Meet the Sacred Heart Team

Meet the Team

We are a team of counselors rooted in Catholic teaching, who provide research-based clinical work, aimed at healing the mind, body and soul. We are here to help you find peace in the midst of emotional and relational distress.

  • Founder & Counselor

    I received a BA in Psychology from the University of Dallas, and had the opportunity to study in Rome for a semester.  I received an MA in Counseling from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.

    During my career, I have worked at a residential treatment center for adolescents in Colorado Springs, as well as a group home for adolescents.  I have worked as a therapist at a Christian counseling center in Colorado Springs.  I worked as a counselor for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, and coordinated the My House initiative and a list of Catholic counselors.  In addition to Sacred Heart Counseling in Olathe, I am a therapist at Benedictine College.

    I have enjoyed trainings on a variety of topics including anxiety, trauma, depression, emotional connection, addiction, healthy conflict, and suicide prevention.  I continue attending trainings to increase my knowledge on a variety of clinical topics.  I have completed the trainings for the CSAT program, and have also attended multiple courses at the Theology of the Body Institute.

    My wife and I, and our children live in the Kansas City area.  We have been through the Christ Renews His Parish program, and have been active in other groups at our parish and children’s schools.  I enjoy outdoor sports, coaching our kid’s teams, DIY projects, fly-fishing, and J.R.R. Tolkien novels.

    I provide counseling in person, through a HIPPA-compliant video platform, or over the phone.

  • Founder & Counselor

    I received BAs in Psychology and Philosophy from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. I received an MA in Counseling from the University of Missouri – Kansas City.

    During my career I have worked at a Community Mental Health Center in Paola, Kansas. I also served as a Clinical Coordinator overseeing a team of clinicians. During that time, I worked with a local team of counselors in the Johnson County, Kansas area. In addition to Sacred Heart Counseling in Olathe, I am a school counselor at a K-8 school in Johnson County, Kansas. 

    Through training and experience, I have become versed in treating depression, anxiety, autism spectrum disorder, trauma, mood disorders, parenting concerns, obsessive compulsive disorder, and more. I continue to complete trainings to further my knowledge in a variety of clinical areas.

    My wife, our children, and I live in the Kansas City area. We are active in our faith life through our donations of time and talent to Catholic education throughout the Archdiocese. I enjoy time with family, board games, collecting sports cards, watching / playing sports, and reading. 

    I provide counseling in person, through a HIPAA-compliant video platform, or over the phone.

    Additionally, I provide clinical supervision to Licensed Professional Counselors seeking their clinical license in Kansas.

  • Sacred Heart Counseling Clinician

    I studied Theology, English, and Theatre as an undergraduate at Benedictine College, including a semester abroad in Italy. I later completed my M.A. in Clinical Counseling at MidAmerica Nazarene University.

    My experience includes school counseling roles at Sacred Heart in Shawnee, Kansas and Christ the King in Kansas City, Kansas, as well as clinical internships at Ampersand Counseling and Pleasant Valley Church Counseling Center. These roles deepened my passion for supporting individuals and families through life’s challenges.

    I work with clients of all ages and have a special interest in anxiety, trauma, grief, addiction, depression, stress, and relationship patterns. My goal is to provide a space that feels safe, supportive, and genuinely helpful.

    My wife and I live in the Kansas City area with our daughter and are active in our parish and the wider Archdiocese. In my free time, I enjoy being outdoors, playing video games, watching movies, D&D with friends, and reading the latest Brandon Sanderson novel. 

    I offer counseling in person at Sacred Heart Counseling’s main office in Olathe, and at St. Michael the Archangel in Leawood. I also provide sessions by phone, or through a HIPAA-compliant video platform. 

  • Sacred Heart Counseling Clinician

    Hi, I’m Emma Lager, a mental health counselor with a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a concentration in Catholic Anthropology from the University of Mary. I also hold a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Benedictine College.

    I approach therapy from a relational perspective, grounded in the belief that healing happens through authentic relationships. We were never meant to walk through life alone, and in the safety of a therapeutic space, I strive to offer the kind of connection and presence that fosters growth, self-understanding, and renewed hope. My work is deeply informed by the Catholic view of the human person, which honors the inherent dignity and beauty of each individual. I also pull from therapeutic modalities such as Emotion-Focused therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Internal Family Systems, and Attachment Theory.

    My Catholic worldview shapes my belief in the inherent dignity, beauty, and purpose of every person. Whether you are carrying wounds from trauma, struggling to find meaning, wrestling with shame or identity, or simply longing to be understood, I consider it a profound privilege to sit with you in the mess and mystery of healing.

    My clinical experience has included working with children, adolescents, and adults in crisis and outpatient settings. I've led education and skills groups, completed crisis assessments, and provided individual therapy through both agency and private practice settings. I’m especially passionate about working with those navigating relational trauma, religious trauma, spirituality, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, shame, unwanted sexual behaviors, women’s issues, parenting, premarital counseling, addiction, sexual trauma, obsessive-compulsive disorder, scrupulosity, loneliness, ADHD, coping skills, mood disorders, personality disorders, self-harm, and suicidal ideation.

    Whether you're navigating anxiety, relational or religious trauma, depression, or seeking healing, clarity, or simply a space to be seen, I’d be honored to meet you there. 

  • Sacred Heart Counseling Clinician

    I received a BSW in Social Work from Azusa Pacific University in CA, and an MA in Counseling from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in MI. 

    I am a convert to the Catholic faith & proudly entered the Church on Easter of 2013. I am now passionate about allowing the truth and love of Jesus & His Holy Family to help transform people’s lives through Catholic mental health counseling.

    I did supervised training at NorthPoint Professional Counseling under the supervision of a Certified Sexual Addiction Therapist (CSAT) who helped individuals and married couples overcome the trauma incurred from sexual addiction. I also worked for the CatholicPsych Institute for nine years in which I learned to integrate the Personalism of St. John Paul II into a framework that offers a blueprint for healthy human flourishing based on a solidly Catholic anthropology.

    My approach to counseling is an interpersonal one, meaning it’s all about relationships! I believe that all people are made for relationships, formed in relationships, unfortunately wounded in close relationships, and find great healing in relationships that uphold one’s inherent dignity. In the counseling relationship, I seek to offer corrective emotional experiences based on the particular wounds one has endured.

    I have provided therapy to individuals, couples, and groups who have suffered through the following challenges: trauma (past and current), anxiety, depression, OCD, scrupulosity, addictions, bi-polar, identity concerns, low self-esteem, challenging relationships, marital conflict, parenting struggles, emotional regulation, anger issues, pornography / sex addiction, body image concerns, perfectionism, complex grief, academic & career development needs, and personality disorders. 

    I would be honored to enter into the spaces of difficulty with you and explore what God’s mercy means for greater healing, freedom, and redemption in your life.

    My wife, five children, and I live in Atchison, KS. In my free time, I enjoy being outdoors, grilling meat, playing with my kids, watching baseball (Let’s Go Mets!), playing ping-pong, and listening to podcasts that enrich my faith and deepen my understanding of what is true, good, and beautiful. 

    I provide counseling in person, through a HIPPA-compliant video platform, or over the phone.