When Kurt Sayers talks about his path to becoming a therapist, it sounds more like the beginning of an FBI drama than a quiet office in Anoka, Minnesota.

“I was actually training to be part of the FBI,” Sayers said with a laugh. “I’ve always had a fascination and love for learning about people, and I wanted to help as many people as I could. The FBI seemed like the way to do that.”

A college forensics class changed everything. The professor mentioned that some of the FBI’s top criminal profilers held clinical psychology degrees. Sayers signed up, expecting to spend his career analyzing case files and crime scenes. Instead, he found himself in a practicum where he had to conduct therapy sessions.

“I was like, I’m sorry, I have to do what now?” he recalled. “But I fell in love with it. I love listening to people’s stories. I love problem solving and putting puzzles together. People have both of those.”

Today, Sayers is part of the leadership team at Life Essentials Psychology, a growing clinic in Anoka led by founder Thao-Ha Phan. The clinic focuses on trauma, neurodivergence, and culturally relevant care. Its mission is straightforward: serve the community, train new therapists, and create an environment where both clients and clinicians know they matter.

A Different Kind of Clinic

Life Essentials first launched eight years ago in Wisconsin, then briefly operated in Osseo before closing due to limited resources. Phan revived the clinic in April of this year, and Sayers joined to help bring the shared vision to life.

“At a lot of larger companies, clients can feel like numbers. Clinicians can feel like numbers too,” Sayers said. “We want people to know they matter. We want our clinicians to know they matter. When they mess up, it’s not punishment. It’s a learning opportunity.”

The clinic works with a broad range of clients, from six-year-olds to adults in their eighties. But it is making an intentional push to reach more BIPOC communities in the Anoka and Andover area.

“It’s so underserved,” Sayers said. “We have more BIPOC clinicians joining because cultural understanding matters. Being a person of color in this area is a different experience. You want a therapist who doesn’t need you to spend half your session explaining why something is hurtful before you can even start working on it.”

Meeting People Where They Are

Life Essentials puts an emphasis on making therapy approachable, especially for first-timers who might be anxious or skeptical.

“When someone comes in for the first time, I ask if they’ve ever done therapy before and what they expect,” Sayers explained. “People sometimes imagine a very clinical, Freud-style session where they lie on a couch. My approach is more like having a conversation. Over the years I’ve developed my own style, and I think it helps people feel at ease.”

That style extends to how Sayers sees his role in a client’s life.

“I tell clients, I can fire you just like you can fire me. I see you because I enjoy it. I like talking to you. I’m passionate about this work,” he said.

Focus on Neurodivergence

One of the clinic’s specialties is working with neurodivergent clients, including those with ADHD or autism. For Sayers, this is personal.

“I have ADHD myself,” he said. “When I finally got tested, it explained so much. And there are positive sides to it. In a crisis, my brain slows things down, which helps me stay clear-headed.”

Sayers believes that diagnosis should not be seen as a sentence. Instead, it can be a relief.

“When people get diagnosed, they often feel a weight lifted. They understand themselves better. Now they can work with it,” he said.

Training the Next Generation

Life Essentials also invests heavily in training new therapists.

“Supervision is like a medical residency for therapists,” Sayers said. “I meet with my clinicians twice a week to talk through cases and help them understand why people get stuck. We also look for outside trainings and cover the cost, like EMDR trauma therapy training. Eventually, I’d love to develop our own training library.”

Beyond the Office

The clinic’s work extends into community spaces through free trainings and presentations.

“We do things like stress management workshops,” Sayers said. “Some people have told me we should charge for them, but the point is to reach as many people as possible. The money will come later. Right now the priority is helping people.”

In a time when mental health care often feels rushed, expensive, and disconnected from local realities, Life Essentials is betting on a different approach — one that is patient, culturally aware, and deeply tied to the community it serves.

“At the end of the day, I want to be able to look in the mirror and say what I do matters,” Sayers said. “That’s the whole reason I became a therapist.”