IFS Therapist in
Lee’s Summit, MO
A holistic, LGBTQIA+ affirming therapist helping you grow your confidence. Whether you're a deep-feeler or a people-pleaser, I'm here to help you return home to yourself.
Welcome, I’m Marci Payne (she/her), a licensed counselor based in Lee’s Summit, MO.
I’m so happy you are here! A little about my journey…
I’ve always rooted for the underdog, held space for the outcast, and been a natural listener and strategic problem solver. Becoming a therapist wasn’t just a career choice; it was a calling. Over the past 30 years, I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside people of all backgrounds as they navigate life's most challenging transitions and relationship patterns.
I especially enjoy working with those who identify with parts that cope through people-pleasing, caretaking, and peacekeeping. I am intimately aware of how putting yourself last can lead to chronic pain, resentment, and burnout.
My approach is also informed by my own healing journey. I’ve done the work of transforming deeply held wounds, shifting my own relationship patterns, and learning to embrace vulnerability. This personal experience allows me to guide you with both professional mastery and intuitive resonance.
My desire is to help you live into the truth of who you are—not who the world, your family, or your childhood religion told you to be. Together, we create a compassionate space for you to finally feel seen and heard by your core Self.
I’ll help you connect with yourself more lovingly, empowering you to make the big decisions you’ve been putting off and heal the wounds you’ve carried. You deserve to feel at home within your own skin.
return home to yourself
return home to yourself
My Values As a Therapist
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Authenticity
I value all people being freer to be themselves. And I acknowledge there are some settings and relationships where this is unsafe. I am committed to doing my part to show up as myself and allow you to do the same.
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Compassion
We all deserve compassion, even when it feels hardest to give to ourselves. Using an IFS lens, I am committed to helping you access deep compassion for all your parts, no matter what challenges you are navigating.
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Transparency
I value honesty and vulnerability as much as I value transformation. I am devoted to my ongoing learning, healing, and wellness, and I am committed to being open about how I show up in our work together.
FAQs for Lee’s Summit Therapist
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I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Missouri and a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in Kansas. I have spent decades refining my therapy skills to ensure I am both clinically grounded and intuitively led.
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I completed my Master’s (MA) in Clinical Psychology in 1997. So I have over 25 years of experience as a therapist in a variety of settings and many different forms of therapy.
I've journeyed with hundreds of individuals through life's complex transitions, and many of my clients return as needed. -
My work is primarily informed by Internal Family Systems (IFS). I have completed extensive training in this model, alongside a deep foundation in trauma-informed care and relational therapy.
Here are the highlights of my professional and educational training:1995: Bachelor’s in Psychology, University of MO - Columbia
1997: Master’s in Clinical Psychology, Eastern Illinois University
2001: Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Missouri
2010-2016: Bowen Family Systems Theory
2018: Discernment Counseling
2018: Life Coach Training
2019: Transform Self-Sabotage & Self-Bullying Into Self-Love
2020: Mindful Self-Compassion
2021: Self-Love Essentials
2022: Cultural Somatics
2022: Undo Patterns of Pleasing & Appeasing
2022: Integrative Somatic Parts Work (Level 1, 2, & 3)
2024: Navigate Relationship Rupture & Build Skills of Repair
2024: Decolonize your Business (DCC community)
2025-2026: Completed IFS Level 1 (Learn about IFS Therapy here.)
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Beyond my clinical degrees, I have studied various holistic and somatic approaches to healing. I believe that true transformation happens when we address the mind, body, and spirit as a whole, rather than just treating symptoms in isolation.
I’ve personally studied:
self-love
feminine wisdom
human design
cyclical living (Earth, menstrual, & moon cycles)
5 elements
astrology
intuitive movement
QiGong (energy practices)
I weave these intuitive practices together with my clinical training to help you break free from people-pleasing and reconnect with your internal rhythms.
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Yes, I want you to feel safe to bring all identities and backgrounds to the therapy room.
As a trauma-informed, IFS-inspired, LGBTQIA+-affirming, and liberation-focused therapist, I am a lifelong learner. I’m actively learning, unlearning, deconditioning, and doing my own healing work.
I hold and acknowledge that we may have different lived experiences. I am a white, cis-hetero, able-body-presenting, spiritual-non-religious woman.
My intention is to welcome all parts of you. And to guide you to become a resource to yourself, no matter what life throws at you.
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I use she/her pronouns.
I was born in St. Louis, MO in the 1970s
I have 2 young adults in college.
I’ve been married for 28 years, and we became empty nesters in fall 2025.
I am a Virgo Rising, Scorpio Sun, & Pisces Moon.
I’m also have a 5/1 profile in Human Design, which is someone who researches deeply (the 1 line) and provides practical guidance (the 5 line).
I am spiritual, but not religious.
I love being in nature and mindful nature photography.
I drink herbal tea every day & created my own home herbal tea bar.
I love organizing, learning, and also connecting with others on a deep level.
I always thought of myself as non-artisitic, until middle adulthood. Now I enjoy art journaling, painting, and mixed media.
I also love live music and curating playlists on Spotify of mostly “high vibe” music.
Schedule a Free Consult Call with a Counselor in Lee’s Summit, MO
Taking the step to contact a therapist takes courage. I offer a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation to see if my approach is right for you. I provide therapy for people-pleasers, empaths, and those healing from emotionally abusive relationships who are ready to return home to themselves. Sessions are available in person in Lee’s Summit, MO, or online for residents of Missouri and Kansas.