Allies of Mental Health: Argenta Counseling

Kellee McCoy is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). The Benton native earned a bachelor’s from Ouachita Baptist University and a master’s degree in clinical mental health and marriage and family therapy from John Brown University. He started Argenta Counseling in 2017, in downtown North Little Rock’s historic Argenta Arts District. 

 

McCoy has a two-fold mission: The first is to put a major dent in mental health issues in Central Arkansas. The second is to provide a healthy professional environment where therapists feel empowered and supported. Today, Argenta Counseling has grown to 30 therapists in three locations in Central Arkansas. 

“I am proud to lead an organization comprised of diverse specialists providing services for an equally diverse population,” McCoy says. “Argenta Counseling casts a wide net into the community and has become a trusted and safe resource for the LGBTQ+ community, local churches, law enforcement agencies, public and private schools, and individuals with varying ethnic, cultural, political, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.”

Argenta Counseling is an outpatient, private practice clinic providing affordable, compassionate and specialized counseling for children, teenagers, adults, couples and families in Central Arkansas. Among the specialties that McCoy and his staff boast are depression and anxiety, women’s and men’s issues, negative body image, low self-esteem, self-harm and suicidal ideation, marriage and couples, same-sex couples, LGBTQ+ gender identity issues, premarital counseling, parenting, single-parent issues and parenting adult children. Additional expertise in PTSD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, postpartum women and blended families are also on hand. 

Amid this ongoing pandemic, each of Argenta Counseling’s three locations continue to offer in-person, socially distanced sessions, as well as telehealth sessions via phone or video. And while the COVID-19 era has been detrimental to the overall mental health of Arkansas, McCoy is hopeful for silver linings to help us through this difficult time. 

“One positive outcome of this pandemic is that we are seeing a decline in the stigma against mental health and a better awareness of the resources available,” he says, but is well aware that we still have plenty more rivers to cross and uphill journeys. 

“I encourage every individual in this state to become a mental health advocate,” McCoy goes on to say. “As an individual, you can advocate for yourself if you are suffering by seeking help. Friends and family can point loved ones to appropriate resources. Leaders in the community such as clergy, politicians, business owners, executives, teachers, etc. can use their influence by increasing awareness, normalizing mental illness, and becoming change agents to eliminate the barriers to the access of care that many Arkansas residents experience.”

 

Let us partner with you on your journey of healing and wellness.

 

For more information or to request an appointment, call 501-777-5969 or visit its website at www.argentacounseling.com.

 

READ MORE: Check Out the Arkansas Mental Health Guide