New In-House Children's Counselor At Sidney's Eastern Montana Community Mental Health Center

The Sidney branch of the Eastern Montana Community Mental Health Center is proud to announce they have a new kids counselor. Marissa Amato specializes in kids and families and can meet in person at the Sidney clinic.

Like many things in Eastern Montana, Sidney has been a little short on in-person child therapists. In fact, EMCMHC in Sidney has not had an in-person therapist since COVID-19 and has not had a children's therapist for even longer. Children needing services from EMCMHC needed to go to other towns or do counseling through telehealth in the mental health clinic office.

Amato has always enjoyed working with children and, while attending college, decided she wanted to become a therapist. She attended Walla Walla University Satellite campus in Billings, pursuing a Master's Degree in clinical social work. Shortly after finishing her bachelor's degree, however, she was able to work with kids in a comprehensive school and community treatment program. She ended up working there for eight years. Her time there helped her decide to go into counseling. By this time, her younger sister and brother lived in Sidney, clear on the other side of the state, and frequent visits were no longer enough. She and her mom moved to Sidney to be closer to them. "When I got here I noticed there wasn't many counselors that specialize in kids." Amato said, but that was something she could help with. She finished her Master's program in June 2023 and began working for Eastern Montana Mental Heath Clinic in Sidney that July.

Amato is currently working under the supervision of a licensed therapist and is working towards becoming a fully licensed therapist in the state of Montana. She is currently taking patients. Amato uses play therapy, art therapy, talk therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy( a treatment that usually involves efforts to change faulty or unhealthy thinking patterns) to help her patients. at Sidney Eastern Montana Mental Health Clinic in Sidney MT. The clinic is located at 1201 W. Holly St. #4 and is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. with an hour break for lunch from noon-1 p.m. For an appointment, call (406) 433-4635.