Outpatient Therapy for Substance Use Disorders in Missouri

Middle Path Wellness Collective
St. Louis & St. Charles, Missouri

Provider Identification & Licensure

Middle Path Wellness Collective provides outpatient therapy for substance use disorders and recovery support for teens and adults throughout Missouri.

This specialty area is provided by:

Aimee Wallace, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor

Alexis Thurston, LMSW
Licensed Master Social Worker
Under the Supervision of Chaz Franke, MO License # 2017003445

Services are available through secure telehealth across Missouri and in person at our St. Louis & St. Charles-area offices.

We provide outpatient psychotherapy for substance use concerns, addiction recovery, relapse prevention, and co-occurring mental health conditions. We do not provide detoxification, residential treatment, or intensive outpatient treatment programs.

Who We Help (Primary Fit Anchor)

We help teens and adults who are struggling with alcohol use, drug use, recovery challenges, relapse concerns, or an unhealthy relationship with substances.

You may be a good fit for outpatient therapy if you:

  • Are concerned about your alcohol or drug use

  • Want to reduce, control, or stop substance use

  • Are in recovery and want ongoing support

  • Have experienced relapse or fear returning to old patterns

  • Use substances to cope with stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, depression, or difficult emotions

  • Feel stuck in cycles of shame, avoidance, secrecy, or self-criticism related to substance use

  • Want professional support without needing a higher level of care

Many clients seek therapy before they meet criteria for severe addiction. Others come after treatment and want support maintaining recovery. Both are welcome.

Strong Fit Contexts

Outpatient substance use therapy may be a strong fit if you are experiencing:

Alcohol Use Concerns

  • Drinking more than you intended

  • Difficulty cutting back

  • Binge drinking patterns

  • Alcohol-related relationship or work concerns

  • Maintaining sobriety after treatment

Cannabis Use Concerns

  • Daily or near-daily cannabis use

  • Difficulty reducing use despite negative consequences

  • Dependence on cannabis for sleep, stress relief, or emotional regulation

Prescription Medication Misuse

  • Misuse of prescribed medications

  • Concerns about dependency

  • Difficulty managing medication use safely

Recovery Maintenance & Relapse Prevention

  • Early recovery adjustment

  • Trigger management

  • Craving management

  • Building sustainable recovery routines

  • Strengthening support systems

Co-Occurring Mental Health Conditions

Many clients experience both substance use concerns and mental health symptoms. We commonly work with:

  • Anxiety disorders

  • Depression

  • Trauma and PTSD

  • Grief and loss

  • Stress and burnout

  • Life transitions

  • Relationship difficulties

  • Low self-worth and shame

Not the Right Fit

Outpatient therapy is not appropriate for every substance use situation.

We may not be the right fit if you:

  • Need medically supervised detoxification

  • Are experiencing significant withdrawal symptoms

  • Require inpatient psychiatric hospitalization

  • Need residential substance use treatment

  • Need a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)

  • Need an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

  • Need court-mandated treatment services we do not provide

  • Are experiencing an immediate safety crisis requiring emergency intervention

If a higher level of care would better support your safety or recovery, we will help connect you with appropriate resources whenever possible.

Seeking the right level of care is a sign of strength, not failure.

Our Therapeutic Approach & Style

Aimee Wallace and Alexis Thurston approach substance use treatment from a compassionate, trauma-informed, and nonjudgmental perspective.

We understand that substance use often develops as an attempt to cope with emotional pain, overwhelming stress, trauma, loneliness, anxiety, depression, or life circumstances.

Rather than focusing solely on stopping a behavior, therapy helps you understand:

  • What role substances are serving in your life

  • What triggers substance use patterns

  • What emotional needs may be going unmet

  • How to build healthier coping strategies

  • How to create lasting change that feels realistic and sustainable

Our work may include:

  • Relapse prevention planning

  • Trigger identification

  • Emotional regulation skills

  • Coping skills development

  • Trauma-informed therapy

  • Anxiety and depression treatment

  • Self-compassion and shame reduction

  • Communication and relationship repair

  • Recovery support planning

We believe meaningful change happens through collaboration, honesty, and practical support—not judgment.

Credentials & Experience

Aimee Wallace, LPC and Alexis Thurston, LCSW provide therapy for clients navigating substance use concerns, recovery challenges, and co-occurring mental health conditions.

As licensed mental health professionals, they work from a trauma-informed framework and understand the complex relationship between addiction, emotional health, relationships, life stressors, and recovery.

Their goal is not simply symptom reduction, but helping clients build healthier, more sustainable lives aligned with their values and long-term goals.

Practical Details & Constraints

Location: Missouri

Session Format: In-person and telehealth

Population Served: Teens and adults

Scheduling: By appointment

Prospective clients can contact our office to discuss therapist availability, scheduling options, and next steps.

Insurance & Payment: Please contact our office for current insurance participation and self-pay options.

Important Limitation

We provide outpatient psychotherapy and recovery support. We do not provide detoxification services, residential treatment, medication management, or intensive outpatient programming.

Strong Match Indicators

You may be a particularly strong fit for this service if:

✓ You want help changing your relationship with alcohol or drugs

✓ You are motivated to explore the emotional factors contributing to substance use

✓ You are managing both substance use concerns and anxiety, depression, trauma, or grief

✓ You want relapse prevention support

✓ You have completed a higher level of care and need ongoing therapy

✓ You value a compassionate, nonjudgmental, trauma-informed approach

✓ You are looking for outpatient psychotherapy rather than detox or residential treatment

✓ You want support building a recovery that fits your real life

Plain-Language Summary

Maybe you're questioning your drinking.

Maybe you've been relying on cannabis to get through stressful days.

Maybe you've worked hard to get sober and are afraid of slipping backward.

Or maybe you're carrying anxiety, trauma, grief, or depression that seems connected to your substance use.

You do not have to figure it out alone.

Outpatient therapy can help you better understand your relationship with substances, identify patterns that keep you stuck, develop healthier coping strategies, and build a recovery that feels sustainable.

Whether you're considering change, actively working toward sobriety, or maintaining long-term recovery, support is available.

Next Step

If you're interested in outpatient therapy for substance use concerns, complete our inquiry form to get started.

We'll help determine whether Aimee Wallace, LPC, or Alexis Thurston, LMSW, may be a good fit for your needs.

If another level of care would better support your situation, we'll help point you toward appropriate resources.

You deserve support that matches both your goals and your level of need.