Addiction therapists & psychiatrists in Colorado Springs, CO

I’m a psychiatric nurse practitioner who works from the belief that people are not broken—and that many of the struggles we call “mental illness” make sense when we look at trauma, context, and lived experience. I’m especially attuned to the ways mental health systems, stigma, and labels can unintentionally cause harm, and I aim to practice in a way that feels respectful, collaborative, and deeply human.

My approach is unconventional and trauma-informed, influenced by perspectives like those of Gabor Maté, which emphasize compassion, curiosity, and understanding symptoms as meaningful responses rather than defects. I do not believe in rushing to pathologize the human experience. As Joni Mitchell once reflected about depression, sometimes what we’re feeling is not an illness to be fixed, but a signal—an honest response to pain, loss, or a world that has not been kind.

I am a trauma-focused therapist and I work with adolescents, adults and couples navigating anxiety, depression, PTSD, childhood abuse, and other distressing life experiences.

I have a heart to see breakthrough, healing, and freedom for my clients. I have 20+ years history of working with adolescents and adults with learning differences: neurodivergence, autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and executive functioning deficits. I have extensive experience working with individuals struggling with trauma, abuse, identity, and somatic issues.

I'm so glad you're ready to take action! Starting therapy is courageous. My goal is to walk alongside you and encourage you further. I consider my role as therapist an immense privilege, and seeing people grow and heal through therapy never gets old!

I am a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, and thank you for taking the first step in “taking back your life” from a mental illness. I feel that each person possess’ the needed internal mechanisms for success in their life. My goal is to assist you through integrative, lifestyle, and medication management combined with the internal strengths you possess to assist in guiding you through this journey we call life. I have been in the health care field for 12+ years.

Hi. My name is Melinda. I have been working in the field of Mental Health and Substance Use/Abuse since 2005. I have been trained and offer resources for CBT, DBT, Solution-Focused, Mindfulness, Trauma-informed and many other styles of therapy.

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 bring warmth, humor, and clear guidance to therapy. Cognitive techniques help uncover how thoughts shape emotions and actions, while mindfulness fosters calm and focus. We’ll also explore your values to guide our work. Humor keeps things light, and directness ensures we stay on track. Together, we’ll work toward lasting growth and confidence.I earned my Master’s in Counseling from Wake Forest University.

I try every day to be an authentic human who loves and respects the individuality of all other humans. Being a clinical social worker for 25 years, is reflected in my personal values and faith system. My goal is to spread kindness like confetti which has spanned serving in Baltimore, Jacksonville, Atlanta and Eagle County, CO. I have a solution focused mindset, believe in the mind body connection and giving ourselves grace. Life is not always easy and sometimes we need short term professional support, some sunshine, a deep breath, a 20 second hug and some new found eyes on the situation.

Feeling burnt out, unfulfilled, uninspired, and/or just not good? Looking for a holistic approach to therapy that will allow you to get back on your feet again and live a life you can be fully present for? Are you struggling with chronic stress, anxiety, and depression? Are past traumas and unhelpful patterns showing up in your jobs, relationships and other areas of your life? Let's work together to create a plan for you to be able to navigate your unique circumstances. Now offering business coaching to navigate hurdles that show up as a business owner.

I provide trauma-informed person-centered therapy. Additionally the modalities I like to work with are EMDR, IFS, existential, the use of mindfulness & somatic therapy. Whatever your therapeutic goal is, let's work together to determine what will be most helpful to you.

I will listen to your story and provide a space for you to process heavy emotions, trauma, grief, and other challenges that may come up. I understand that traditional talk therapy can feel scary, intimidating, and/or unknown if you haven't experienced it which is why I offer other options. Reach out and let's discuss your goals and what works best for you!