Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Therapy for survivors of domestic violence, at your pace
Prairie Dawn Counseling is a one-counselor practice for adults who have been hurt by a partner. Bertha Peralta offers EMDR and body-based therapy, works beside your advocate when you want that, and keeps a quick exit button on every page.
Who it is for
What we do, and where an advocate does it better
Therapy is one part of getting free of abuse. Shelter, protective orders and a full safety plan belong to advocates, and we send you to them.
An advocate or the hotline
Who comes
Teens, and couples sessions with someone who has hurt you: we do not offer them, and can give you names.
What we do
Shelter, protective orders, legal help and a full safety plan: your local program or the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
How we start
An advocate can sit with you while you decide, and can speak with us only after you sign a release.
When
In danger now: call 911. In crisis: call or text 988.
Prairie Dawn Counseling
Who comes
Adults, 18 and older, who have lived with a partner's abuse. Whether you have left, are leaving or are not sure.
What we do
Talk therapy, EMDR and body-based work, at the pace you set.
How we start
You contact us yourself and tell us how it is private to reach you. We do not take referrals that share your details.
When
Sessions by appointment, Tuesday to Friday.
Services
Three ways we work
You choose what to try first, and you can change your mind.
EMDR therapy
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, paced so you stay in charge. It starts only when you have steady ways to calm yourself.
See EMDR therapy
Body-based therapy
Gentle work with breath, posture and tension, and with settling after something startles you. Always optional.
See body-based therapy
Getting steady
Grounding, sleep routines and private ways to be in touch, before any deeper work and as long as you need them.
See getting steady
How it works
You decide how we begin
No one is told you wrote, and you do not have to tell your story to start.
You write or call
Tell us how it is private to reach you: a call, a text or email only, and whether a voicemail is fine.
We reply the way you asked
One reply within a business day. Nothing else is sent.
A first session of 60 minutes
We talk about how we work. You do not have to say what happened.
Your advocate, if you have one
We coordinate only after you sign a release, and you can end it at any time.
How the practice works
- EMDR
- Somatic work
- Grounding first
- Your pace
- Advocates welcome
- Private contact
- Video in SD
- Fees in writing
- Quick exit
How fees work
The short answers. The full page has the rest.
Insurance we work with
Prairie Dawn is out of network with every plan, so you pay for each session yourself. We do not bill Medicare or Medicaid. If someone else holds your plan, a statement from the insurer can reach them, so ask us before you use insurance. If you would rather see someone who bills your plan, we will gladly give you names.
Out of network with insurance plans
No Medicare or Medicaid billing
If you pay yourself
You pay each session yourself, by card or HSA or FSA card. Your fee is given in writing before you start, and a limited number of reduced-fee spots are open.
Receipts for reimbursement
A monthly itemized receipt is available for plans that reimburse out-of-network care. Your plan decides whether it pays anything.
An estimate in advance
If you pay without insurance, you have the right to receive a written Good Faith Estimate of what your care will cost before you start. We give you one before the first session. If the final bill is $400 or more above the estimate, you can dispute it. The estimate is not a contract.
Checking your benefits
We do not check benefits, because we do not bill your plan. If you want to know whether a plan reimburses, call it before the first session and ask about out-of-network mental health services. Ask your advocate, too, whether a victim compensation program in South Dakota could help with the cost of counseling.
Bertha Peralta
Founder and counselor, LPC-MH
She sees adults after domestic violence, in person in Sioux Falls and by video across South Dakota.
In the first session Bertha explains how she works, the limits of confidentiality and the risks and benefits of therapy, and then she listens. Her South Dakota license is listed at the foot of every page.
She sees
- Adults who have left or are leaving an abusive partner
- EMDR and body-based therapy
- Working beside advocates, with your consent
Credentials
LPC-MH, licensed in South Dakota
EMDR training through an EMDRIA-approved program
Licensed Professional Counselor, Mental Health (LPC-MH) · SD Lic. # 000000
Questions
What people ask us first
Will anyone know I am coming?
We do not call, text or mail anything unless you choose it, and the contact form asks how it is private to reach you, including whether a voicemail is fine. The quick exit button leaves this site at once, but your browser may still keep the history, so use a private window or another device.
Do you take my insurance?
Prairie Dawn is out of network with every plan, so you pay for each session yourself. We do not bill Medicare or Medicaid. If someone else holds your plan, a statement from the insurer can go to them, which is one reason many clients choose to pay directly. We can give you names of counselors who bill plans.
What is a Good Faith Estimate?
If you pay without insurance, you have the right to receive a written estimate of your care before you start. We give you one before the first session. If the final bill is $400 or more above the estimate, you can dispute it. The estimate is not a contract.
What happens in the first session?
It lasts 60 minutes. Bertha explains how she works, the limits of confidentiality and the possible risks and benefits of therapy, and she listens. You do not have to tell her what happened. At the end you both decide whether to continue.
Are you licensed where I live?
Bertha is licensed in South Dakota. By video she sees people who are in South Dakota during the session, and nowhere else today.
What do I do in a crisis?
In an emergency, call 911. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, any time. The National Domestic Violence Hotline answers at 1-800-799-7233. This site and our messages are not monitored around the clock.
Write to us
Tell us how to reach you
Tell us the days and times that suit you, and how it is private to reach you. A message is not read right away: we reply within one business day.
- Tuesday – ThursdayToday
- 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- FridayToday
- 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
- Saturday – MondayToday
- Closed