Our mission
Building Bridges Counseling & Associates INC. mission is to help individuals live healthier lives.
We strive to serve people through a holistic approach using integrity and compassion to help them reach their potential.
Through collaboration with family members, other providers, and individual input, we seek to deliver healthier mental health outcomes.
​
Building Bridges Counseling & Associates INC. was established by Kelly Wagner, LMHC in October of 2016. We provide Mental Health Counseling, Behavioral Health Intervention Services, and Substance Use Recovery for individuals and families.
We cover the following counties in Iowa for services: Woodbury, Plymouth, Monona, Cherokee, Ida, Sioux, O'Brien, Crawford.
We provide in office visits, telehealth visits for all of our services and in home visits for our BHIS clients.
about our staff
Our staff comes from a variety of backgrounds and consists of professionals who are trained and educated, along with having many years of experience working with children, adolescents, and families. Bilingual staff also provided.
Kelly Wagner
Kelly Wagner LMHC is the owner of Building Bridges Counseling & Associates. She has been counseling individuals and families for 20 years. She graduated from University of Iowa with a Bachelors in Psychology and Masters in Community Counseling from Wayne State College. She is licensed Mental Health Counselor in Iowa. She works with a variety of age groups from children to adults and specializes in play therapy and trauma. Aside from work she enjoys taking care of her husband and teens.
John Kirwan
Meg Bessman-Quintero
Meg Bessman-Quintero has been with Building Bridges since 2018. She has been counseling individuals, couples and families for 16 years. She graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Iowa. She is a Licensed Independent Social Worker in Iowa. She is bilingual (English/Spanish) and has extensive experience working with the Latino Community and immigrant families in the Siouxland area since 1990. She works with all ages but has a special place in her heart for working with teens.
John Kirwan is a Behavioral Health Specialist. John graduated from Morningside College, where he competed in football, with a Bachelors Degree in Education. John has been doing BHIS since 2014. Over the last six years John has worked with a variety of different clients on developing behavioral goals to match their needs and strengths. John approaches his clients as a teacher and coach who reinforces and helps individuals develop skills such as appropriate communication, improved decision making, problem solving, setting goals, being accountable to others, controlling impulses, and developing positive self-esteem.
Tanya Meyer
Tanya Meyer is a Behavioral Health Specialist and has been working for Building Bridges since 2018. She graduated from Northwest Missouri State University with her Bachelors of Science and participated in basketball for 4 years. In her free time she enjoys playing basketball and is currently coaching high school girls. She also enjoys spending time with her 3 nephews and watching them grow up.
Olga Ajpacaja
Olga Ajpacaja is a bilingual Behavioral Health Specialist since 2017. She has a Bachelor of Social Work Degree from Briar Cliff University. She worked at the Sioux City Community Schools District as an Instructional Assistant (ESL Tutor) and at Dakota County Health Department as a Community Health Worker. She has performed various positions in the community as a volunteer for many years. During that time she gained a great deal of knowledge and skills that have enabled her to perform her work and continue to grow professionally. In her free time, she enjoys working out, riding bike, reading nonfictions books, swimming, and spending time with her family.
Terry Neustrom
Terry Neustrom is a Behavioral Health Specialist and has been working with BBC&A since 2017. He graduated from Golden Gate University with his MPA. He got his Bachelors of Science from Wayne State College. He is a Veteran of the United States Air Force and when he is not working he is taking commands from all of his Granddaughters.