Shanna Riley

Working with a therapist when treatment is court-ordered or connected to probation or parole can feel different from choosing therapy on your own. My name is Shanna Riley, and as a Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado, I have spent approximately ten years helping clients navigate exactly that. My private practice is built around meeting people where they are, whatever brought them through the door. If you are dealing with substance use, addiction, anger management, trauma, PTSD, or relationship and family stress alongside everything else, I am here for those conversations too. Whether you are an adolescent, adult, or senior, my goal is to explore what is happening in your life, understand how you are feeling about it, and figure out how we can get through it together.

My approach to therapy is conversational and practical. I use structured techniques, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, that help you look at the thoughts and patterns behind what is happening and find concrete ways to shift them. I also draw on Emotion Focused Therapy to help you truly connect with your own emotions rather than just explaining them. Because I operate from a Strength-Based perspective, I believe we can harness your existing resilience to overcome your current challenges. For clients in mandated treatment settings, this means building real, applicable skills alongside meeting any necessary documentation or reporting requirements. What happens in our sessions is meant to be useful in real life, not just in the therapy room.

Our first session together is a conversation, not a test. Getting to know each other is the foundation of our work, so I will ask what brings you to therapy right now, what your situation currently looks like, and what a good outcome would ultimately mean for you. For clients in mandated settings, we will walk through any documentation or reporting requirements upfront so there are no surprises whatsoever. You should leave our first meeting with a clear understanding of what to expect from working together and a tangible plan for the path forward.