Misty Bruce Has Come Back To Her Roots At Campbell County Medical Group

Misty Bruce has come back to her roots at Campbell County Medical Group’s Kid Clinic. A licensed professional counselor with over 15 years of experience, Misty began her career at CCH Behavioral Health Services, and also worked at the Kid Clinic when it was located in the old Hillcrest Elementary School. She has a Master of Science degree in Counseling Education from the University of Wyoming. Misty wanted to get back to seeing clients every day after working for several years in a management and supervisory role.

She often uses play therapy using a sand tray filled with toy animals to engage her clients.

“Sometimes kids don’t have the words to say they’re sad or mad,” says Misty. “I can ask them to pick out a creature that represents them, and we can talk about the size of the animal, the type of animal, and whether it’s more friendly or more aggressive. This helps them to work through their feelings in a way that they can understand.”

She also involves parents, talking to them about their child’s interactions, and sometimes providing family therapy as part of the treatment plan. According to Misty, there is no set timeline for how long a child may be in counseling.

“It really depends on what they need,” said Misty. “I may see a child weekly, or every other week. In a situation where a child has experienced severe trauma, it could be a year or longer.”

Like many of her colleagues, Misty emphasizes that it’s okay to seek help through counseling.

“I wish the stigma associated with counseling would go away,” says Misty. “Everyone can benefit from learning coping skills—it’s not because you are weak.”

Misty and her husband Mark have an almost 13-year old son, Maddex, who enjoys golf and hockey. The family likes camping and traveling together.

The Kid Clinic is a collaborative effort between Campbell County Health, Campbell County Medical Group, and Campbell County School district to provide primary medical care, behavioral health, and substance abuse counseling. The Kid Clinic provides mental health services for any individual from 4 to 21 years of age. Counseling services are provided by licensed counselors and social workers for a variety of concerns such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, family changes and adjustments, as well as case management services. Both individual and family counseling services are available through mental health providers.

The Kid Clinic works to reduce transportation barriers for children and their parents. Parents are responsible for bringing children to their initial intake appointment, and CCSD will transport children to and from the Kid Clinic for subsequent appointments during school hours.

Misty is now accepting new clients. Call 307-688-8700 to learn more.