Erin Barma

Finding mental health care can be daunting. Often individuals come to me confused about what they are feeling, why they are feeling that way, and how to make change. This process can be even more confusing if you come from a marginalized community or have felt othered in ways that make you question your intuition. I want to take the time and care necessary to get to the heart of what makes you who you are. The details of what you are experiencing matter. The only way I can help is if I truly understand.

A little bit about me:

I moved to Denver in the summer of 2020 having spent most of my life as a northern Californian.

My earlier experiences working in behavioral research on HIV prevention led me to a career in nursing. I attended the University of CA - San Francisco where I finished my master’s degree in nursing in 2008. I trained both as an adult primary care nurse practitioner and also as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, which was particularly helpful when starting my first nursing job in a very busy ED in Washington DC. There I found myself gravitating towards psychiatric care and decided to practice mental health care exclusively.

Since that time I have worked in mental health in various roles and settings, both inpatient and outpatient, in high acuity contexts as well as in primary care and prevention. I gained experience working with medically complicated/fragile patients and those with co-occurring substance use disorders. I've provided integrated behavioral health care to adult outpatients attending primary care clinics in CA, working closely with MDs, NPs and others, and across various specialties, in order to increase utilization and improve outcomes in behavioral health care. This work led me to my current interest in caring for healthcare providers themselves, whose mental health can often go overlooked.

I am especially passionate about serving health care providers of all types, people in the perinatal period, and LGBTQI+ folks. For the last 4 years (2021-2025), I have worked in a group private practice that sees health care providers and trainees as our target population. I have completed training through Postpartum Support International and the MGH Center for Women's Mental Health. I started working in queer and trans mental health more than 20+ years ago by volunteering on a queer youth hotline.

In addition to these interests, I have worked with transitional age youth and college/graduate students in campus health and counseling centers, first in 2012 and most recently in 2024. My work with healthcare providers and students unites my interest in role development/role transitioning; the process of "becoming" and growing into new versions of ourselves is a theme in my work.

Last but not least, I am passionate about the interface between providers and patients, and healthcare organizations and healthcare consumers writ large. I am especially interested in ways in which people cope with new diagnoses, with medical trauma, and who persevere in the setting of chronic health conditions. Correspondingly, I enjoy treating patients with health anxiety and somatic complaints.

I have taken classes through the Center for Bioethics and Health Humanities at CU Anschutz around the role of creative expression (writing and film in particular) as a means of understanding and processing health and illness, both individually and culturally. I adore taking classes through Lighthouse Writers Workshop and enjoy attending film festivals whenever I can. I frequently refer to and cite books and films during patient sessions.

I provide assessment and diagnosis, medication management as indicated, and treatment recommendations. A small number of patients I see for medication management I also see for psychotherapy. I take a stance of treating patients with a beginner's mind even after years of experience. Operating under the principle of cultural humility is very important to me. Reach out to me if you think we might be a good fit!