Ivy Ickes is a licensed clinical social worker practicing in Houston, Texas with extensive experience in mental health treatment across diverse populations. Her journey in the mental health field began during her undergraduate studies, where she first became involved in victim advocacy. This experience deepened her understanding of social dynamics and human behavior, leading her to earn dual bachelor’s degrees in Sociology and Women’s Studies. While pursuing her graduate degree, Ivy worked at the National Domestic Violence Hotline, further honing her skills in crisis intervention and support. After earning her Master of Science in Social Work from The University of Texas at Austin, she completed a post-graduate fellowship focused on psychiatric rehabilitation of veterans with severe mental illness. Ivy’s career advanced as she joined The Menninger Clinic, where she spent five years specializing in the treatment of business professionals facing mental health crises, young adults navigating the transition into adulthood, and clients experiencing severe mental health challenges, including suicidal ideation. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Ivy recognized the urgent need for increased access to mental health care and established her private practice, Therapy by Ivy, PLLC. She has since offered individual telehealth sessions to adult clients seeking to improve their mental health and enhance their lives. In 2023, she expanded her practice to include in-person sessions while continuing to provide virtual telehealth. Based in the Houston Heights area, Ivy is proud to offer flexible session options—virtually or in person—and accepts most major insurance plans, as well as self-pay options for the uninsured or underinsured.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In our initial session, we will engage in a structured clinical interview, where I’ll ask you a variety of questions about your past and present experiences. This process helps me gain a comprehensive understanding of your life, providing important context for the challenges you may be facing. Throughout our following sessions, my approach will be rooted in curiosity and collaboration. I believe that you are the expert on your own life, and my role is to support you in building the life you desire and learning how to cope with any related (mental health) difficulties. Together, we’ll work on uncovering your authentic self and identifying any barriers that may be hindering your progress.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
Throughout my career in the mental health field, I’ve learned the importance of creating an emotionally safe therapeutic environment, which helps me build trust and rapport with my clients. I am often recognized for my ability to guide clients in transforming insights gained during therapy into practical steps for improving their mental health. I prioritize honesty and authenticity in our sessions, which fosters a space where clients feel comfortable being open. This collaborative approach often leads to meaningful progress toward achieving more stable mental health.
About Ivy Ickes
Specializes in
Serves ages
Licensed in
Accepts
Address
407 Heights Boulevard, Houston, TX, USAAppointments
Virtual & in-personMy treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This approach increases awareness of unhelpful thinking patterns that contribute to distressing emotions, offering clients the opportunity to change those thoughts. I have found CBT to be particularly effective in reducing anxiety, compulsions, and intrusive thoughts or memories, while also improving mood and motivation. CBT is one of the most versatile and widely recognized therapeutic methods, and I often integrate it with other approaches to provide comprehensive care. Through CBT, I guide clients in restructuring their thoughts, empowering them to alter their emotional responses and enhance their overall well-being.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
DBT helps me collaborate with clients to develop healthier coping strategies and understand why previous methods of coping have been ineffective. It provides a structured framework to manage cognitive, emotional and interpersonal chaos, helping clients navigate and stabilize their emotional experiences. DBT also offers valuable interventions/skills for addressing intense interpersonal conflicts, which can often become cyclical and exacerbate existing issues. It offers strategies to assist me in working with the client to improve relationship stability and reduce the impact of interpersonal challenges on a client's well-being. Additionally, I find DBT interventions to be especially helpful with clients who are experiencing extreme emotional distress that may lead to self-harming behaviors or suicidal ideation.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
I have found ACT to be especially helpful with clients who are “stuck” in emotions and/or struggling to find the motivation to make desired life changes. ACT interventions are also helpful when I’m providing guidance to clients in exploring and identifying their personal values. In doing so I can steer clients towards learning how living in accordance with their values can help decrease mental health concerns.
Eclectic
While I primarily utilize a combination of mindfulness-based therapies such as ACT, CBT, and DBT, I integrate them with interventions from other evidence-based therapies to best meet each client's needs. My eclectic approach blends various treatment methods to create a personalized therapeutic experience. Throughout my 15-20 years in the mental health field, I have found that flexibility and adaptability are key to effective therapy. Other therapeutic interventions I may utilize include: - Psychoeducation - Supportive Therapy - Attachment-Based Therapy - Solution-Focused Brief Treatment - Motivational Interviewing - Narrative Therapy - Person-Centered Therapy - Psychodynamic Therapy - Exposure Response Prevention (ERP)