Life is stressful during normal times. Today’s society is fast-paced and the need to keep up can be tiring. But 2020 has added a mental punch with the global COVID-19 pandemic. Help is available at a new location of Argenta Counseling in Bryant.
Kellee McCoy is a Licensed Professional Counselor as well as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. A Saline County native and son of the late Gayla and Farrell McCoy of Benton, Kellee understands what stressors are faced by members of the local community. He began his career at Bryant Elementary providing school-based counseling to students.
Argenta Counseling began in 2017 with one therapist and has grown to three locations and 27 therapists seeing clients via telehealth and in-person sessions. An office manager, scheduling assistant and billing & marketing specialist round out a staff ready to assist customers.
For Kellee, the decision to open a local clinic was an easy choice. “When I started Argenta Counseling, I knew I wanted a location in Saline County that was easily accessible to all of the communities nearby -Benton, Bryant, Haskell, Bauxite, Alexander, Sardis, Glen Rose, etc. I am excited about the convenience of our new location near the intersection of Hwy 5 and Springhill. The Bryant Chamber and my Benton connections all have been extremely supportive.”
One of the areas in which Argenta Counseling has seen as an increased stressor is an individual’s ability to deal with the emotional impact of COVID-19.
“We have seen an increase in clients experiencing increased symptoms of anxiety, depression, and relationship distress due to a number of factors related to the pandemic.” says Kellee. “We all experienced elements of grief and frustration due to loss of our normal activities. Add to this the loss of healthy coping skills like socialization, exercise, church attendance, meaningful work, etc… Then there are the clients who truly lost considerable income during the pandemic. We don’t like uncertainty as humans, and 2020 seems to be laced with uncertainty.”
In addition to sessions focused on dealing with the pandemic, Argenta Counseling also offers therapy in the areas of depression and anxiety, women’s and men’s issues, 65 and older adults, negative body image, self-harm and suicidal ideation, marriage and couples, LGBTQ+, gender identity issues, parenting, blended families, military families, trauma and PTSD, postpartum women, children and teenagers, codependency, domestic violence, anger management, substance abuse, grief and loss, career counseling, and spirituality.
The therapists see clients from children age four, up through older geriatric men and women. Sessions can be arranged 7 days a week, typically within the hours of 9 a.m. through 8 p.m., depending the day.
Argenta Counseling provides affordable, compassionate, and specialized counseling and a convenient location at 3401 Hwy 5, Ste. 2 in Bryant, Arkansas. Call for an appointment or information at (501) 777-5969 or visit www.argentacounseling.com.