About

My name is Patricia Helmer Aurand and I go by either “Patricia” or “Patti” – depending on the day. I am a fifth generation South Dakotan and Belle Fourche native who returned to the area in 2017 after living and working in various parts of the country. The communities I have called home for a time have held as few as 2,000 people and as many as 3 million. I’ve worked with all walks of life in various stages of life and have discovered that we have way more commonalities than we do differences.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and an EMDRIA certified therapist™ with specialized training in using the DeTUR protocol and Flash Technique. When I’m not at Epiphany Mental Health, I’m likely either at home with my spouse and our dog, spending quality time with our family, and practicing self-care either through learning new things or watching my favorite MLB team when the season rolls around.

Background

After growing up in Belle Fourche, I left to earn a BA in Psychology and Theatre/Speech from Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. There, I learned how to hone and apply my skills at improvisation to creative problem solving through radical acceptance. From there, I traded the Iowa Dutch for the Pennsylvania Dutch and earned my MDiv in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was while in Lancaster that I began developing my affinity towards those experiencing grief and loss.

My career required several moves which granted me the opportunity to live East River, West River, and along the Missouri River in South Dakota before exploring Iowa, Arizona, and Montana prior to returning to the “Center of the Nation” to be closer to family. During these transitions, I became involved with hospice and began leading grief support groups. My time with hospice lead me to return to school to earn my MSW from the University of North Dakota where my Master’s project included a literature review exploring adolescent mental health issues through the “woes-colored glasses” of ambiguous loss and disenfranchised grief. The reason I focused on adolescent mental health was because I was completing an internship with a community mental health agency and working with adolescents at the time. Since then, I have continued to notice how the effects of ambiguous loss and disenfranchised grief – and all the other various losses we experience through life – shape how we approach the world.

Most recently, I was challenged to practice what I preach about the need to recognize when it is time to step into the discomfort of the unknown. So, I left my steady job as an outpatient counselor in a well-established community mental health agency to start my own practice in January of 2026. This step into the unknown has allowed me to be more flexible with appointment times, to expand in-person mental health access to those in and around Belle Fourche and to those in the southeast corner of Montana, and to be a better guide in helping my clients discover and experience their own epiphanies.

Patricia Aurand

Clinical Social Worker/Therapist
CSW-PIP, MSW, MDiv

How to Schedule

At Epiphany Mental Health, we use TherapyNotes for all our scheduling, billing, and paperwork.

How to Get Started

To get started, first call 605-210-4055 for a complimentary 15-minute session where we will have a chance to get to know each other a bit and determine whether we’re a good fit for each other. Regardless of approach, the most significant factor in determining success is the therapeutic relationship between the client and the therapist.

Once you’ve decided that you would like to work together, then you’ll provide me with the correct spelling of your first and last name, your email address, your phone number, and your date of birth. These pieces of information are necessary to open your chart and grant you access to the TherapyNotes portal that will be used to complete your intake paperwork, provide appointment reminders, pay bills, and provide you with a HIPAA-compliant means of communicating.

Appointments

Appointments are typically available:

  • 9am – 6pm Tuesday and Wednesday
  • 9am – 3pm on Friday
  • Evening and weekend appointments are also available

Sessions can take place in person or online through the TherapyNotes telehealth platform for South Dakota and Montana residents; in person sessions are available for any individual age 14+.

Rates & Fees

  • $250 – Individual Intake Session/Mental Health Comprehensive Assessment
  • $225 – Individual Session (55-60 minutes)
  • $200 – Individual Session (45-50 minutes)

I typically work with individuals ranging in age from 14 – 84 facing issues such as:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Grief and Loss
  • Disenfranchised Grief and Ambiguous Loss
  • Life Transitions
  • Trauma
  • Stress
  • Coping Skills

That said, if you feel like your specific concerns were not included in this list, I again invite you to take advantage of that 15-minute risk-free consultation to learn more about your options.

Introductory Rate

I am in the process of being paneled with Medicare, Medicaid, and other insurance providers in South Dakota and Montana. In the meantime, I am offering an introductory rate for those whose insurance I cannot yet take of $100 for the intake session and $75 for subsequent therapy sessions.

Sliding Scale

In addition to the current introductory rate, I offer sliding scale fees to a limited number of clients. Once those slots are full, those requesting the sliding scale will be placed on a waiting list.

The sliding fee schedule is based on annual household income:

  • Under $30,000—$50 per 50 min. session/$75 for intake session
  • $30,001 to $50,000—$75 per 50 min. session/$100 for intake session
  • $50,001 to $65,000—$100 per 50 min. session/$150 for intake session
  • $65,001 to $85,000—$150 per 50 min. session/$175 for intake session
  • $85,001 to $100,000—$175 per 50 min. session/$200 for intake session
  • $100,001 & up—$200 per 50 min. session/$250 for intake session
There is a $50 fee charged for cancellations occurring with less than 24 hours’ notice and for missed appointments. Exceptions will be considered for those experiencing illness, an emergency, or weather-related difficulties. This fee is charged to you directly and cannot be processed through insurance.