I love working with individuals, families and couples to help them achieve health and well being. I have been in Colorado Springs as a licensed therapist for over 35 years. The main issues that I work with are Depression, Anxiety, Mood disorders, Relationship Issues, Divorce transitioning, PTSD, Adolescent Issues, Health and Wellness, Life Coaching and Eating Disorders (and Disordered Eating). I utilize an Integrative Medicine for Mental Health (https://www.immh.org) approach to health, looking at the gut-brain connection and bio-markers. Although I have worked with many issues, I specialize in the treatment of Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating. The populations I work with are adolescents through adults, both male and female. Greta and Koda, my therapy dogs, joins us in sessions on occasion.
When working with Eating Disorders, I believe in a team approach to therapy to include a dietitian/nutritionist, a physician and/or psychiatrist and the family members. Lelia Davis,RN, BSN, MFA and a Certified Nutritional Counselor is in-office and works with the dietary component for our team approach to eating disorders and wellness. With young children and teens, I like to have one or both parents involved in the sessions for all or a part of that session time. This way we can communicate and be on the same page. I find this to be the most effective in their recovery.
From 1976 to 1978, I studied at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, and then finished at Michigan State in Lansing, Michigan in 1980. In 1985, I completed my master’s degree in Counseling Psychology at Lesley College Graduate School in Boston, Massachusetts.
With over 35 years of professional counseling experience, I have worked in a variety of levels of care to include partial hospitalization, residential and outpatient treatment.
In 1996 I started OmniHealth Services, P.C., an outpatient and intensive outpatient program in Colorado Springs. Later in 1999, I expanded OmniHealth with OmniHouse, Inc., a transitional home for eating disorder patients. We utilized a variety of treatment modalities to include individual, family and group therapy, massage therapy, nutritional counsel, chef prepared meals, psychodynamic therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), yoga, rock climbing, and Adventure therapy. This innovative treatment facility operated until 2004.
In 2012, I was a member of a team of volunteer professionals at The Eating Disorder Foundation, a non-profit, who opened a support center called A Place of Our Own in Denver. This innovative center, the first of its kind in the United States, provides free support groups for those struggling with eating disorders.
From 2004 to present, I have been in private practice. I am passionate about helping others achieve their goals and dreams and know that full recovery is attainable!