In-person or online **Scheduling new clients for March 2026 Wait list available
Welcome to New Leaf Counseling!
About our office
New Leaf opened up in 2011 in Iowa City. In September 2025, we moved to 5th Street in Coralville, just across from the S.T. Morrison Park Pond. New Leaf's owner and psychotherapy provider, Annika Ross, LISW, has been providing mental health counseling to children and adults since 2008.
Annika currently sees clients ages 13 and up, and she works with a few couples at a time. Currently, there are no couples openings.
Mental health counseling is very often covered by health insurance. We accept BCBS, Cigna, and Midland's Choice.
You can call the customer service number on your insurance card to find out about your plan's coverage for therapy.
If your insurance plan isn't listed above, or you don't want to wait for an appointment, you might go to www.psychologytoday.com. There, you can review therapists' profiles, filtering by location, specialty area, ages seen, insurance, etc.
GETTING TO OUR OFFICE
New Leaf Counseling is right across from the pond at S.T. Morrison Park. The address is 1708 5th Street, Suite 2 in Coralville.
Our office is the East-most suite on the bottom floor of the RS Tower (look for the blue awnings).
Please park out front and enter the exterior door for New Leaf Counseling. There is a leaf above this door.
Have a seat and relax in the waiting room!
Why do people go to therapy?
People go to therapy to have an objective, outside perspective on the problems they are facing that are negatively impacting their mental health. Sometimes a life adjustment is making it hard to focus at work or sleep at night. At other times, relationship or family issues might feel overwhelming to sort through alone. People also go to therapy when they want to heal from past negative experiences.
Therapists help when a person's typical ways of coping with their stress aren't working anymore.
A therapist has specialized training to help you work through the problems that are negatively impacting your mental health.
Therapist Approach and Experience
Annika Ross, LISW
Annika has 18 years of experience providing outpatient therapy in school, community mental health, and private practice settings. She previously worked as a secondary teacher, teaching French and At-Risk classes at the middle and high school level and tutoring first-generation college students. After getting a degree in French Language and then Secondary Education, she earned her Master's in Social Work with an Emphasis on Counseling with Individuals, Families, and Groups in 2007. Annika opened New Leaf Counseling in 2011.
Annika has experience working with individuals ages 5-100. She has helped clients with issues including anxiety, work stress, relationship problems, and recovering from traumatic experiences. She adjusts her therapy approach to the needs of each unique client, but generally draws from CBT, ACT, Mindfulness IFS, and EMDR therapy modalities.
Annika is trained in EMDR and has used this since 2016. EMDR therapy is a modality that can help clients heal emotionally from past painful life experiences. This is an in-person therapy.
Annika sees therapy as a collaborative process. She helps clients gain insight about their thinking and behavior patterns, set and pay focus attention to goals, and develop more compassionate and curious approaches to their emotions and the parts of themselves that they tend to push away. Annika also teaches clients coping skills for mental health management.
Annika connects with a wide variety of people, and she brings a non-judgmental, supportive approach to sessions. She values referral to outside resources to supplement therapy work.
In-person or online services
Telehealth & In-Person Appointments Available
Annika provides services both in-person and by secure video therapy. She provides video-based therapy through Psychology Today, a HIPAA-compliant website accessible by phone or computer.
Many clients who typically have sessions in-person will use the telehealth format when they are sick but still able to talk, or when there is inclement weather.
Have a telehealth appointment?
Connect with Annika at https://sessions.psychologytoday.com/annika-ross
Make sure you are in a confidential location, and that your mic and camera are enabled.
Telehealth and insurance
Many insurance companies cover both in-person and telehealth appointments. Since every plan is different, please call the phone number on your insurance card to learn about your plan's unique benefits.
Client Testimonials
Client Feedback Regarding Services
(posted anonymously to protect privacy)
Annika is beyond wonderful and helps me tremendously. Scheduling appointments is very easy. I can't recommend Annika enough. She listens intently and cares. She always gives great advice and has truly changed my life.
Annika is wonderful. She helped with my anxiety immediately. I am extremely happy with her care.
Annika is empathetic but direct with addressing and understanding her clients' needs. She truly cares and it shows in her positive energy and humor, which makes me feel at ease during our sessions. Thank you!
I have experienced exceptional care and support with Annika. Annika is compassionate and creates an environment that makes it easy to open up and she has great insight. Annika truly understands me. I so appreciate being her client!
I have always been pleased with the service, communication, availability and flexibility. Scheduling is easy. Annika has been caring, consistent, supportive and creative. She has been an essential part of my journey. I am so grateful for her care.
I feel like you really listen to my needs, and give me good advice on how to improve. I think everything you guys do is very good and very well-organized. I can't imagine myself somewhere else.
Annika always makes me feel like the only client, and I know she is busy helping others too. She never judges me and has created the only completely safe space I've ever had.
Insurance and Payment
How do I pay for therapy?
Many insurance plans cover counseling, but you should call your insurance provider to get information about your unique plan. New Leaf Counseling can file claims for many insurance plans, or you can pay for services out-of-pocket.
New Leaf accepts cash, check, or credit cards. We use Ivy Pay for credit card processing, a HIPAA compliant service.
We accept insurance plans including BCBS, Cigna, and plans covered under Midland's Choice.
We do not file claims for Medicaid or Medicare.
Verifying insurance coverage
If your insurance is listed above and you schedule with our office, we ask that prior to your first appointment, please call the customer service number on your insurance card and ask the following:
- Is Annika Ross, LISW an in-network provider for your insurance plan?
- Do you have a deductible (an amount you have to pay out-of-pocket before your benefits kick in)?
- Do you have to pay a co-payment or co-insurance, and if so, in what amount?
- Is there is a limit to sessions allowed?
Forms to Complete
Where do I complete intake paperwork?
Once you have your appointment scheduled, you will be sent intake paperwork via DocuSign, which you can complete and sign online.
*Please complete intake paperwork 24 hours in advance of the first appointment.
If you are doing an in-person first session and you want to complete a hardcopy of paperwork in the office, that's fine too. Just let us know and we'll have it ready for you.
***Please also email to brent@newleafic.com a front and back photo of your insurance card. Thank you!