Mount Vernon Family Counseling has promoted two interns to full-time counselors for the mental health counseling service.

Presley Tapken is a temporary licensed mental health counselor who creates a warm, welcoming space where individuals feel heard, supported, and empowered. Known for her bright, bubbly presence, Tapken works with people navigating a range of life challenges, including anxiety, stress, adjustment difficulties, ADHD, PTSD, and more. She has experience supporting clients of all ages and is currently working toward certification in play therapy.

Tapken believes therapy should be a space where people can show up as their most authentic selves. She prioritizes building genuine, trusting relationships and offers clients the freedom to guide sessions based on what feels most meaningful to them. Her approach draws from a variety of modalities, including person-centered therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), strengths-based therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), play therapy, and trauma-informed care. With each client, she aims to foster resilience, insight, and lasting growth.

Tapken earned her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from the University of Iowa and is licensed to practice in the state of Iowa. Outside of the therapy room, she enjoys playing video games, reading fantasy and thriller novels, crafting, and spending time with her dog.

Madigan Crowley is a temporary licensed mental health counselor (tLMHC) who has a passion for helping individuals navigate life challenges with compassion and empowerment by providing a supportive space. Crowley has a calming, gentle presence and ability to meet her clients where they are in their journeys. She works with a range of clients who struggle with anxiety, depression, ADHD, adjustment and attachment concerns/trauma, and anger management.

Crowley values the therapeutic relationship and makes it a priority to connect with clients to encourage authenticity. Crowley enjoys using a person-centered approach to allow clients to bring what matters most to them into the therapeutic environment and tailor individual sessions to the needs of the client. She also integrates strengths-based and Cognitive-Behavioral approaches. Crowley often incorporates art and play techniques into sessions to allow for clients to be creative and express themselves in different ways.

Crowley graduated from the University of Iowa, where she earned her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling and is licensed to practice in Iowa. In her free time she enjoys spending time outside, hiking, crafting, spending time with family and friends, and hanging out with her cats.

Cayla King also joined the center as an intern this year.

King is a clinical mental health counseling student at Upper Iowa University. She hopes to work with a diverse array of clients, with a special interest in working with members of the LGBTQIA+ community and individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. King is passionate about taking a holistic approach to wellness and helping clients heal their bodies and minds. The approaches King is most interested in are Adlerian, internal family systems, cognitive behavior therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy. In my free time, King enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with her beloved golden retriever, Ross.

Mount Vernon Family Counseling is located at 104 Second Ave. N.W. in Mount Vernon. To schedule an appointment with any of the counselors, contact director Tiffany Clark-Zarifkar at 319-693-2266 or [email protected].