Just across the street from Subway and Taqueria la Estrella in Whitewater is local mental health counseling center Morning Star Psychotherapy. Thousands of cars drive this section of Main Street every day, but many people may not realize a place like Morning Star exists within the Whitewater community. The organization was established in 2008, providing counseling services for a wide range of mental health situations, including individual counseling, couple counseling, and addiction treatment.
Brian Zanin, a licensed professional counselor with Morning Star, says one of the biggest roles a counselor or therapist can play in a client’s life is to be on the same journey as their client to help accomplish something.
“My personal philosophy is wanting to meet people where they are, understanding what their goals are and trying to use their strengths and resources to help them achieve their goals or deal with challenges,” Zanin said. “Mental health care is simply good self-care.”
Zanin specializes in depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and issues specific to younger or older adults. He gives a reminder that anybody can and should seek mental health treatment, regardless of how minimal it seems.
“One of the common misconceptions is that you have to be in significant crisis or stress to seek mental help, and that once you start seeking treatment, you’ll be doing it for life,” Zanin said.
He added that a client finding the right person to guide them through their mental health journey is crucial in making important strides in a mental health journey.
One of the benefits of Morning Star is its location, says therapist Terry Teipner.
“We’re very accessible,” Teipner said. “We’re within walking distance from campus, which I think is a big plus for students.”
Teipner added that the relationship between Morning Star and the University of Whitewater is in good standing, with multiple staff members at Morning Star actually being UW-Whitewater graduates.
“The Morning Star group has had a good history with UW-Whitewater, so there’s some mutual respect there,” Teipner said. “Some of us like Brian Zanin and I are graduates of the university, so we feel it is necessary to give back to that community.”
As a therapist, Teipner says his job is to form a collaborative relationship with his clients to eliminate the stigma of seeking out mental health care.
“I want them to feel comfortable,” Teipner said. “Many people have the perspective that they should have the inherent ability to be able to manage their own stuff, so coming into therapy is showing a willingness to surrender that.”
Zanin and Teipner both shared some encouragement for those who may be too anxious to seek out mental health treatment.
“We do a lot of things to take care of ourselves,” Zanin said. “We make a lot of withdrawals in our lives with our personal energy and resources. It’s good to make some investments in that too, and I think good mental health care is a way to achieve that.”
Teipner added that when it comes to mental health, “your history does not need to dictate your future.”
Morning Star Psychotherapy is located in Whitewater at 1173 W. Main St, Suite B. Appointments can be made by calling (262) 458-2525.
UW-Whitewater also offers a number of counseling services, along with an after-hours University Health & Counseling phone line that can be reached at (262)-472-1305.
If you need immediate mental health assistance, call, text, or chat the 988 Suicide & Crisis Line.