Meta Schmitz

For over 15 years, Meta has dedicated her career to the mental health field, spending the last 10 years specializing in Community-Based Rehabilitation Services (CBRS) and case management, alongside her work as an elementary school behavioral interventionist. Over the years, her experience has spanned Child Protective Services, state hospital care, clinical research, and targeted service coordination. Grounded by a Psychology degree from Southwest Texas State University, a CFRP credential, and certifications like RBT, Ukeru, and CPI, her approach centers on practical tools, emotional regulation, and meeting people right where they are with a compassionate, trauma-informed mindset.

Before focusing on mental health, her path was deeply rooted in professional animal training, education, and wildlife rescue. From teaching kindergarten in her twenties to spending three years as a trainer and educator at the Texas State Aquarium—performing large-scale shows multiple times a day—her career has always been hands-on. She has spent years performing dedicated raptor and shorebird rehabilitation, doing industrial bird abatement with hawks, falcons, and owls, working as a surgical vet tech, and serving for six years as the resident “penguin and bird lady” at the Idaho Falls Zoo. That rich, diverse background gives her a uniquely patient, creative, and structured perspective that completely shapes how she connects with clients and helps them build stability.

Outside of work, Meta brings that same grounded, hands-on passion into her life here in Idaho Falls. Whether it's connecting with nature, caring for animals, or focusing on family and growth, those roots keep her anchored and guide the genuine, compassionate support she brings to every individual and family she works with.