ABOUT US
Our Founding Story: A Journey Towards Healing and Support
Welcome to our community at Insightful Minds Counseling. I am truly grateful that our paths have crossed, as every connection has its unique reason and purpose. Recognizing the need for change and taking the first steps towards personal growth are monumental, and here you are, having taken that brave first step towards inner transformation. Your journey starts now, and I'm honored to be a part of it.
Insightful Minds Counseling was born from a deep desire to enhance support and counseling services, inspired by my husband's challenges following his deployment. Witnessing his struggle and the inadequate response he received—being told to simply "Suck it up and deal with it"—I felt compelled to seek better solutions. This experience propelled me to pursue a master’s degree in counseling in 2019, aiming to provide the necessary care for him and others struggling like him dealing with PTSD. Through my educational journey and subsequent practice, I have been fortunate to secure the resources needed to support my husband's healing and extend this help to others facing similar battles.
With compassion and curiosity,
Terra
Meet Terra Shishido, Founder of Insightful Minds
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Terra holds a Master of Science in Counseling and Psychology from Troy University and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Maryland University College. She is an EMDR Certified Therapist, Level 2 IFS Certified Therapist, an ADHD Certified Clinical Services Provider (ADHD-CCSP) and a Certified Professional Coach.
Before becoming a counselor, Terra spent many years supporting the well-being of military service members and their families through programs such as the Key Spouse program and Military Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS). With over 2 decades as a military spouse, she understands what it means to face uncertainty, adapt to major life transitions, and carry experiences that shape who we become. Her time living abroad has expanded her cultural awareness and strengthened her ability to connect with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
Terra also draws from her own history of growing up in a complex family system. These early experiences created a deep appreciation for the ways people learn to protect themselves, survive difficult environments, and navigate relationships that do not always feel safe. This informs her ability to recognize and honor the internal worlds her clients have built to endure their lives. This personal insight enhances her capacity to sit with others in their pain and to witness their resilience with compassion and respect.
In her therapeutic work, Terra integrates the empowering principles of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and the healing structure of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). She approaches therapy with warmth, curiosity, and a steady presence, helping clients connect with their inner strengths, build self-leadership, and heal emotional burdens from the inside out. Clients often describe her style as grounding, supportive, and gently challenging in ways that promote meaningful and lasting change.
With Terra, you will find a space where you are deeply seen, heard, and valued. She believes in creating a collaborative healing relationship where clients can explore their experiences safely, develop compassion for themselves, and move toward greater balance and inner clarity.
Outside of counseling, Terra is a mother of 4 and enjoys spending time with her family, playing Pokémon Go, video games, and board games, geocaching, tackling home projects, and traveling. She also has a soft spot for Alice in Wonderland and often finds herself quoting it.
Terra Shishido's Clinical Training Experience
IFS Training
• Integrating IFS Therapist Parts | Derek Scott | Aug 2022 | 5 hrs.
• IFS level 1 | Ralph Cohen, Jenny Fiebig | May 2023 | 108 hrs.
• IFS level 2 | Ralph Cohen, Ann Sinko, Mike Elkin | May 2024 | 72 hrs.
• Self-energy and Self-like Parts | Pamela Krause | May 2024 | 12 hrs.
• Direct Access: An Essential Skill | Fran Booth | June 2024 | 9 hrs.
• Polarizations in IFS Therapy: Resolving Inner & Outer Conflict | Ann Sinko | July 2024 | 8hrs.
• Legacy Burdens: Inviting Ancestors into the Healing | Tamala Floyd | Oct 2024 | 1.5 hrs.
• Reparenting Wounded Parts: Using IFS to Heal Attachment Wounds | Leslie Petruk, Gwen Hurd, Bridgett Littel | Oct 2024 | 1.5 hrs.
• Working with Grieving Parts | Audrey Davidheiser | Oct 2024 | 1.5 hrs.
• Integrating an IFS Lens with Trauma-Informed Leadership Practices | Rebecca Ching | Oct 2024 | 1.5 hrs.
• Bringing IFS to Life | Sacha Mardou, Dick Schwartz, Jeanne Catanzaro | Oct 2024 | 1 hr.
• Redefining Restorative Justice for the Exiled: IFS in Prisons | Dick Schwartz, Marlee Liss, Fritzi Hortsman | Oct 2024 | 2 hrs.
• My Client Keeps Getting Hijacked by Parts: Presence Psychotherapy Techniques to Expand Access to Self-Energy | Michelle Lepak | Oct 2024 | 1.5 hrs.
• Being With: Enhancing the Unburdening Process | Jory Agate, Margaret Conley | Oct 2024 | 1.5 hrs.
• Awakening Consciousness with IFS | Danielle Carron | Oct 2024 | 1.5 hrs.
• ADHDventure: Exploring the Inner World with IFS | Jamie Blume | Oct 2024 | 1.5 hrs.
EMDR Training
• EMDR Initial Training | Pamela Downey | Nov 2020 | 20 hrs.
• IFS for EMDR Therapists | Bruce Hersey | Aug. 2023 | 3 hrs.
• IFS informed EMDR: The Internal Family Systems Interweave | Bruce Hersey | Oct. 2023 | 6 hrs.
• The Coherent Self and System: IFS and Memory Reconsolidation | Bruce Hersey | Jan 2024 | 3 hrs.
• EMDR in CSA Survivors & CPTSD- Dealing with Intense Disgust & Negative Self-Concept | Arun Mansukhani | Dec 2025 | 3 hrs.
• Healing the Heart and Soul of Our Nation's Warriors: EMDR for Moral Injury | Eva Usadi | Dec 2025| 3 hrs.
• Be-Friending Protector Parts with IFS-Informed EMDR | Michelle Richardson & Elizabeth Venart | Dec 2025 | 3 hrs.
• EMDR-AIP Intervention for Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA) | Arun Mansukhani | Jan 2026 | 3 hrs.
Additional Clinical Training
• Trauma Informed Care Conference | Catherine Davis, Dr. Vincent Felitti, Helaina Howitz, Heidi Otoole | Oct. 2019 | 6 hrs.
• Trust Based Relational Intervention Training | Mar. 2020 | 18 hrs.
• Gottman Method Couples Therapy Level 1: Bridging the Couple Chasm | Julie Gottman and John Gottman | April 2020 | 11 hrs.
• Military Families and PTSD | Military Child Education Coalition | June 2020 | 1 hr.
• Parent-Child Reunification Play Therapy | Lynn Louise Wonders | June 2020 | 2 hrs.
• Parent-Child Connection in Divorce with Play Therapy | Lynn Louise Wonders | June 2020 | 2 hrs.
• Integrative Play Therapy with Foster and Adoptive Families | July 2020 | 2 hrs.
• Utilizing Art-Informed Play Therapy to Address Trauma in Children and Adolescents | Aug 2020 | 2 hrs.
• Supporting Your Whole Child Through the COVID Pandemic | Military Child Education Coalition | Aug 2020 | 1 hr.
• Play Therapy with Anxiety Disorders | Lynn Louise Wonders| Aug 2020 | 2 hrs.
• Directive Play Therapy Techniques | Lynn Louise Wonders| Aug 2020 | 2 hrs.
• Playful Art-Informed Grounding Techniques for Adolescents | Aug 2020 | 2 hrs.
• Cyber Security- What Your Children Need to Know | Military Child Education Coalition | Dec. 2020 | 1 hr.
• AutPlay Therapy Interventions: Social Skills, Emotional Regulation, and Connection | Robert Grant | Jan 2021 | 3 hrs.
• Florida Laws and Rules | Ace-Classes | June 2022 | 8 hrs.
• Domestic Violence | Ace-Classes | July 2022 | 2 hrs.
• HIV/AIDS | Ace-Classes | Jan. 2023 | 3 hrs.
• How to Identify and Treat Dissociation | The National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine | April 2024
• Cultivating the Healing Potential of Religion/ Spirituality and Mitigating Potential Harm in Mental Health Treatment | The Samaritan Counseling Services of the Gulf Coast | Feb 2025
• Inference-based Cognitive behavioral therapy (I-CBT) Training for OCD | Brittany Goff | Nov 2024 | 4.5 hrs.
ADHD Training
• Rethinking ADHD: A New Treatment Approach | Edward Hallowell and John Ratey | May 2025 | 2 hrs.
• Changing the ADHD Brain: Moving Beyond Medication | Stephanie Sarkis | May 2025 | 6.25 hrs.
• ADHD in Children and Adolescents: Advances in Diagnosis, Treatment and Management | Russell Barkley | May 2025 | 3 hrs.
• Psychopharmacology: Essential Updates for Mental Health Professionals | Kenneth Carter | June 2025 | 3 hrs.
• Time Management & Executive Functioning Strategies for Adults with ADHD | Ari Tuckman | Oct 2025 | 3 hrs.
• Extended Adolescence - When 25 Looks More Like 18: Clinical Strategies for Clients Struggling to Meet the Demands of Adulthood | Sharon Saline & Steven O’Brien| Nov 2025 | 6.25 hrs.
• ADHD at Work | Ari Tuckman | Nov 2025 | 2 hrs.
• ADHD, Relationships, and Sex: Strategies to Overcome the Over/Under-Functioner Dynamic | Ari Tuckman| Nov 2025 | 2 hrs.
• Identifying and Treating the 1 in 5 students with ADHD and Learning Disabilities who are Returning to School Misdiagnosed and Misunderstood | Lynne Kenney | Nov 2025 | 1.5 hrs.
• CBT Strategies for Kids and Adolescents: Supporting Students with ADHD and Anxiety | David Pratt | Nov 2025 | 1.75 hrs.
Presentations
• EB ACA Presenter September 2020: Utilizing Art-Informed Therapy to Foster Holistic Healing for Traumatized Children and Adolescents.
• ACA Presenter April 2021: Integrative Approach to Address the Unique Issues of Foster and Adoptive Families.
Coaching
• Coaching Essentials- Certified Professional Coach | Fully Equipped Academy | Jan 2026