Malinda Caldwell, MA, ACMHC

You shouldn’t have to explain everything before someone can help

Most of the people who come to me are carrying something heavy.

Sometimes it is a woman who has just discovered infidelity or problematic sexual behaviors in her relationship. Everything she thought she understood suddenly feels different, and she is trying to figure out what is real, what comes next, and whether she can trust herself again.

Other times, it is a parent who has shared their child’s story with so many teachers, doctors, therapists, and professionals that they are already exhausted before our first appointment begins.

These experiences may look different, but the feeling is often the same: you are overwhelmed, tired, and trying to find someone who will listen without making you start over or prove that your pain is real.

If your relationship has been affected by betrayal, I want you to know that you are not overreacting. When trust is broken, it can affect your emotions, your body, your confidence, and your sense of safety. I work with women experiencing betrayal trauma, and we will move at a pace that feels safe for you. You get to decide what you are ready to talk about and when.

I also work with people who are struggling with addiction or substance use. Recovery is not about shame or being reduced to a diagnosis. It is about understanding what is underneath the behavior, building healthier ways to cope, and helping you move toward the life and relationships you want.

I also work with young children, teens, parents, and adults in neurodivergent families. I have experience supporting children on the autism spectrum, so many of the behaviors, emotions, and family challenges you may be navigating are familiar to me.

Children do not always have the words to explain what is happening inside them. Through play, art, stories, and creativity, they can show us things they may not yet be able to say. Teens often need something different: a safe adult who will listen, be honest, and talk with them rather than manage them. I am continuing my training toward certification in both play therapy and art therapy.

Outside of the therapy room, I love being outdoors and climbing rock walls. I enjoy cooking, and baking is one of the things that helps me feel grounded. I love cheesy movies, cups of cocoa, learning new things, and—most recently—trying my hand at pottery.

You do not need to have everything figured out before you come in. You do not need to tell your story perfectly or know exactly where to begin.

Come as you are. We will start there together.

What working together looks like

Our first session is mostly me getting to know you: what brought you in, what you’ve already tried, and what you’d like to feel different. There’s no pressure to tell me everything up front, and you don’t have to be in crisis to come in.

If you’re bringing a child, you won’t have to re-tell their whole history from scratch. Send me what you already have, tell me what you want me to know, and we’ll go from there. You’ll get updates and something practical to try at home, not a year of sessions you know nothing about.

And if you’re coming after a betrayal, nothing is expected of you in that first hour except showing up. We’ll talk about what feels most urgent, and the rest can wait until you’re ready.

Education and credentials

• MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Liberty University
• Associate Clinical Mental Health Counselor (ACMHC), State of Utah
• BA in Addiction and Recovery
• Continuing training toward certification in play therapy and art therapy
• Clinical training: Encircle; Giant Step Preschool; Wasatch Behavioral Health, including ABA and clinical work with children ages 3–12 on the autism spectrum
• Focus areas: betrayal trauma, particularly with women; addiction and substance use; compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD) and pornography use, with both the individual and the spouse; and process addictions including shopping, gambling and internet gaming

Focus areas and who I help

A focused set of areas I work in most.

What people say about Redwood

Questions people ask before reaching out

Do you take insurance?

Redwood doesn’t bill insurance directly. We’re an out-of-network provider, which keeps you free to choose the therapist who’s the right fit and keeps the cost clear and known up front. Many plans do reimburse part of out-of-network care, and Redwood partners with Mentaya so you can check whether yours does.

Who do you work with?

Children from about age three, teens, adults, and families. A lot of my work is with women living through betrayal trauma, with people working on addiction, substance use, or compulsive sexual behavior, and with their spouses, and with kids, teens and adults in neurodivergent families.

What is betrayal trauma?

Betrayal trauma is the deep hurt that can happen when someone you love and trust has been dishonest or has broken the safety of your relationship. This may come after discovering infidelity, hidden pornography use, secretive sexual behaviors, or other painful breaches of trust.

You may find yourself unable to sleep, checking for more information, replaying old conversations, or questioning what was real. You may even begin to doubt your own instincts and judgment. These responses can feel overwhelming, but they make sense when your trust and sense of safety have been shaken.

You do not have to sort through all of this alone. There is room here for your hurt, confusion, anger, grief, and questions. We will move gently, at your pace, as you begin to understand what happened, reconnect with yourself, and decide what healing looks like for you.

Is this the same as “sex addiction”?

You will see that phrase a lot, particularly in Utah, but there is no such diagnosis. The clinical classification is compulsive sexual behavior disorder, and it sits with the impulse-control disorders rather than the addictions. That is not a technicality. Treating it as an impulse-control problem changes what we actually work on in session, and in my experience it helps people in a way the addiction framing often does not.

My child is young. How does therapy work for a kid?

Mostly through play and art. A young child usually can’t sit and describe what’s wrong, but they will show you in how they play, draw and build. That’s the real work, not a warm-up to it. Parents get updates and a plan they can use at home.

What happens in a first session?

Mostly getting to know you: what brought you in, what you’ve already tried, and what you’d like to feel different. There’s no pressure to share more than you’re ready to, and you don’t need to be in crisis to come in. If you’re bringing a child, you won’t have to re-tell their whole history from scratch.

Do you offer virtual sessions and evening appointments?

Yes to both. I see clients in person in Saratoga Springs and virtually across Utah, and Redwood is open until 9:00 PM Monday through Friday, so we can usually find a time that works around work and school.