https://www.cedarcirclemhw.com/home daily 1.0 2021-11-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0635f8498253481ae41725/1635727094195-A2PIWX39O31VN7PPF2ZE/CC_CoverPic.jpg Home - Welcome to Cedar Circle Our focus is to provide you with the best possible care to achieve your mental wellness. We provide a therapeutic environment with medication management, psychotherapy, and massage therapy. Call to schedule your appointment with a member of our amazing team. https://www.cedarcirclemhw.com/meet-our-staff daily 0.75 2026-05-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0635f8498253481ae41725/35c1053e-f9cc-474a-8e72-e5582dfa4c1b/Headshotwhite.jpg Meet Our Staff - Sara King, ARNP, PMHNP-BC Sara King, PMHNP-BC, is a board-certified Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner dedicated to providing compassionate, evidence-based mental health care across the lifespan. She graduated with honors from Allen College, where she built a strong foundation in advanced psychiatric practice, and completed clinical training under respected psychiatrists throughout the Cedar Valley. She has also pursued extensive post-graduate training in child and adolescent psychiatry, further strengthening her expertise in caring for children, teens, and families. With a special passion for helping young people and their families thrive, Sara believes mental health treatment should focus on the whole person—not simply a diagnosis. Her integrative approach considers each individual’s biological, psychological, social, and emotional needs, creating treatment plans that are both personalized and practical. Sara is committed to building collaborative, trusting relationships with her patients. She believes the most meaningful outcomes happen when patients are active participants in their care, involved in treatment decisions, goal setting, and measuring success. When appropriate, she welcomes the involvement of supportive family members, partners, educators, and other trusted individuals to create a strong, patient-centered support system. Her mission is simple: to help every patient feel understood, empowered, and equipped to live a healthier, more fulfilling life https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0635f8498253481ae41725/1635715283280-N09N9E7SFDNIGSL1SAZ3/Use+Evans+3.jpg Meet Our Staff - Dr. Evans Komen DNP-PMHNP-BC Evans Komen, DNP, PMHNP-BC, is an experienced psychiatric provider with more than two decades of service in healthcare, bringing a depth of clinical knowledge, leadership, and compassion to every patient encounter. A 2014 graduate of the University of Iowa, Dr. Komen has built his career around delivering thoughtful, evidence-based mental health care across diverse clinical settings. Throughout his career, Dr. Komen has served patients in both inpatient and outpatient psychiatric environments, caring for individuals with a wide range of mental health needs—from acute psychiatric stabilization to long-term outpatient treatment and wellness management. His broad clinical background allows him to skillfully assess complex presentations while developing individualized treatment plans tailored to each patient’s unique circumstances, goals, and strengths. Dr. Komen provides psychiatric care for adolescents and adults ages 12 and older. He has extensive experience diagnosing and treating a wide spectrum of psychiatric conditions, including Major Depressive Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, and Schizophrenia, among other behavioral health conditions. Dr. Komen believes exceptional psychiatric care extends far beyond symptom management. His treatment philosophy is rooted in a holistic, patient-centered model that considers the biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors influencing mental wellness. He works collaboratively with each patient to create individualized treatment plans that may incorporate medication management, therapeutic interventions, lifestyle optimization, and support-system engagement. Known for his calm presence, clinical insight, and genuine commitment to his patients’ success, Dr. Komen strives to create a safe, respectful, and empowering therapeutic environment where individuals feel heard, understood, and supported as they work toward lasting emotional wellness and a more fulfilling life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0635f8498253481ae41725/49a9bb64-7043-43f8-aea0-0edc015d8b70/kim_profile.png Meet Our Staff - Kim Roberts ARNP, PMHNP-BC Kim is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner who sees children and young adults. She graduated with honors from Allen College and has spent over 20 years working in mental health across Central Iowa. She has a passion for complex behavioral health cases and enjoys working with conditions that are commonly identified in childhood, including as ADHD, Autism, Anxiety, Depression, PANDAS, Trauma. Kim utilizes a bio-psycho-social foundation blended with both integrative and functional medicine models. She believes in a patient-centered and non-judgmental approach to create an environment where patients and families feel that they can be accepted as themselves. Kim enjoys building a rapport with her families and strongly encourages her patients to participate in making decisions regarding their treatment plan. She encourages communication regularly with others on the treatment team including therapists, educators, and people in the patient’s day to day life. She keeps up to date on the latest research on supporting mental health conditions and providing this education to her patients and families. Kim presents regularly to state and national nursing organizations as well as local pediatricians and family medicine clinics, school districts, college campuses, and law enforcement agencies. She speaks regularly on topics such as pediatric psychopharmacology, autism, PANDAS, suicide prevention, human trafficking, and the impact of social media on today’s youth. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0635f8498253481ae41725/1635715077555-HZAMRC9YU0BWMQ7676JD/Use+Jen+Shaw.jpg Meet Our Staff - Jennifer Shaw, LISW Jennifer Shaw, LISW, is a highly experienced Licensed Independent Social Worker with more than two decades of dedication to helping individuals, couples, and families navigate life’s challenges with resilience, clarity, and hope. A graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, Jennifer has deep roots in the Cedar Valley and a longstanding commitment to supporting the mental health and well-being of the community she proudly serves. Throughout her career, Jennifer has worked with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families, providing compassionate, evidence-based care tailored to each individual’s unique story, strengths, and goals. She is passionate about creating a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental therapeutic environment where clients feel genuinely heard, understood, and empowered to grow. Jennifer offers individual therapy, family counseling, and couples counseling, helping clients navigate a wide range of emotional, behavioral, relational, and life-transition challenges. Her therapeutic style is collaborative, thoughtful, and deeply person-centered, meeting clients where they are while helping them build practical tools for lasting change. Her clinical approach draws from evidence-based modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), positive psychology, and other integrative therapeutic techniques designed to support emotional wellness, resilience, and personal growth. Jennifer recently completed advanced certification in mental health and integrative medicine, further expanding her ability to address the connection between mind, body, and overall well-being. She believes true healing occurs when care addresses the whole person—emotional, physical, relational, and psychological—and she is committed to helping each client develop the insight, balance, and confidence needed to live a healthier, more fulfilling life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0635f8498253481ae41725/1635715128738-OTYDOUA22GQ05CC114X6/Use+Tasha+2.jpg Meet Our Staff - Tasha Lowman, LISW Tasha Lowmna, LISW, is a compassionate and experienced therapist who is deeply passionate about helping children, adolescents, and adults navigate life’s challenges while discovering their unique strengths, resilience, and capacity for growth. She has a special clinical interest in working with children and families, creating a safe, engaging, and nurturing therapeutic environment where young clients feel understood, supported, and empowered. Tasha has a particular passion for child-centered therapy and Play Therapy, recognizing that children often communicate, process emotions, and heal most naturally through play, creativity, and meaningful connection. Through developmentally appropriate, evidence-informed interventions, she helps children build emotional awareness, strengthen self-confidence, improve coping skills, and develop healthy ways to navigate life’s challenges. In her work with adolescents and adults, Tasha provides thoughtful, individualized support with an emphasis on helping clients identify their personal strengths, build resilience, and create meaningful, lasting change. Her therapeutic approach is warm, collaborative, and strengths-based, meeting each person where they are while helping them move toward their goals with clarity and confidence. Tasha works alongside clients to develop practical coping strategies, improve emotional regulation, manage stress, and process difficult life experiences. Whether supporting a child through developmental or behavioral challenges, guiding an adolescent through periods of transition, or helping an adult work through adversity, Tasha is committed to creating a therapeutic space where clients feel safe, valued, and empowered to heal, grow, and thrive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0635f8498253481ae41725/78c2ba68-bc8d-4bc2-a486-cd0f353c5e07/Renee+elbow.jpg Meet Our Staff - Renee Barbu LISW Renee Barbu, LISW, is a compassionate and experienced therapist dedicated to helping individuals, families, and adolescents heal from life’s most difficult experiences while building stronger, healthier relationships. She has extensive experience supporting clients who are navigating complex emotional challenges, trauma histories, relational difficulties, and patterns that may feel overwhelming or difficult to change. Renee has a particular passion for working with individuals who experience intense emotions such as shame, guilt, fear, anger, rejection, grief, and emotional pain related to past experiences. She specializes in helping clients process the lasting effects of abuse, neglect, abandonment, relationship wounds, and other traumatic experiences, guiding them toward healing, resilience, and renewed self-worth. She also has a strong commitment to supporting families, recognizing that healing often happens within the context of meaningful relationships. Renee works closely with parents, adolescents, couples, and individuals to strengthen communication, rebuild trust, establish healthy boundaries, and create supportive connections that foster long-term emotional wellness. Renee understands that many people carry a deep sense of not belonging, feeling misunderstood, disconnected, or unsupported. She recognizes that each client comes with a unique history and varying levels of emotional support, and she strives to create a therapeutic space where clients feel safe, accepted, and genuinely understood. Her goal is to serve as a steady source of support while helping clients develop healthier relationships, stronger communication skills, and meaningful support systems both inside and outside of therapy. Her therapeutic approach is warm, collaborative, and trauma-informed, drawing from evidence-based modalities including Person-Centered Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and trauma-informed care. Through this integrative approach, Renee helps clients build emotional regulation skills, process painful experiences, strengthen relationships, and move toward a life marked by healing, connection, and hope. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0635f8498253481ae41725/c6df3fb0-8cc4-41a5-9b3c-9ac6d50858f4/Kristin+use+.jpg Meet Our Staff - Kristin Pikna, LMHC Kristin, LMHC, is a dedicated Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a strong passion for supporting children, adolescents, young adults, and women as they navigate life’s challenges, transitions, and opportunities for growth. She provides therapy for clients ages 5 and older, with a special clinical interest in helping children and young women build confidence, emotional resilience, healthy relationships, and a strong sense of self. Kristin earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Iowa State University and her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Northern Iowa. Her academic foundation, combined with her compassionate and engaging therapeutic style, allows her to connect meaningfully with clients across developmental stages while tailoring care to each individual’s unique needs. Kristin believes that meaningful healing begins with a strong therapeutic relationship built on trust, authenticity, and genuine connection. She prioritizes creating a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment where clients feel comfortable being themselves, exploring difficult emotions, and developing the confidence to move forward. She has a particular passion for helping children and women navigate anxiety, self-esteem challenges, emotional regulation, relationship concerns, life transitions, identity development, trauma, and the everyday pressures that can impact mental and emotional well-being. Kristin understands the unique emotional, developmental, and relational needs that arise throughout childhood, adolescence, and womanhood, and she is committed to helping clients feel empowered, understood, and capable of lasting growth. Her therapeutic approach is thoughtful, collaborative, and evidence-based, drawing from Person-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Narrative Therapy, while incorporating strengths-based interventions tailored to each client’s goals. Known for her warmth, authenticity, and approachable sense of humor, Kristin creates a therapeutic space where clients can feel safe, supported, and empowered to heal, grow, and thrive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0635f8498253481ae41725/71086253-8623-4eaa-83b0-e7a42def4ca0/Sara+Kastli+Pic.jpg Meet Our Staff - Sara Kastli RN, BSN Sara completed her bachelors in nursing at Allen College in 2014. She has grown up in the Cedar Valley and has worked in healthcare for many years focusing on primary care and mental health. Sara has a passion for helping everyone address and normalize all their mental health needs, allowing individuals and families to live their lives to their fullest. Sara loves getting to know all of our patients and families! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0635f8498253481ae41725/ec29cf16-9f30-452c-9f46-72a5af5f32d3/IMG_4621.PNG Meet Our Staff - Isabella Laures BA Bella graduated from Central College in 2023 with her Bachelors degree in Communications and Anthropology. Since then she has been focused on working interactively with people in several different aspects. She enjoys connecting with and getting to know our patients and their loved ones. https://www.cedarcirclemhw.com/treatment-philosophy daily 0.75 2021-10-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0635f8498253481ae41725/1635719938590-TSF0GMH6GJZOC68DVFAB/Flower+Brain.jpg Treatment Philosophy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0635f8498253481ae41725/1635719731927-P9KYCJYY57OTJO9JQJ6D/MH+VIsion.jpg Treatment Philosophy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e0635f8498253481ae41725/1635720007960-FY4YWPO1DPQ256107O99/MH+Treatment+JPEG.jpg Treatment Philosophy . https://www.cedarcirclemhw.com/services-fees daily 0.75 2026-05-02 https://www.cedarcirclemhw.com/policies daily 0.75 2026-05-02 https://www.cedarcirclemhw.com/medications-and-emergencies daily 0.75 2023-11-06