Experienced professional counselors & licensed therapists, serving the Mat-Su Valley.

Mat-Su Mental Health, LLC is a group of compassionate and professionally trained therapists providing counseling services to kids, teens, young adults, families, and individuals living in the Mat-Su Valley, including Wasilla, Palmer, and other surrounding communities.

It takes a lot of courage to reach out to a professional counselor for support when things seem unmanageable and overwhelming. That’s a big first step in the right direction, and we’re here to help! Our professional counselors in Wasilla are skilled, equipped, and motivated to support you and your loved ones in finding a wholistic path towards health and wellness.

The interplay between lifestyle factors and mental health is at the forefront of our treatment planning. Our counselors are here to walk along-side and support you on your path to wellness.

We work in conjunction with other community based health providers in the Mat-Su area, offering you various levels of support in an effort to help you reach your identified goals. We are here to help you heal, change and grow. Browse through our website and gather information to find out whether or not we might be a good fit for you!

  • Sarah Bannister - LPC

    Sarah is a Licensed Professional Counselor with 22 years of experience working within the mental health field. Though she has served clients in a variety of settings, the last 8 years have been dedicated to offering counseling support to individuals, groups and families in the private practice setting. When not working, Sarah can most often be found outside; hiking in Alaska’s stunning mountains, training for her next long distance run, adventuring with her daughters, or enjoying the quiet of an outdoor space with a cup of coffee and a good book.

  • Dr. Abegail Millard - PsyD

    Abegail has been serving clients in the mental health field since 2017, and has experience working with people across the lifespan. She enjoys carrying a diverse caseload, and has worked with an array of clients across a variety of settings. As a 10-year Veteran of the United States Coast Guard, she is especially passionate about providing psychological support to Veterans, and Active Duty personnel. She is thrilled to call Alaska home, while taking advantage of every opportunity for adventure. When not at work, you will find Abegail practicing yoga, paddle boarding, ice fishing, or entertaining friends and family.

  • Mary Kuepper - LPC-S

    Mary has over a decade of experience working in community based mental health. Though she has worked with people across the lifespan, she specializes in work with kids, teens and families, as well as in maternal mental health. Mary is passionate about giving people the tools they need to not only function well, but to thrive in their everyday life. Though not native to Alaska, she has fallen in love with the abundant resources of this beautiful place. When not working with clients, Mary can be found adventuring, hiking and exploring. She loves to fly fish our local creeks, dig in the dirt of her backyard garden, and get in quality time with her friends, and beautiful family.

  • Micha Savage - Billing Guru

    Micha has been taking names and kicking you know what in the billing field for the past 11 years. As most of us know, dealing with insurance can be challenging, but Micha is up to that challenge, and brings the perfect combination of clear, kind, and smart as a whip to the job. Micha is experienced in the Behavioral Health field and has developed a specific love for helping people navigate complex systems to get the care and support they deserve. Micha enjoys educating, empowering and advocating on behalf of our clients where insurance is concerned. She knows how important it is to stay on top of ever-changing insurance regulations to help us provide the best possible care for our clients, and does so, so that you don’t have to!

Who do we work with?

Child Counseling

A fun and interactive therapeutic process where children are engaged in various forms of play, movement and expression. In our child counseling sessions, kids are invited to explore and express themselves with their most natural language; play. This medium is both safe and effective, and invites kids to communicate thoughts and feelings that they might not otherwise be able to express verbally.

Teen Counseling

A safe and supportive therapeutic environment that allows adolescents and teens to discuss and explore the challenges they face in their day to day life. Our down-to-earth counselors offer humor, warmth, science based psychoeducation and practical interventions to increase skills, help better manage emotions and teach tools to learn and practice healthy ways to cope with everyday challenges and stressors.

Family Counseling

An integrative therapy approach that involves the whole family system in identifying strengths, stressors, and challenges. The family and MSMH counselor work collaboratively to identify ways in which everyone can contribute to creating healthy and lasting change. In addition, work will be done to establish more healthy and positive styles of interacting, and nurture connection. Family therapy includes education and tools to address emotional and behavioral issues.

Individual Adult Counseling

Counseling creates a safe space to explore and identify goals, learn and practice skills and create changes that will enable you to be a happier and healthier you. Our counselors offer science based inventions with warmth and candor, allowing for honest and open communication of thoughts and feelings. In counseling, you will come to learn more about what you do, why you do it, and how you might do it differently, moving forward.

How do I get started with counseling services?

Ready to get started? Call or email us today. Our contact info is at the bottom of this page.

Once you reach out, our on-boarding and admin guru will contact you to gather information regarding your specific situation. We will explore with you what provider will likely best meet your needs, and support you in getting set up in our electronic health record.

Mat-Su Mental Health uses Simple Practice, a medical record and portal system that will allow for confidential and HIPAA compliant messaging that ensures your privacy. You will be sent a portal link that directs you to online documentation to be completed prior to your initial session.

Where you go for support is your choice, and we want you to feel empowered to assess whether or not we are the right fit for you! Here at Mat-Su Mental Health, our providers believe that a strong therapeutic relationship is essential in the process of creating change. These initial conversations are important in assessing fit, as therapy is not “one size fits all.”

Mat-Su Mental Health’s office is conveniently located in central Wasilla. Feel free to arrive a few minutes prior to your scheduled session to grab a cup of tea and relax before meeting with your provider. We look forward to meeting you, and are honored you have chosen us to do this work alongside you.

 FAQ’s

  • Yes, we bill insurance on behalf of our clients. We also accept self pay clients.

  • We do not offer a sliding scale fee for services. Many community based mental health agencies in our area, such as Denali Family Services and Matsu Health Services, do. We would encourage you to reach out to one of them if you are in need of/ looking for services offered on a sliding scale.

  • We are in network with Premera, Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare, UMR, TriCare, TriWest and Moda. We bill most other insurances as a courtesy; many of which offer out of network benefits. If you are not insured with one of the above contracted payers, we would encourage you to reach out to your insurance company and find out the specifics regarding your out of network benefits for mental health services in an office setting. More often than not, our clients find out that services are covered, most often after having met their deductible.

  • MSMH has a 24 hour cancellation policy. Though our providers certainly realize that “life happens” and late cancellations are sometimes unavoidable, we do ask that you do your best to notify your provider of a cancellation 24 hours prior to your scheduled session. Doing so allows us to fulfill other clients scheduling needs, and best serve our community.

    This policy is in place out of respect for our providers, AND our clients. Cancellations with less than 24 hours notice are difficult to fill. By giving last minute notice, or no notice at all, someone else is prevented from scheduling into that cancelled slot, and a 60 minute hole is left in your providers schedule.

    Please be aware that clients who no call/ no show or cancel last minute will be responsible for the full billable cost of their missed session.

    In an effort to avoid such circumstances, MSMH does offer a courtesy contact, either by text or voicemail, 24 hours prior to your scheduled session. Should you receive this notice and realize you are unable to attend the following days appointment, please communicate that directly with your provider through a phone call, text or email.

  • At MSMH, we do not have a psychiatrist or prescribing physician on staff. Unfortunately, we do not offer any medication management services at our practice. If you think you may benefit from medication, please reach out to your Primary Care Physician, and or a community based mental health agency, as they do have med management providers in house. We are happy to offer therapeutic supports to pair alongside med management services, but we do not do the prescribing.

  • We do not offer court mandated evaluations. If you have been ordered by the court to receive an evaluation, you can likely get this completed at one of the community based mental health agencies in our area.

  • Inform us as soon as possible about any insurance changes. Please bring your new insurance card to your next appointment and any related documents.

  • We offer individual therapy, couples counseling, family therapy, group therapy, and specialized counseling for issues like anxiety, depression, and PTSD.

  • Each counseling session typically lasts 50 minutes. We also offer extended sessions upon request.

  • Yes, we provide online counseling through a secure telehealth platform. You can book these sessions just like in-person appointments.

  • Confidentiality is paramount in our sessions. Information is only shared with your consent, except in cases of harm to self or others, as required by law.

  • In emergencies, call 911 or your local emergency number. You can also contact crisis hotlines for immediate assistance.

  • Bring any relevant documents, a list of questions or concerns, and be ready to discuss your goals for therapy. Think about what you want to achieve through counseling.

  • Yes, you can choose your therapist based on their specialties and your preferences. We can also help match you with a therapist who fits your needs.