clinical Psychology, and is also from SIU.  Ms. Russina attained further graduate training in Ethics and Diversity from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri.

Erika's background involves 10 years of professional experience as a therapist working with individuals, couples, families, and children.  She has served men and women from diverse backgrounds, races, and ethnicities, as well as various specific populations.  While she specializes in treating women and children, her experience includes providing therapeutic counseling and assessment services to disabled Veterans through the Veteran's Administration.  Erika Russina has also served as a therapist to the children of women in residential treatment, and children in the general population. 

Additionally, she has provided individual, couples and family therapy for people who are diagnosed with HIV or AIDS.  Erika has also provided individual, group, and family therapy to adolescents in residential treatment.  Her experience also includes oversight of the Mental Health program at a non-profit agency, as well as supervision of staff providing psychosocial support and group therapy.  Currently, Ms. Russina maintains a practice in St. Louis, Missouri.  If you are seeking face-to-face counseling, and would like more information on her practice in St. Louis, Missouri, please email info@licensedcounselor.com or click on the Office Therapy button.

Additional training includes, but is not limited to: mandated reporting of suspected child abuse; crisis intervention; impact of trauma on children and families; depression and suicide; building positive self-esteem; working with challenging clients and co-workers; recognizing and treating sexual abuse; impact of disabilities on vocation; stress management; transformational dynamics; ADHD; working with diverse clients; HIV; grief and bereavement; Bipolar disorder; and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy.

Ms. Russina has published the following research in the Journal Of Clinical Psychology (Vol. 54), "The Relationship Between Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Depression, Somatization, Self-Esteem and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder."  Her biography has been published in Marquis' Who's Who of American Women (22nd & 23rd Editions), as well as in Marquis' Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare (4th Edition).

Erika's therapeutic stance is one of a humanistic nature, and includes viewing the person as a whole (i.e. recognizing the impact that our past and present, our spirituality, future goals as well as environment and health have on our mental and emotional state).  Ms. Russina utilizes a combination of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to provide people with the insight and tools to significantly improve their emotional health and overall quality of life.

If you are ready to begin therapy, please go to the Begin Therapy section of this site.