Parents bring their teenage children to me when they’re showing signs of Depression or Anxiety (or both!). To the parent, this can sometimes seem like it has come out of nowhere OR it may have been a slow build over time. One day, you wake up and notice your teen hasn’t emerged from their bedroom for 24 hours or perhaps they refuse to take off their earbuds for an entire week. Maybe they’ve become so irritable and mean, you find yourself avoiding conversation with them entirely, just to avoid a confrontation. Perhaps they’re missing school due to upset stomach or anxiety about academics or social situations, or their social life has crumbled and you don’t know how to help them navigate those relationships.

Terrible things happen to teens. From bullying to breakups, car accidents to being called out in class, being a teenager is rough. Sometimes, the brain can’t fully process or make sense of the trauma (no matter how small it may seem to some) and the experience gets stuck, becoming a part of who your teenager is. Their mood and sense of self appear to be constantly influenced by a cloud of something awful.

My approach when working with teens dealing with trauma in therapy is to, first and foremost, support the family to stabilize. You need to feel some sort of connection and hope for your child – I get that – so we start there. You and your teen will learn about their brain and what’s happened to it together and then we’ll use the love you already have for one another to create the foundation for healing.

From there, I use Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to identify and address the negative beliefs that exist inside your child as a result of whatever trauma they’ve experienced. We work together to increase self-esteem, improve overall mood, and get relationships back on track!

I also offer a DBT Group for Teens via Google Meet. This group builds Mindfulness strategies, Distress Tolerance skills, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Communication so that your teen (and you!) can speak the same language as you deal with stressors in life as a team.

Wondering what to do if your teen doesn’t want therapy? I’ve got you covered there too.

Because I’m located right next to O’Brien Park in Parker, I have the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors with your teen, getting them moving, enjoying some sunshine, and breaking through resistance to healing along the way. Your kid not an outdoorsy type? No problem, we’ll start with some yoga and mindfulness exercises to set the stage for future sessions. Kid not into yoga? I’m not against a stroll down Mainstreet for some Fro-Yo at Swirls to bribe a little information out of them. And if all else fails, I’ve got board and card games to break the ice and ease into the more difficult topics.

So, what’s next?

You first step would be to check out the rest of my website (maybe info on insurance and fees would be helpful) and get to know me a bit better that way. If your teen is already on board, they can read a bit about me and feel it out some themselves. Then, you can call me and we’ll have a consult over the phone or, if you’re both ready to dive in, you can schedule your child’s intake session with the click of a button below.

Mothers need a special kind of support system that, unfortunately, doesn’t really exist in our society anymore. Gone are the days of multi-generational households where mothers, sisters and cousins all cared for the mother (okay, the baby too) after birth. No more are the groups of women that would meet monthly to celebrate sisterhood with spa-like care given to themselves and one another. And where can we find a reasonably priced, responsible babysitter when we need one?

Now, I can’t offer you gorgeous creatures all of what you’re missing, I know. But I can support you to find yourself again. Amidst the Lego’s you step on, the bottles you accidentally burn in the dishwasher, and the sibling squabbles you referee – you’re still in there. And you deserve someone to take care of you. 

Therapy for moms, with me anyway, is a safe place to vent and feel validated about a spouse who doesn’t help out enough, the never-ending pile of laundry, children who aren’t appreciative, feeling like you want to (need to) run away sometimes. After you’ve gotten it all off your chest, we can brainstorm together about what can change so that you’re higher on your own priority list, so that your needs are met, so that you can actually enjoy motherhood!

In addition to in-office, traditional therapy sessions, I offer Reiki and crystal healing sessions as well as in-home yoga therapy during the school year. While the kids are in school, I come to your home with a custom cup of tea, a satchel of crystals for Reiki and crystal healing, and essential oils and we spend a full 90 minutes caring for your mind and body using yoga, somatic therapy, aromatherapy and a good old-fashioned mug of warmth to fill your soul and keep you calmly energized as you go about your “mom duties” for the rest of the week.

Schedule a session so we can get started really taking care of you, for a change.

• Rate for individual and family therapy sessions for children and adults (which typically clock in at 45-55 minutes) is $150.
• NMT Brain Map Assessments with full color Brain Map Report and team meeting consultation are $1,000 and can be paid for by family, caregivers, or the Department of Human Services, if requested.
• In-home* Yoga Therapy sessions for mothers during the school year** are $250 for 90 minutes and include custom tea, essential oils, a candle, yoga practice, talk therapy, and meditation.
• In-office Reiki and Crystal Healing sessions are $150 for 50-55 minutes and include Reiki, aromatherapy, singing bowl, and crystal healing. In-home* sessions are $200 and include the above plus custom herbal tea and a palo santo cleanse of your space.

*additional charge for location further than 5 miles from my office in Parker
**sessions are limited to during the school day in order to provide the most calm, healing environment for mothers at home

A percentage of each paid-in-full session fee goes toward a scholarship fund so that I may take on Reduced Fee and Pro Bono clients. I encourage you to inquire with me directly if finances are a barrier to you and your family getting the support you need.

I believe you and your child will grow and heal best in a safe environment. Because counseling is a vulnerable experience, I fiercely protect the information of my clients. The truth is, because insurance companies require use of an Electronic Medical Record, and can access this record along with treatment goals and diagnoses, insurance is not confidential. In addition, once a mental health diagnosis is on your medical record, documented by your insurance, it has the potential to come up in a federal background check.

Speaking of diagnosis… in order for a therapist to bill insurance for child and family therapy services in the State of Colorado, they must provide a diagnosis. Labeling people with diagnoses that could carry stigma is not something I prefer to do. While some children come to my practice with previously diagnosed ADHD or Anxiety, others are simply “acting out in school,” or “withdrawn and disconnected,” or “having difficulty focusing and sitting still,” or “experiencing something awful and can’t get past it.” The key here is: if a diagnosis is helpful for a family to access additional resources or to have a better understanding of the mental health challenges they’re facing, I’m happy to provide one. However, my clients never need to be labeled to benefit from therapy or other supports with me.

Finally, because my clients pay out of pocket for counseling, we get to decide together what their treatment should look like. Insurance companies like to dictate how many sessions for what length of time an individual should be seen (based on that diagnosis, by the way!). I prefer to collaborate with my clients in order to determine the length of sessions that are most appropriate, how frequent they should be, and how long we might take to achieve our goals together.

My rate for therapy sessions (which typically clock in at 45-55 minutes) is $150. If you require extended sessions, this amount is pro-rated to accommodate the time past the hour mark accordingly.

A percentage of each paid-in-full session fee goes toward a scholarship fund so that I may take on Reduced Fee and Pro Bono clients to further serve our shared community in and around Parker, Colorado. I encourage you to inquire with me directly if finances are a barrier to you and your family getting the support you need.

Why might my kid need therapy?
As mothers, we do the best we can to shield our children from the harsh realities of the world. That said, there’s only so much we can do to protect our kids and the truth is, bad stuff happens sometimes. Whether it’s a car accident or divorce, the death of a loved one or even a difficult birth experience, children live through trauma that can impact their emotional and physical well-being.

If teachers have voiced concern about ADHD-like symptoms or if your child is acting anxious or depressed, exploring therapy could be a good idea. If you’ve noticed a sort of “distance” between you and your kid and aren’t sure (or maybe you are sure) why, your relationship may benefit from family therapy interventions. Or if your child seems extra clingy or nervous around or without you, it could be a good time to explore what’s going on with me to support you.

Why might I need therapy?
If you’re feeling unhappy, unsatisfied, and no longer willing to tolerate a life that’s less than what you dreamed you’d have for yourself, therapy can help! Resolving old emotional and behavioral patterns and programming will support you to find your voice and your vibrancy leading you on a path toward overall health and wellness.

Where is your office?
My office is conveniently located on Mainstreet in Downtown Parker, just above The Local Shop at:
19563 E. Mainstreet Suite 206
Parker, CO 80138

You’ll find a comfy waiting room with with water and tea available. I’ll come find you in the waiting room at your appointment time.

How much do you charge? How do I pay you?
I charge $150 for individual and family therapy sessions. My exclusive in-home yoga therapy sessions (which are 90 minutes, take place in your home, and include yoga and talk therapies with custom tea and essential oils) are $250 per session. You can get more information on my fees here.

To pay for sessions, my electronic health record system will automatically charge your credit card (HSA or Flex Spending Debit cards work fine!) on file following our appointment.

Do you have a sliding scale?
A percentage of each full-fee paid session funds Reduced Fee sessions for individuals and families who require a reduced fee to access my services. Please inquire if you’re interested to see if I have slots available presently.

Do you work with kids of all ages? What about men? Dads?
Bring it on! My specialty is supporting women, children as young as 4, and mothers with their attachment, communication, overall well-being, and trauma healing, I’m happy to work with adolescents, teens, fathers and adult men as well!

Do you take insurance?
If your benefits plan offers out-of-network coverage, I am happy to supply you with a bill for you to submit to your insurance company after you’ve paid your full fee for your session. Your insurance company will determine how much to reimburse you following their receipt of your bill depending on your Out of Network coverage.

I will bill Medicaid or CHP+ directly if you are covered by those plans. I have mindfully chosen to work with this insurance only in order to be available to serve children who have been adopted and those who have experienced living in poverty.

Please be aware that I have no control over the confidentiality of your information once you have submitted it to your insurance company. For information on why I do not take insurance, please see my article on the topic.

How do I schedule a session?
Honestly, the easiest way to schedule with me is to request your appointment through my portal here:Request Appointment

After we meet, if we determine it to be appropriate for your needs, I’ll provide you with a weekly “slot” on the same day and time that’s all yours from week to week. If you need to change your appointment time, you can use the client portal or call or text me at 720-675-1365. If email is easier, direct email at highvihealing@gmail.com is the way to go.

What happens on my first visit?
The first visit is an opportunity for us to get to know one another and to determine what therapy will look like for you and/or your family. I’ll ask a bunch of questions about your family and you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about me and for us to get connected in order to mutually determine how ongoing therapy will be beneficial for you.

How long does therapy take?
While wanting to know the answer to this question is entirely understandable, it’s very hard to answer! I empower the families I serve to end therapy when they feel as though they’ve completed the healing they set out to achieve. This could be anywhere from 6 months to a year for many people but there are certainly clients who feel significant improvement in as little as 3 months and those who choose to stick around for years.

What are your credentials and level of experience?
I am licensed by DORA in the State of Colorado as a Licensed Professional Counselor. My Bachelor’s degree is in Sociology and my Master’s degree is in Counseling. I have been providing therapy to women, mothers, and their children since 2010 when I chose to specialize in this unique population as a Child and Family Therapist. I completed Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) training early in 2017 and integrated this trauma-specific modality into my attachment and somatic focused practice.

I completed my Yoga Teacher certification in 2006, master level Reiki practitioner training and AcuDetox certification in 2019, and have used yoga, mindfulness, energy work, and meditation to complement therapy in order to enhance the healing process, especially for individuals who are healing from trauma.

If you have a question that I haven’t answered here, please call me at 720-810-2668 or email me at highvihealing@gmail.com and ask away!Request Appointment