Wesley Hirst, LPC

Wesley Hirst is a Licensed Professional Counselor who helps people facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, addiction, and relationship difficulties. He writes plainly and listens closely so parents and individuals can talk through what feels overwhelming. Wesley brings 25 years of experience to each conversation and aims to build trust from the first meeting.

Wesley uses practical, evidence-based methods such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. He also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy tools to teach coping skills and emotional regulation. Sessions focus on concrete steps clients can try between meetings.

He often addresses problems like panic attacks, sleep and eating issues, intimacy concerns, parenting strain, and questions about life purpose. Wesley works with people who are dealing with trauma and abuse, anger, self-esteem struggles, and major life changes. He listens for what matters most to each person and tailors the work to individual goals.

Wesley trained for a Master’s degree in Psychology and holds the LPC credential, which he uses while practicing in Missouri. He likes to make therapy feel straightforward and doable, not overwhelming. Outside of work he enjoys camping, backpacking, biking, music, and photography, and he is a pet lover who notices the small things in life.

New conversations start with a short intake to understand goals and priorities. Wesley favors clear, step-by-step plans so progress is easy to track and adjust as needed.

How CBT and Acceptance-based Work Translate Online

Wesley commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice and change patterns of thinking and behavior that keep problems going. CBT sessions focus on clear goals, practice exercises, and small experiments to test new ways of acting and thinking.

He also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people clarify values and accept difficult thoughts while taking steps toward a meaningful life. Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills are used when emotion regulation, distress tolerance, or interpersonal effectiveness are priorities. Each approach offers hands-on tools that fit well with remote work.

Deciding which approach to try is a collaborative step. Wesley will talk through your goals and preferences and suggest methods that match what you want to change. Together you can adjust the plan if something isn’t working and try different strategies over time.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to increase flexibility. Video is useful for longer work and skill training, phone can be easier when bandwidth is limited, live chat and text messaging support quick check-ins or short exercises between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy around school, work, or parenting duties and help keep progress moving forward.