MAKENNA RUTLEDGE, LPC, ATR-P

Makenna Rutledge (pronouns: she/her) is a licensed professional counselor and provisional registered art therapist who works with children, adolescents, young adults, adults, and older adults. Her special interests include: anxiety, depression, self-esteem, ADHD, adjustment, coping skills, trauma, school related behaviors and struggles, and integrating creativity into counseling practice. She utilizes treatment approaches that are evidence based and tailored to each client individually.

Makenna completed her bachelor’s degree at Muskingum University focusing on research in psychology and use of clay and 3D materials in art, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology, minoring in art. She then went onto obtain her master’s degree in counseling and art therapy at Ursuline College. Prior to graduation she earned certification for use of the MARI (Mandala Assessment Research Instrument). She has a love for lifelong learning and is always looking to expand her clinical development.

Prior to joining Wellness Grove, Makenna worked in community mental health setting primarily working with children and adolescents for two years working with clients to manage symptoms in both outpatient and school-based settings.

She completed an internship at the Kendal of Oberlin retirement community providing art therapy groups and utilizing projective assessments, while helping members manage memory related symptoms. She has also earned further training in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and sand tray approaches.

Makenna’s approach to therapy is rooted in her belief that everyone is deserving of a safe space to feel heard and to connect without judgement. She offers a strength based, client-centered approach that is willing to meet clients where they are and find solutions that best work for them. Her goals are to utilize compassionate listening, mutual respect, authenticity, empathy, humor, and metaphors while also being open to sitting with the “hard stuff”. She offers creative experiences to allow clients opportunity to express and understand themselves.

Her strengths include: kindness, empathy, compassion, willingness to learn and grow, creativity, metaphors, and humor.