Amy Southerland, MS

LICENSED MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST

I help clients understand their emotions and experiences, responding with clarity and compassion.


Email: amys@cairnwellnesscenter.com
Call or Text Amy @ 405.956.2461
In-Network with: BCBS, United, Healthchoice, Healthcare Highways, Aetna, WebTPA
Private pay rate: $175 per session

Have you ever said to yourself…

Why do I feel unfilled with my purpose in life?

How can I better manage my ADHD?

I want a deeper connection with others?

How can I move past the trauma in my past?

Focusing only on problems can make life feel like Whack-a-Mole - one resolves and another appears. Often, challenges are shaped not just by circumstances, but by our perceptions, beliefs, and the emotions we ignore or amplify. In a steady, grounded way, we’ll identify patterns, both healthy and unhealthy, so you can move forward with greater clarity and intention, integrating your values when desired.

I’m passionate about helping you notice and befriend your emotions. Feelings aren’t simply “good” or “bad” — they offer guidance for understanding yourself and making meaningful choices. Together, we’ll gently examine rigid or black-and-white thinking so you can find the gray space where insight and growth emerge. When aligned with your values, I integrate a spiritual perspective that honors mind, body, and spirit. My aim is for you to feel supported and cared for, even when I gently challenge you or broaden your perspective.

MY BACKGROUND AND APPROACH

I earned my Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from Oklahoma Baptist University. My work is grounded in my Christian faith, professional training, and lived experience. I believe we are created by God as whole people… mind, body, and spirit… and that healing involves caring for each with courage and compassion. I see therapy as a place where truth and grace meet, where we honestly name what is hard while holding hope for growth and redemption.

I primarily work from Emotion-Focused, Family Systems, and Narrative approaches, helping clients examine how their thoughts, beliefs, and stories shape their lives. When desired, I integrate a spiritual perspective and gently challenge narratives about God, self, and others that no longer reflect truth. Shame may speak loudly, but grace tells a better story.

After therapy with me, clients report feeling calmer, more grounded, and more self-aware with greater compassion, clarity, and peace for themselves and others.

Therapy with me is

  • Exploratory

    Focusing on improving your ability to understand yourself and the origins of the issues you face in order to live a more rewarding life and have healthier relationships.

  • Challenging

    Gently calling out inconsistencies or discrepancies in your thoughts or behaviors to encourage self-reflection and growth. I also suggest alternative perspectives to move the therapeutic process forward.

  • Holistic

    Focusing on the “whole” person and integrates spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional forms of well-being, helping you develop a deeper understanding of yourself on all these levels.

We all want to feel safe and supported in therapy and we also want to see change. I am experienced in working with clients to see the change they desire in their lives in a variety of issues. I focus my practice on working with teens, and adults, individually or in groups.

AREAS OF PRACTICE

  • FAMILY CONFLICT

  • GRIEF

  • LIFE TRANSITIONS

  • MARITAL & PREMARITAL

  • ADHD

  • ANXIETY

  • CHRISTIAN COUNSELING

  • CHRONIC ILLNESS

  • RELATIONSHIP ISSUES

  • SPIRITUALITY

  • STRESS & SELF-ESTEEM

  • WOMEN’S ISSUES

FAQs

  • LMFT stands for Licensed Marriage and Family therapist. In addition to education addressing all areas of mental health, I have additional training in working with families and relationships. While I work often with individuals, I am also comfortable with both members of a couple or even a whole family in session.

  • I am currently in-network with BCBS, Healthchoice, Aetna, United, Healthcare Highways, and WebTPA. If you have other insurance, I would be considered out of network, meaning you would have to pay for the session directly. I am happy to electronically file the necessary paperwork with your insurance but they will send any portion they cover directly to you.

  • Sessions with me feel like thoughtful, attentive conversations where we pay close attention to your emotions, thoughts, and patterns as they arise, while also stepping back to understand the bigger picture. I often use metaphor and imagery to make complex ideas more tangible and to highlight connections that may not be obvious at first. My hope is that you feel truly seen, heard, and supported as you gently discover new perspectives and possibilities for growth and healing.

  • I grew up believing in the idea of a perfect family, only to discover that no family is perfect. From an early age, people often trusted me with their struggles, and I developed a natural curiosity about patterns, relationships, and the possibility of growth. In college, a psychology class gave me language to better understand myself and others, deepening both my insight and my faith in the connection between mind, body, and spirit.

    My own healing journey — which included grief, self-doubt, anxiety, and chronic illness — taught me how to hold life’s complexity with compassion. I became a Marriage and Family Therapist because relationships are central to what it means to be human. I think of life as a garden: we tend, nurture, prune, and sometimes replant parts of ourselves so growth can occur. It is a privilege to walk alongside clients as they cultivate insight, resilience, and wholeness.

It’s your turn to get the help you deserve.

Ready to get started?

Click the button below to request a free, confidential consultation call with me. Tell me a little about what’s bringing you to therapy, I’ll share my approach, and how I can help. Then you can decide if I’m the right therapist for you.