If you’re hunting for therapy in Des Moines, you’ve got options, and a couple of them stand out for different reasons. In my opinion, there are two that are especially worth checking out: Forward Consulting, LLC and Seva Counseling. Each offers slightly different styles and strengths, depending on what you need.
Forward Consulting, LLC

Forward Consulting operates out of 4309 University Ave in Des Moines. The practice leans into mental-health counseling, coaching, and consultation, working with individuals, families, and even organizations that want to address issues like trauma, identity, and neurodiversity.
They emphasize helping clients through transitions, whether that be changes in life, relationships, or self-understanding, using therapeutic tools like trauma-informed care, and often working with people who may be neurodivergent or coming from marginalized backgrounds.
Their approach seems holistic and grounded, which can be valuable if you’re dealing with layered challenges (school, relationships, identity, mental health). If you’re in a season of change or struggling with identity, trauma, or neurodivergence, Forward Consulting could be a solid fit; they tend to take a flexible, understanding approach rather than a rigid cookie-cutter model.
Seva Counseling
Seva Counseling is located in downtown Des Moines, with offices at 309 E 5th Street (#202) and 500 E Court Avenue (#330).
They offer broad mental-health services: individual therapy, couples therapy, teen/adolescent counseling, and evidence-based treatment for anxiety, OCD, and related disorders.
Their staff includes clinicians trained to work across different age groups and issues, giving them a flexibility that’s useful if you want help with anxiety and maybe family or relationship dynamics.
If your needs are more traditional (anxiety, OCD, relationship stress, teenage/young adult struggles) Seva might give you the kind of evidence-based, straightforward therapy that tends to work for those issues.
Which one should you consider?
If you want therapy in Des Moines that understands trauma, neurodiversity, and identity (especially with a flexible, human-centered approach) Forward Consulting could be worth a shot. But, if you want reliable, evidence-based care for things like anxiety, OCD, relationship issues, or support for teens/adolescents, then Seva Counseling seems like a strong option.
