Meet Our Team
Dr. Shawn R. Scholten
Dr. Shawn Scholten holds a Doctoral Degree in Counseling Psychology, is an Iowa Licensed Mental Health Counselor, and a National Board Certified Counselor. As a seasoned therapist, she practices individual, couples, and family therapy. Her specialties lie in grief and loss, anxiety disorders, pre-marital work, self-esteem building, assertive communication and social skills training, pre and post-bariatric surgery counseling, adjustment disorders, and career exploration and satisfaction. Dr. Scholten has further interest and experience in navigating conflict-laden systems. Trained in two models of crisis intervention, she consults in trauma/disaster response and conducts debriefings across the area. Dr. Scholten is also one of the founders of the Northwest Iowa Critical Incident Stress Management Team and leads debriefings for first responders in that capacity. She is grateful to journey alongside people, listen to their unique story, and offer encouragement and tools in the healing process.
Katie Vander Zwaag
Katie Vander Zwaag holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling from the University of South Dakota and is an Iowa and a South Dakota Licensed Mental Health Counselor. She specializes in anxiety, ADHD, depression, ODD, negative thought blocking, self-esteem building, social skills training, stress management, weight loss, college readiness, and career satisfaction. Katie works with children of all ages, as well as adults, through a cognitive behavioral therapy framework. She utilizes strength based and solution focused techniques in her work. In a world that often focuses on what is “wrong” with a person, she believes gains can be made by building upon a person’s strengths with people supported through the counseling process. When working with children, she values the ability to work alongside parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, and school systems.
Shannon Van Maanen
Shannon Van Maanen holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Northern Iowa and is an Iowa Licensed Master Social Worker. Her specialization in graduate school was in trauma-informed care. Shannon works with the full age spectrum, from children through adults, as well as enjoys assisting families. School-based therapy is another area of experience and passion. She is trained in mindfulness, body-centered psychotherapy and somatic experiencing psychotherapy, and her focus is to use these techniques to help individuals overcome hard experiences. Other areas of interest include anxiety, depression, behavior disorders, and Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Suzan Loverink
Suzan holds a Masters Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Drake University and is an Iowa Licensed Mental Health Counselor, working in the field for over 20 years. She specializes in depression, anxiety, self-esteem enhancement, life stressor navigation, and building coping skills and resources to achieve goals. Suzan works with adolescents and adults in a person-centered approach. She enjoys getting to know people and their life experiences through the therapy process. Creative Living Center was pleased to welcome Suzan back to the practice in 2024, offering telehealth sessions to clients.
Elissa O’Dell
Elissa O’Dell is a Creative Living Center Clinical Intern. She is a third year graduate counseling student at Northwestern College in both the Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling tracks. She holds a License as a Professional School Counselor. Elissa received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Northwestern College in 2021. She is passionate about working with clients who are experiencing depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem, among others, seeking to come alongside to elevate those arenas for better functioning on the life journey. Elissa believes counseling, in a safe environment, where clients feel understood and valued, can be a powerful occurrence that can benefit people from all walk of life. She has experience working with children, adolescents, and adults, and also welcomes couples. Elissa is under the supervision of Dr. Shawn Scholten, LMHC.
Tammy Vande Kamp
I have been in healthcare since 2001, working from certified nurse assistant all the way to a nurse practitioner. From 2004-2016 I worked as a registered nurse. As an RN worked in many settings, primarily family practice. In March of 2016, I graduated with my Family Nurse Practitioner. My first job was in correctional medicine with the South Dakota Department of Health. I genuinely enjoyed my time working with the inmate population and I gained a wealth of experience. It was during that time I realized my gifts and talents would be of better use in psychiatric medicine. I left correctional medicine in 2019 to pursue more schooling and have worked in urgent care and mental health settings since that time. I graduated from the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program at Briar Cliff University in May of 2021.
My goal is to provide patient-centered care, focusing on the client as a whole. I believe medication is just one arm of treatment and it is best used in conjunction with therapy. I strive for a collaborative relationship with my clients listening to what is most important in their lives, their expectations, and their goals.
I look forward to developing meaningful client-provider relationships and guiding you through your journey.
