Expert Anxiety Therapists to Help You Find Relief

We are a small group of highly trained specialists dedicated to providing the highest quality treatment for anxiety and OCD. Our training in evidence-based treatments and experience allow us to reach your goals as productively as possible. We understand your symptoms on a deep level because we work with people just like you every day.
We use highly researched treatments, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). Other techniques we use include mindfulness, self-compassion, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and EMDR for PTSD.

We’ve chosen to dedicate our careers to working with anxiety and OCD because we’ve seen how powerful evidence-based therapy can be.

Our Therapists

sarah

Sarah Kertz, PhD

Works with Adults
Owner and Director. Areas of expertise include adult women with OCD, emetophobia, panic attacks, and perinatal anxiety/OCD.
Sarah Kertz, PhD
sarah

Sarah Kertz, PhD

Ages I work with:

18+ years

Languages I speak:

English

Who I am:

I’m a cisgender, heterosexual White female. I use she/her pronouns.

I love working with:

  • Women who care deeply about doing things right but feel their minds never stop running
  • People whose anxiety or OCD shows up as overthinking, double-checking, or seeking reassurance
  • Women who value structure, honesty, and clear strategies in therapy
  • People who want to trust themselves again at work, at home, and in their relationships

My training background and therapy approaches include:
I’m a clinical psychologist with predoctoral and postdoctoral training from Harvard Medical School/McLean Hospital. I earned my PhD in clinical psychology in 2011 from the University of Louisville and completed both my predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical school. I then worked for 8 years as professor, primarily teaching and supervising doctoral students in clinical psychology and undergraduate psychology majors. I also directed a research lab, published over 35 peer reviewed articles, and authored over 100 conference presentations. I moved to full time clinical work in 2020.

My general approaches include cognitive behavioral therapy, inference based therapy for OCD, exposure and response prevention, mindfulness and acceptance.

How I help:

My style is down-to-earth and focused on real progress. I balance support with gentle firmness when it’s needed. I’ll cheer you on, and I’ll also challenge you to try new things. In our sessions, we’ll talk about what’s working and what’s not, and I’ll teach practical strategies to help you manage anxiety and OCD so you can focus on what matters most.

I use a structured, active approach, and I often ask clients to complete experiments or track their progress between sessions. Most of the change happens in your daily life, and I love celebrating those wins (big or small) with a genuine “yay!”

I’m continually impressed by my clients’ courage and honesty. It’s a privilege to help thoughtful, caring people learn to quiet their minds, build confidence, and feel more present in their lives.

More about me:
In my free time I enjoy planning trips (and taking them–but the planning is at least half the fun), talking about cats, spending time with my son at local playgrounds, baking French cakes, and working on craft projects.

Jaime Murtagh, PhD

Works with Kids, Teens, Adults
Areas of expertise include supporting kids and teens with co-occurring ADHD, autism, and anxiety and their parents.
Jaime Murtagh, PhD

Jaime Murtagh, PhD

Ages I work with:

Children 3 years and up, teens, young adults, and parents

Languages I speak:

English

Who I am:

I use he/him pronouns.

I love working with:

  • Young children with disruptive behavior concerns (such as tantrums) and separation anxiety
  • Neurodivergent youth, including autistic children and teens with anxiety and social difficulties
  • Children and teens with obsessive-compulsive disorder as well as tic-related disorders
  • Adolescents and young adults with social anxiety, panic disorder, and agoraphobia
  • Parents struggling to cope with parent-related stressors, adjustment to circumstances, and anxiety

My training background and therapy approaches include:

I earned my PhD in Clinical Psychology in 2024 from the University of Mississippi. I completed my predoctoral internship at the University of Missouri’s Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment in Columbia, MO and my postdoctoral fellowship here at the Anxiety Specialists of St. Louis. I specialize in the treatment of behavioral concerns and anxiety-related disorders in children, teens, parents, and young adults. In my therapeutic approach, I use Cognitive Behavior Therapy, behavioral parent management strategies, exposure-based techniques, as well as mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches. I also have extensive training in assessment for autism and neurodevelopmental disorders.

How I help:

Anxiety can present differently for everyone, whether it be as tantrums or critical overthinking. I aim to meet my clients wherever they are by creating a personalized treatment plan and progressing through treatment in a step-by-step manner toward accomplishing treatment goals. My overall approach is collaborative, supportive, and structured. My goal is for my clients to become as independent as possible, as quickly as possible, by developing and mastering coping strategies through daily practice. For children, I aim to make therapy as enjoyable as possible by creating a supportive and fun environment, while also ensuring sessions are structured and productive. Additionally, I make sure to involve parents in every step of the process and provide them with the necessary tools for success of the whole family.

More about me:

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my wife, daughter, and our “zoo” (3 dogs and 2 cats!), playing golf, and traveling back home to Ireland to visit my family.

Molly Wickenhauser, PhD

Works with Adults, Teens
Areas of expertise include OCD, anxiety, and panic in older teens and adults.
Molly Wickenhauser, PhD

Molly Wickenhauser, PhD

Ages I work with:

Adults and adolescents 14+

Languages I speak:

English

Who I am:

I use she/her pronouns.

I love working with:

  •  Driven professionals, parents, or students who feel out of control when it comes to anxious thoughts or uncomfortable physical sensations
  • Perfectionists, overthinkers, individuals who struggle with panic
  • People who spend their days powering through (at work, at home, in class) while fighting waves of anxiety, only to end the day exhausted, frustrated, and disconnected from the people and activities that matter most
  • Those doing all the things, and yet still feel like their anxiety is running the show

My training background and therapy approaches include:

I earned my PhD in Clinical Psychology in 2022 from the University of Mississippi. I completed my predoctoral internship, postdoctoral fellowship, and early career at VA Medical Centers in Chicago, San Diego, and St. Louis before joining Anxiety Specialists of St. Louis. I specialize in OCD, anxiety disorders, and women’s health. My approach to therapy primarily includes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure-based techniques (including exposure and response prevention or ERP), mindfulness and acceptance.

How I help:

My style is personable and supportive, structured yet flexible, and I aim to meet you where you are. We’ll start by working collaboratively to identify what’s really happening when your anxiety, panic, or intrusive thoughts take over—whether it shows up as health anxiety, panic attacks, or the constant mental loop of perfectionism and overthinking. Together, we’ll find the patterns that keep you stuck and develop a step-by-step treatment plan tailored to your goals.

Next, you’ll learn practical, evidence-based strategies to respond differently when anxiety shows up. My approach blends psychoeducation and cognitive techniques so you can make sense of your symptoms and start retraining your anxiety response. We’ll use exposure therapy to help you gradually face the thoughts, sensations, and situations you’ve been avoiding. Over time, you’ll build confidence in your ability to handle discomfort, trust your body again, and feel more present and connected in your daily life.

More about me:

Outside of work, I’m usually with my husband and daughter—out for a walk, listening to an audiobook, or planning our next sushi night (I haven’t met a roll I won’t try). These are the moments that help me slow down, stay grounded, and practice the same balance I encourage my clients to find.

sam

Sam Kramer, PhD

Works With Adults
Areas of expertise include overthinking (worry, rumination, mental compulsions), OCD, anxiety, and phobias in adults and older teens (16+).
Sam Kramer, PhD
sam

Sam Kramer, PhD

Ages I work with:

Adults and adolescents 16+

Languages I speak:

English

Who I am:

I am a cisgender, heterosexual male, and use he/him pronouns.

I love working with:

  • People who identify as overthinkers.
  • Older teens and adults who struggle with repetitive thoughts like rumination, worry, and mental compulsions.
  • Adults with social anxiety, generalized anxiety, panic disorder and agoraphobia.
  • Adults with fears of flying.

My training background and therapy approaches include:

I received my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale and completed my predoctoral internship at the Salem VA Medical Center in Salem Virginia. I went on to complete my postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for OCD and Anxiety-Related Disorders at Saint Louis Behavioral Medicine Institute, where I continued to practice for over four years treating anxiety at the outpatient and IOP level of care. I specialize in treating adults with OCD. I also enjoy treating panic disorder and phobias.

How I help:

Facing anxiety can feel like a daunting task. I work to meet clients where they are and to collaboratively help them identify their goals and create a step-by-step path to recovery. I approach therapy with a relaxed and personable therapeutic style, and I encourage clients to not only understand what strategies work, but also why they work. Clients can expect to learn how to address their anxiety during sessions and then apply what they learned with daily homework between sessions. I aim to empower my clients by teaching them the strategies they will need to act as their own therapist and continue to maintain their progress after they have completed therapy to experience lifelong change.

More about me:

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my wife and two children, hiking and enjoying the outdoors, and playing guitar every chance I get.

amy

Amy Kurz, MSW, LCSW

Works with Teens & Adults
Areas of expertise include OCD, social anxiety, panic, phobias, and perfectionism in kids, teens, and adults.
Amy Kurz, MSW, LCSW
amy

Amy Kurz, MSW, LCSW

Ages I work with:

Adults & Teens

Languages I speak:

English

Who I am:

I use she/her pronouns.

I love working with:

  • Those who feel childhood events have played a role in shaping their OCD/anxiety
  • Teens and adults with OCD, social anxiety, generalized anxiety, panic, and phobias
    (including emetophobia- fear of vomiting)
  • Adults who wish to work through past distressing incidents
  • People that are especially hard on themselves (including perfectionists)

My training background and therapy approaches include:

I completed my bachelor’s degree in psychology from Illinois Wesleyan University and my master’s degree in social work from the University of Illinois at Chicago. I have been a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) since 2009 and in the past worked in foster care and with girls exiting sex trafficking. While working in foster care I discovered my passion for individual therapy, especially working with teens and adult women. I worked at the Center for OCD and Anxiety-Related Disorders at Saint Louis Behavioral Medicine Institute for over 7 years, treating OCD and anxiety at the outpatient and IOP levels of care. I completed the Professional Training Institute for the treatment of Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (trichotillomania and excoriation disorder) in 2014.

My main therapy approach is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) which includes Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Inferenced Based Cognitive Behavioral therapy (I-CBT). I am also trained in EMDR (eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing) which is an evidence-based treatment for trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I completed my training in EMDR in 2012 and have specialized in the treatment of anxiety and OCD since 2014.

How I help:

My style is open and collaborative. I welcome questions and work hard to ensure that my clients feel seen and understood. My goal is to help clients take skills and strategies learned in session and use them independently. I firmly believe that therapy is an investment in the future, even though it’s hard work now. Most things that are worthwhile in life are not easy and this is no exception!

More about me:

In my free time, I enjoy curling up with a cup of tea and a good book, listening to live music, taking walks in the park, playing with my dog and watching HGTV.

Maria Cognata, LMSW

Works with Adults
Areas of expertise include OCD, anxiety, and phobias in children, teens, and adults. Fluent in Spanish.
Maria Cognata, LMSW

Maria Cognata, LMSW

Ages I work with:

Adults

Languages I speak:

English, Spanish
(I can do sessions in Spanish if that is the client’s preferred language.)

Who I am:

I use she/her pronouns.

I love working with:

  • Young adults and adults with contamination, symmetry/balance, and existential OCD.
  • Young adults and adults with generalized anxiety or health anxiety.

All identities, cultures, and backgrounds are welcome and supported in my office.

My training background and therapy approaches include:

I earned my bachelor’s degree in sociology and international studies at Saint Louis University and my master’s degree in social work with a concentration in clinical mental health at the Brown School at Washington University in Saint Louis. I completed my social work clinical internship at the Multicultural Counseling and Research Center and at the same time formed part of the Casa de Salud Mental Health Collaborative. When working with clients, I offer a holistic approach that considers the ways in which biology, upbringing, culture, systems, and trauma can influence thoughts and behaviors. While considering the importance of each of these factors, I also strive to provide the client with concrete tools and strategies to help them reach their goals.

My approach is drawn from the theoretical framework of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and includes tools and strategies taken from Exposure and Response Prevention, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy.

How I help:

I am open, non-judgmental, easygoing, and empathetic. I want clients to feel comfortable to bring their authentic selves to sessions with me and utilize a strengths-based perspective, meaning I believe that everyone I work with has strengths to build upon. I see clients as the experts of their own lives and therapy as a collaborative process. I know that the healing process is a journey that is not always linear and that it is helpful to have someone who can accompany you through the ups and downs. I will offer practical tools and strategies to help the client live a better quality of life based on their goals and walk beside them as they explore what works best for them. My goal is to provide clients with solution-focused ways in which they can better manage their distress both in and outside of the office while also celebrating their progress along the journey.

More about me:

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, being outdoors, gardening, reading, listening to music and podcasts, and learning new things.