Cindy Baker knows how to fix the wounds that can’t be seen.
“External wounds are visible to the human eye and are treated by medical specialists in order to prevent further damage and pain,” says Baker, owner of Touchstone Counseling LLC in Ozark. “I see my role in the healing process as working closely with my clients to identify and treat the invisible, yet equally damaging and painful, wounds of the heart and soul.”
Baker owns four mental-health related companies serving 10 area counties; the licensed professional counselor and national certified counselor operates Touchstone Helping Families, Baker Consulting Services LLC and Garden of Healing LLC.
Beneath-the-surface wounds often are masked by patients who claim they’re fine, she says, but left untreated, the unseen tumult can lead to years of substance abuse, despair or even suicide.
“It is gratifying for me to guide my clients through this arduous journey of conquering their greatest fears, anxieties and self-imposed limitations in their pursuit of health,” Baker says.
Over her career, she has conducted more than 30,000 sessions focused on helping individuals and families. She says people ask how she copes with hearing all the problems of others, but Baker says she loves what she does.
“Yes, I hear horrific things. I hear the worst of the worst. I am the first point of contact when a child is killed, or when a child is murdered and is pregnant with a grandbaby who will never be born. However, I do not focus on the pain; rather, I immediately focus on the best path for healing,” Baker says. “This quest is what truly motivates me. It is my passion.”
She works closely with children, often via area courts, attorneys and the legal system, handling difficult divorce cases. This experience has helped her develop curriculum designed to minimize the traumatic effects of divorce. Dubbed Children At Risk Emotionally, or CARE, it has been accepted by area courts working to meet state requirements for divorcing parents with minor children. The program provides parenting classes that explore best practices for children. Baker also has co-authored a program for parents in high-conflict divorces that the courts have utilized.
Her efforts garnered recognition when she was inducted in 2010 into the Victims Memorial Garden at Phelps Grove Park. Her work also has led to opportunities to inspire others in her field, such as in 2014 when she was the keynote speaker at Missouri State University’s Counselors to Campus event.
Baker says her proudest accomplishment also came from MSU in 2014 when she received the Outstanding Alumni Award for Excellence in Public Affairs.
“To be honored for serving and helping others heal from trauma, depression, anxiety, abuse, abandonment, betrayal and pain is a lifetime highlight for me as it was gifted due to my professional accomplishment,” she says.
