About

Aligned Counseling & Wellness Services strives to meet you where you are in your journey to healing. I recognize that every individual is unique and has their own experiences and needs. I believe that trust and mutual respect form the basis of any healthy relationship. While working together, we will aim to identify solutions that work for you. My goal is to provide the best possible experience for you, to provide a supportive environment, and to be attuned to you and to what occurs in your sessions.

Our lives are full of chaos, trauma, stress, imperfection, and things that just don’t seem to work out. We are all imperfect beings with our own unique challenges. Our lives, and each of us individually, are also full of beauty that we may not recognize. My goal is to help you sort out the chaos and imperfections of life by working through traumas, developing self-awareness, gaining a sense of peace and stillness, and to work on discovering who you truly are by aligning and connecting with the body, mind, and spirit and living by the message of the Enso, which can be learned about below.

We will take a holistic approach to your sessions. What this means, is that we will look at you as a whole person. We will focus not just on your mind, emotions, and mental well-being, but also on your physical self, movement, your diet, substance use, your sleep patterns, your environment, your social circles and supports, your values and beliefs, personal growth, self-care, etc. These are all interconnected, and when one part is out of balance, it easily throws off the other parts. We will strive to balance the person as a whole.

Reach out to contact Aligned Counseling to begin your journey to healing.

About Me

Angela Kirker, lisw-s, licdc-cs, RYT200

Hi, I’m Angela, owner and therapist at Aligned Counseling & Wellness Services. I was born and raised in Coshocton, OH with my parents and three siblings. Currently, I share my home with my fiancé and my 6 4-legged furry kids. I can always be found listening to music and getting caught up in feeling it. I am an avid self-taught baker and photographer. In my free time otherwise, I love being outdoors, hiking, getting lost in the peacefulness and serenity of the mountains of Tennessee, and watching the kids of the family play sports and grow up.

I hold a bachelors degree in Psychology and a masters degree in Social Work, both obtained from The Ohio State University. I am a licensed independent social worker, a licensed independent chemical dependency counselor, both with supervisor designation, and am a trained brainspotting practitioner, receiving consultation while working towards certification. I hold certification in CAMS suicidality and CBT for depression and suicide, and have completed training in military comprehension with advanced training in prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD. In 2020, I completed my 200 hour yoga teacher training – which added to my spirituality, mind-body studies, and mindfulness education from my graduate classes – and provides me with the opportunity to incorporate yoga, mindfulness, and meditation into sessions or as a standalone service.

I have spent my career working with adults, adolescents, and children who have struggled with their mental health, traumas, life transitions, substance use, those that are dually diagnosed, those that have been involved with Children’s Services, and men and women transitioning home from prison. I have extensive history in treating trauma, depression, anxiety, mood disorders, adjustment disorders, borderline personality disorder, codependency, substance use disorders, and in facilitating self-care. I have provided supervision and training to fellow professionals as well as serving as a field instructor to graduate students who are our upcoming social workers.

Angela

The Enso, or Zen Circle, is a sacred symbol in Zen Buddhism. The symbol is a single, effortless brushstroke, often painted in a moment when the mind is free from inhibition. Enso refers to the beginning and ending of all things. It represents the oneness of life and all things contained within it, the spirit of harmonious cooperation, personal development and refinement of character, the visible and invisible, absolute fullness in emptiness, simplicity, completeness, endlessness, perfect harmony, and the cyclical nature of existence. The symbol represents beauty in imperfection, the art of letting go of expectations, and is a representation of our true and innermost self. The lesson to take away from Enso – don’t try so hard, just be.