Trauma and PTSD therapists & psychiatrists in Fort Collins, CO

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’m glad you’re here! Starting therapy is a big step, and it takes courage. I’m a licensed psychologist experienced in helping people work through trauma, anxiety, and depression. My goal is to provide a space where you feel understood and supported as you move toward the rich full life you desire.

Does he world feel like it has gotten a little overwhelming, or even a little nutty? You don't have to navigate it alone, therapy can be a place to slow things down, talk it through and. build practical skills to help you navigate with more clarity and confidence.

I help clients navigate life's challenges with practical guidance and a supportive, down-to-earth approach. Together, we explore goals, develop strategies, and build confidence. I aim to create a safe space where you feel understood, empowered, and ready to make meaningful change.

I communicate with empathy, clarity, and practicality, blending warmth and humor. Sessions are down-to-earth and collaborative, giving you tools to manage stress, set boundaries, and navigate emotions. My style is supportive, non-judgmental, and focused on helping you feel understood and empowered.

I specialize in working with anxiety, trauma, PTSD, identity exploration, family dynamics, depression, stress, and relationship challenges.

I also support clients navigating creative blocks, life transitions, cultural identity, and the emotional effects of childhood experiences. Many of the individuals I work with describe feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure how to put their experiences into words — and that’s okay. Healing isn’t about perfection or having a polished story. It’s about beginning where you are.

My journey into becoming a therapist began well before I was born — shaped by the inheritance of generational mental health patterns within my family. As a teenager, I turned to art-making as a way to express and process what I didn’t yet have language for. That process sparked curiosity and eventually led me to explore psychology, anthropology, indigenous healing traditions, and later, art therapy as a modality that honors both mind and body.

This wild, painful, beautiful human experience can be a lot to process on our own, and it can be empowering to sort it out with a compassionate mental health professional who can be a support throughout your emotional growth. I am committed to showing up with empathy and gentle curiosity in collaboration with my clients. I am licensed in and seeing clients in Colorado and Rhode Island.

I have a passion for working with visual artists, writers, poets, musicians, and designers. I am an artist who believes that creative expression can be a way to engage the healing process and help us make meaning in this tumultuous world. I love working with artists and creatives, but you do not need to identify as an artist or creative to collaborate in therapy with me. We all hold the potential for creative healing engagement with ourselves, in relationships, and in the world. I welcome the opportunity to work with clients of all backgrounds and identities.

I received my MA in Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University, my MFA in Visual Art from Rutgers University, and my BFA in Visual Studies from Iowa State University. Before I became a counselor I spent fifteen years teaching studio art and cultural studies courses at colleges and universities across the United States. As an artist, writer, former academic, and mental health counselor, I have dedicated my life to creating connection and depth in relationships.

“I help people build lives—and careers—worth living.” I specialize in guiding clients through emotional intensity, identity disruption, and vocational misalignment. My approach blends DBT and Career Construction Theory with Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, and evidence-based modalities rooted in meaning-making and personal agency.

Whether you're a teen navigating emotional intensity, an LGBTQ+ individual reclaiming identity amidst cultural stress, or a professional seeking to realign purpose, I offer a structured and symbolic space for change. Together, we illuminate archetypal patterns, deconstruct inherited narratives, and build lives anchored in values, clarity, and psychological flexibility.

Melissa Muggli, LPC, is prior service turned mental health professional. She served in the army as a combat medic from 2009-2012, with one tour in Iraq that led to her medical retirement. After her service, she worked as a medical assistant and psychiatric nurse assistant while attending university. She has an associate’s of health science, a bachelor’s of psychology focusing on addictions, a master’s of clinical mental health counseling and a master’s of addiction counseling. Melissa has been a practicing counselor since 2019 and is constantly pursuing higher education. She is a certified EAGALA provider.