Diana Saunders, MFT

                                                **Not accepting new clients at this time**

Diana's journey towards becoming a therapist began during her undergraduate years at the University of Michigan in 2005, where her volunteer work in public schools sparked her passion. Following six years as a middle school teacher, she transitioned into a career encompassing education and clinical services, earning licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist in Nevada in 2013.

Her clinical interests involve working with children, teens, adults and families spanning various areas, including family systems, parenting, foster care, adoption, shadow work, inner child work, personality and attachment issues. Diana is trained in therapies like Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) and Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), and treats anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, stress management, and trauma.

Since 2011, she has immersed herself in the Enneagram, becoming a workshop instructor and serving on the board of Enneagram Las Vegas since 2016. Passionate about personality typing and personal growth, Diana integrates enneagram insights into her clinical practice and supervision of therapy interns. 

Diana is co-owner and Executive Clinical Director of Elements of Motivation Mental and Behavioral Health  and is an AAMFT Approved Supervisor for state interns. She is currently authoring an Enneagram book tailored for therapists and counselors, emphasizing its efficacy in clinical settings.

As a wife and a mother to 4 children (including boy/girl twins), Diana doesn’t have much spare time…but when she does she enjoys gardening (in the desert!), swimming, sewing/crafting, dreaming up home improvement projects, walks to the park with Bentley, her Boxador (Boxer/Labrador) and planning fun outings for her family.   

Joy has a name that fits her personality of uplifting and positive energy. 

She was born and raised in the southside of Chicago for 25 years and moved to Vegas, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education at UNLV. She has a background of working with preschool children for 14 years and directed a school for low income and special needs for 4 years. This is where she found a purpose in connecting with the family and their children.  This motivated her to continue her education and earned her master’s degree in professional counseling at Grand Canyon University.   

Joy has worked with children and teens through her practicum at an intensive outpatient program (IOP) and an outpatient mental health facility until graduation.  She then continued to extend her knowledge and experience with adults and seniors as she obtained her clinical license in 2022.   

She implements strategies using cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), solution focused therapy (SFT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).  She believes with the combination of these best support clients with anxiety, depression, adjustment disorder, bipolar disorder, and many others.  She has a passion for supporting parents that are struggling with learning the ages, stages, and best development of their children, as being a parent is what she believes to be "the hardest and most impactful job in the world." Parenting is a job that is 365, 24/7, where you must find ways to make it all work for the rest of your lives. 

Joy will be trained in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) in February 2024. 

She currently works full-time for Elements of Motivation mental and behavioral health outpatient agency as a licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (CPC) and is the Clinical Services Coordinator.

Being a wife and mother to 2 boys, ages 15 and 10, she is mostly cheering on the sidelines at their sport games and helping with homework that seems to have drastically changed since her years of schooling.  She is passionate about always finding ways to support her children as middle school and high school are tough transitions. For her self-care, she enjoys music of all sorts, as she dances while cleaning her house, and her children beg her to stop.  She is a fun-filled individual and brings her personality wherever she goes, as she believes laughter is the best medicine.  

  “Our wounds are often the openings into the best and most beautiful part of us.” No matter what wound or wounds you are suffering with, no matter how big or small I am here to help you heal. Let me meet you where you are. Currently I am available in-home, office, or via telehealth sessions.

I am a licensed marriage and family therapist with training in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), Trust based relational interventions (TBRI) and certifications in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). Currently working on my doctorate in Sexology with a concentration on sex offender treatment. I have been a member of the Association for the Treatment and Prevention of Sexual Abuse (ATSA), for the past 10+ years.

I specialize in working with teenagers, adults, couples, and families. Specifically depression, anxiety, mood disorders, anger management, emotional regulation issues, oppositional and defiant behaviors, PTSD, LGBTQ population, at risk youth, suicidality, at risk sexual behaviors, juvenile offenders, domestic violence, sexual offenses, etc. Working with any client my goal is to help with the healing process and assist clients from surviving to thriving, and enjoying there life.

I have been working in the mental health field in one capacity or another for the past 20 years. My current approach to therapy is client focused, solution orientated, and eclectic with different modalities tailored based on the unique needs of the client to best assist them in there healing journey. My role in the therapeutic journey is to offer a space to reflect and explore experiences with a clinician who has a plethora of skills and tools to support the client in a nonjudgmental and safe manner, providing a exceptional experience and facilitate healing and growth.

Children and Families are my people, where are my people? 

Hello, my name is Michael Sorensen, and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker LCSW. I have over 10 years of experience working with children and their families. Not only am I a therapist who specializes in this population, but I am also an active child advocate (Court Appointed Special Advocate or CASA). I am also part of the LGBTQIA+ community. I have an undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Nevada- Reno where my education began, to its completion at the University of Phoenix. I received my master’s in social work from the Barbara Solomon School of Social Work at Walden University. I have been working as a therapist for Three years at Elements of Motivation in Las Vegas, Nevada where I have worked with children and their parents to become successfully reunified. I have also begun working with families who have engaged in domestic violence. I work with them to understand their role in the situation, and how they can overcome their legal presumptions. I am an active member of the DFS/SafeNest domestic violence committee that works to support the WHOLE family. I have been certified and trained in the Safety Intervention and Permanency System (SIPS) for The Department of Family Services in Clark County, Nevada. I am also a registered Education Advocate with Legal Aid of Southern Nevada. I am working to become a registered play therapist and forensic interviewer.

As a child and family therapist, I practice many different modalities of treatment, from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Solution Focused Therapy, to Play Therapy. When working with children I believe that Play therapy’s focus on relationships and experience creates positive changes in the brain. While kids explore their concerns, the therapeutic relationship helps regulate their emotions, allowing the brain to make structural changes. These changes lead to better understanding and more adaptive behaviors. I work with children and their families to overcome prior trauma, behavioral and emotional regulation, and ultimately bring families back together again as a stronger, more cohesive unit than before.

I believe that engagement and building a therapeutic bond is the key to working with a therapist. As a person who works primarily with children, it is prudent for me to understand how children behave and what is normal, and appropriate childhood development, and milestone achievement. Understanding a child’s history and family system provides the context that is needed to bring about meaningful change and to create a safe and supportive place for both the child and the family to grow.

  My name is Sarah Ellen Mays. I have been in the mental health field since I graduated with my undergraduate degree in Behavioral Science in 2012 from Point Park University. More than ten years later, I never looked back. I have my Master’s Degree in Professional Counseling from Carlow University and I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. I have a very Solution-Focused way of thinking and practicing therapy. I have worked with all ages, genders, backgrounds, and an assortment of mental diagnoses. I currently am 100% virtual and I utilize Zoom and Teletherapy via phone. 

Goal setting is very important to me. I truly believe if you work hard, you can accomplish any goal you set for yourself. I like to help others create their own goals and work towards meeting them in any way that they need. I utilize a strengths-based person-centered approach to help my clients be the best version of themselves. I live my life this way as well. 

I went into the mental health field so I could give back to a community that meant so much to me. As a child, I struggled with depression and that pushed me to want to help others. I love being a therapist and being able to help people reach their goals and heal from their past. 

I am a boy-mom, and we homeschool. I also have 2 cats and a dog. When I’m not working, I’m spending my time with family or friends. I love sci-fi TV shows, movies, and books. I love to work out and find new yummy healthy things to cook. Therapy is my passion and I’m glad I chose it as a career. I’d love to help you reach your goals.