About
Why Vivant?
Borrowed from French vivant. Vivant is a concept centered on the holistic approach of mental health and wellness.
Kelly Binkowski and Kristten Buttermore founded Vivant as collaboration of providers that wish to integrate the 8 areas of wellness, recognizing that each aspect influences the others. Kelly and Kristten wanted Vivant to be a place where people could feel Alive, but also to explore the various areas that contribute to a meaningful life. Vivant embodies the belief that a comprehensive approach to wellness can empower individuals to achieve a balanced and fulfilling life.
Just like our belief that a holistic approach to mental health and wellness is beneficial, we mirror that in our practice.
Meet the Team
Get to know our therapists and how they can help you on your journey to wellness.
Kelly Binkowski, t-LMHC
Founder/Therapist
Before becoming a therapist, I spent years working as a registered nurse and nurse practitioner—roles that allowed me to walk beside people through some of the most vulnerable and human moments of their lives. That experience shaped the way I practice therapy today: with deep listening, compassion, and respect for every individual’s story.
As a mother of six, I understand the complexities of family life, the weight of responsibility, and the beauty (and yes, the chaos) of juggling it all. My personal and professional journeys have taught me that healing isn’t linear—but it is possible when we’re given space to be seen, heard, and supported.
As co-founder of Vivant, a mental health practice centered around the integration of eight key wellness areas, I am passionate about helping people build lives that feel balanced, grounded, and meaningful.
Whether you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or just ready to reconnect with your sense of self, I’m here to help. I believe healing happens through safe, supportive relationships—and I’d be honored to walk with you on that journey.
Specialized In:
- Athletes (from high school to Division I levels)
- Undergraduate and graduate students
- New and expectant mothers navigating postpartum mental health
- Professionals facing burnout, stress, or major life transitions
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
I’m Kristten Buttermore, LMHC and I have been providing mental health counseling since 2002. I have always had a passion for listening, REALLY LISTENING, to my clients and gearing interventions around what he/she/they need. I believe that our emotional health is an integral part of our whole wellness. I believe each part of a person’s wellness needs to be nurtured and cultivated.
Education/Training
- BS Sociology, Iowa State University
- MS Community Counseling, Drake University
- EMDR Basic Trained
- IAEDP Foundations Course Completion
- Approved Supervisor
Other Involvement
- Member of American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) and Iowa Mental Health Counselors Association (IMHCA)
- President of the Iowa Mental Health Counselors Association (IMHCA)
- Member of International Association for Eating Disorder Practitioners
- Member of the Eating Disorder Coalition of Iowa and International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals
- Interim Executive Director of Creative Counseling Services
- Ames Chamber of Commerce Leadership Graduate
Specialized In:
- Trauma
- Athletes (from high school to Division I levels)
- Disordered Eating
- Mood and Anxiety Disorders, and more!
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Internal Family Systems Informed
- Person Centered
Kristten Buttermore, LMHC
Founder/Clinical Supervisor
Abbie, t-LMHC
Therapist
Abigail is a humanistic, person-centered therapist who views therapy as a collaborative partnership. She integrates techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and narrative therapy to support her clients’ growth, and she is also trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Abigail values individual autonomy and is committed to honoring each client’s unique voice and experience in every session.
She works with individuals aged 13 and older, focusing on concerns related to anxiety, depression, and trauma. Abigail earned her Bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University and her Master’s from New York University.
Specialized In:
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
FAQ’s
What ages do you see?
Age ranges are based on individual clinicians.
Sometimes kids are unable to manage more than 30 minutes. Children’s sessions may seem short, but they are still working.
All child sessions are unique. Sometimes kids have parents/caregivers in the session, other times they do better without parents in the room. Parents/caregivers are almost always involved in the first session, and we will talk about these options.
If you are bringing an elementary aged child, we ask that you stay in the building during the session if you are not in the session. If there is a concern we will try to accommodate something. We want your child to be safe.
If you are bringing an older child that gets dropped off, please be aware of the end time (generally 45 minutes for middle school/high school aged kids) so they can be picked up quickly. Again, we want everyone to be safe and we will likely be in session and unable to monitor safety.
What diagnoses do you treat?
We treat a variety of diagnoses including, but not limited to, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and PTSD. Our clinicians have extra training in trauma, and am Basic Trained in EMDR.
We are not licensed to prescribe medications.
Are you LBGTQ+ affirming?
Yes. Vivant is LGBTQ+ Affirming
Are you faith-based?
While we are not faith based, we welcome all faiths.
How do I schedule?
For ongoing clients, scheduling your next appointment can be done at the end of an appointment, through the client portal, or by calling 515-523-5543. Counselors are not always able to accommodate same day appointments.
Insurance/Fees/Payments
Confidentiality
We take your privacy seriously. This is suppose to be a safe space and confidentiality is vital to that. If you want someone to be able to communicate with us about your services. (including billing) you can sign a release of information. This is also something that can be revoked by you at any time. Best practice includes coordinating with your primary care provider, but again, this is your choice.
HIPAA (Health Insurance Privacy Portability Act) protects your PHI (protected health information). Our emails use HIPAA compliant encryption. Our client portal and our backup telehalth platform are HIPAA compliant.
Counselors are mandatory reporters. As such we are mandated by law to report any suspected child abuse.
Child Specific: During our first session we will go over confidentiality with children. It is my practice to keep conversations private and only tell parents general updates (ex: ____was open and talkative today), unless there is a safety concern or something that I feel the parents/caregiver should know. If this is the case, I try to be transparent with that so the child is not caught off guard.
42 CFR Part 2 affords special protection when talking about substance abuse. Therefore children 14 years of age and older need to sign a specific release of information for parents/caregivers to obtain information from the counselor about anything substance abuse related.
Contact
While our emails use a HIPAA compliant encryption, it is safest to use our secure portal to communicate with your counselor. You may call 515-523-5433, however this is not the preferred form of communication as we are often in session and unable to answer phone calls.
We discourage coming in person without an appointment as we may be unable to help you. Our office space is shared with other counselors, but they are unable to see your information and will likely be unable to help.