Dallas Therapists

Our Family of Counselors

Counseling works in Dallas!

Our Dallas counseling therapists are Licensed Professional Counselors certified by the Texas Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors. Your therapy will be based in cognitive-behavioral, brief, and solution focused counseling in order to maximize therapeutic gains in a minimal amount of time. These types of therapies and therapists are chosen by Pursuit of Happiness because a large body of research over the last several decades has shown that these types of counseling techniques offer the best chance to make significant progress.

Facilitating the teaching process in our clients is our primary focus. Our Dallas counseling therapists help enable in them the ability to be their own teachers. Our belief is that the therapist helps the client to transform themselves, so that they can become the best version of themselves possible, and ready to face anything that life throws at them. Give someone a fish and they can eat for a day, show someone how to fish and they can eat for a lifetime.

Mental health is the most important aspect of overall health, and yet the most neglected aspect. Not taking care of the mind leads to anxiety, stress, frustration, and a host of other symptoms that cause physical problems such as heart disease, obesity, as well as other problems. We recognize mental health as paramount to overall health, and this perspective drives everything we do.

Maria-Jose Recinos MA LPC

Maria-Jose Recinos is a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in cross-cultural, family, individual, child, and adolescent therapy.

Her experience includes work with a broad spectrum of groups and individuals on concerns that include grief, depression, Child and Adolescent issues , relationship difficulties, couples therapy, cross-cultural relationships/families, and parenting skills.

Her practice integrates complementary methodologies and techniques to provide a highly personalized approach that provides clients with a safe and comfortable environment to explore issues and provide growth and resolution. In addition, she provides bilingual counseling services in English or Spanish.

Cynthia Shinoda MA LPC

Cynthia Shinoda is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who has been practicing for more than 14 years. She has been trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Processing). EMDR is a form of psychotherapy, which uses a structured approach to address past, present and future aspects of disturbing memories.

Cynthia’s experience includes psychotherapy, counseling, workshops, and education, in clinical as well as corporate settings. She counsels couples, individuals and groups. She specializes in the area of cultural and multi-generational issues, race and identity concerns, as well as grief, loss and transitions. Cynthia believes in an integrated holistic approach to health and well-being.

Kristy Decker MA LPC

Kristy is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who specializes in a wide variety of issues, including adjustment disorders, life transitions, depression, anxiety, self-esteem issues, identity confusion, shame, relationship issues, codependency, setting boundaries, restructuring cognitive beliefs, brain and body health, and the
development of coping skills. She works with children, adolescents, and adults and has extensive experience conducting intakes and writing reports pertaining to the client's symptoms and psychological history. While her counseling approach is eclectic and treatment is tailored to each individual, her theoretical orientation is grounded in cognitive behavioral techniques and solution-focused therapy.

Kristy received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Baylor University and furthered her education at Argosy University, obtaining a Master's degree in Professional Counseling and graduating Summa Cum Laude. She is certified by the National Board as a Professional Counselor. During her practicum she aided in the foundation of Wellspring Ministries, leading multiple groups on divorce recovery, grief recovery, and establishing appropriate boundaries.

"My goal in therapy is to help my client gain insight on his or her particular situation, to teach effective coping mechanisms to deal with distress, and to provide him or her with the tools necessary to maximize full potential. My hope is that my clients can take the information learned in therapy and utilize the techniques accordingly, leading to a happier, healthier lifestyle."

Shahidrah Cowgill MA LPC

Shahidrah Cowgill is a Licensed Professional Counselor who earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Master of Arts Degree in Professional Counseling from Argosy University in Dallas, TX.

She has several years of clinical experience in treating children, adolescents, adults and families using individual, family and group psychotherapy methodologies. Prior to entering into private practice she obtained clinical experience by working in several non-profit and community agencies such as the Coppell Independent School District, Children’s Advocacy Center and Early Childhood Intervention services. Shahidrah has specialized training in the field of infant and early childhood mental health and development, attachment/ separation issues, trauma/abuse/neglect with special focus on sexual abuse recovery, parenting issues, relationship struggles, grief/loss and mood/ anxiety disorders. She enjoys working with people of all ages with a wide range of everyday life struggles. Her therapeutic approach is eclectic and rooted in Attachment Theory, Psychodynamic Theory, Family Systems, Client-centered, Play Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

Shahidrah strives to create a genuine, nonjudgmental, safe and collaborative relationship with her clients. By establishing strong rapport and a comfortable environment, she offers support and practical feedback to help each individual where they are. Within the therapeutic relationship, her goal is to equip her clients with the skills to improve their interpersonal relationships, increase emotional health and well-being and effectively address personal life challenges.

Chase Chick

Chase Chick is CEO and co-founder of Beyond the Gray Sky, LLC who is the parent company to Pursuit of Happiness. Chase is the developer of several research and assessment tools, including all the proprietary tools used at Pursuit of Happiness for mental health checkups.

He has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Texas A&M University, and a Masters of Arts in Counseling Psychology from the University of Texas at Tyler.

Chase grew up in East Texas before moving to Dallas in 2009. He has worked in managed care, and at a psychiatric hospital. Chase lives in Dallas and enjoys writing books and playing golf.

Scott Wakeem MA LPC

Scott Wakeem is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 10 years experience.
He has worked in a variety of settings including university counseling center, private office, and large agencies providing in office and community-based therapy. His wide variety of clients have included children from age 4 to elderly adults with issues ranging from family/marriage and other relationship issues, adjustment issues, stress, anxiety, all the way to serious mental illness issues. He pulls from a variety of theoretical perspectives, but most strongly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to assist client in gaining healthy thoughts, emotions, and behaviors which result in a better life.

Before becoming a counselor Scott was a volunteer Young Life Leader during his undergraduate college studies at Texas Tech University and a youth minister at his church in Lubbock following college. It was during that time he was inspired to develop his passion to help people who are hurting, especially young people. Scott then moved to Dallas, Texas and obtained his Master of Arts degree in Professional Counseling from Dallas Baptist University and has been counseling ever since.

Celine Verdier MA LPC

Celine Verdier is from a little village in the south of France by the Mediterranean Sea. Not speaking a word of English, she came to the United States at the age of 18 on a full tennis scholarship and graduated with a degree in accounting from the University of Arizona. During her years at U of A, the women's tennis team reached the Final Four for the first time in history. She was nationally ranked top 10 in doubles and top 20 in singles and during her last year of study, she earned a full-time soccer scholarship.

Upon graduation, Celine went on to coach tennis and won the Southland Conference Coach of the Year award, coaching the University of Texas at San Antonio women's tennis team to a conference title for the first time in school history.

While coaching, Celine obtained two masters, one in education and one in counseling. With her masters in counseling, Celine worked at two non-profit agencies (a rape crisis center and a domestic violence agency) and became a Licensed Professional Counselor. Since then, she has worked in private practice with a psychiatrist, at an insurance company, Managed Health Network, as a care manager, and at another non-profit agency Child and Family Guidance Center, working under a Child Protective Services contract.

Her recent interests of study focus on Ayurveda. In 2008, She became a Ayurvedic Lifestyle Counselor, completing a 300-hour training in Ayurveda with the American Institute of Vedic Studies (Dr. Frawley). Currently, Celine is working on a training with the Dharma Institute of Yoga and Ayurveda with Tashi Nimai to become a Suddha Ayurveda Practitioner and Therapist.

Celine specializes in counseling for Spiritual, Holistic, Grief, Depression, Anxiety, and Trauma issues. She can work with Children, adolescents, and adults.

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