It’s the new year! The holidays are done and we are deep into the cold, dark days and post holiday pressure on finances and relationships can be extra challenging. On the flip side, post holidays – schedules tend to open up and there is more time to stop and reflect on how to better take care of yourself, your relationships or your children at this time of year and starting therapy at the beginning of the year can be the key to new beginnings.
My office is located in Louisville, just off McCaslin Blvd and I specialize in supporting women, mothers, teens and couples.
For teens I specialize in Anxiety/school avoidance, sports and academic performance anxiety, depression, peer pressure, relationship skills, substance use, suicidal ideation, trauma (EMDR)
For mom’s I specialize in anxiety, depression, trauma (EMDR) personal growth and development, marriage and family connection, and parenting high needs, neurodiverse and LGBTQ+ kids
For couples I specialize in attachment, emotional regulation and communication skills.
My session rate for clients joining in 2023 $125/ 50 min session.
I currently have a few after school openings on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, mid day sessions Tues, Weds, Thursday and a few Saturday openings.
I don’t currently take insurance but I am able to provide a Superbill for you to submit for out of network reimbursement
I am also now a provider with the Second Wind Fund which provides free sessions for low income teens who are experiencing suicidal thoughts, depression and/or anxiety. If you or someone you know fits this description, please reach out and I will help connect you with the Second Wind Fund so we can work together without finances being a barrier.
This group is ideal for parents of children with Autism ages 18 and under.
Facilitated by a therapist who is also a parent to two children with neurodiversity
Experience a supportive and therapeutic environment with other parents who are also walking the journey of parenthood with autism.
Topics TBD by group needs, but may include a safe space to express feelings of anxiety and grief, celebrations of our children’s unique passions, support for how to advocate and navigate the school system alongside your child, challenges with sibling interactions, giving yourself permission for self-care, etc.
Single parents, divorced parents and unmarried couples are welcome!
Facilitator – Kelly Shaughnessy, MA, LPCC, Denver Boulder Counseling.
Day/time: Thursdays – 12:30-1:30pm or 5:00-6:30pm
Dates: June 2 – July 21st (its ok to miss a session due to summer travel)
Location: 587 Century Circle, Suite 100-D, Louisville, CO
Cost: $500 for an individual, $750 for couples
What is included in the 8 week group?
8 weekly, 80 minute group sessions at 50% cost of normal therapy rate ($62.50 per 80 min group session)
Optional add on of up to 8 individual or couples sessions at a 25% discount ($75 per 50 min session)
Fill out this form if you are interested in joining this group and we will contact you with more information
Okay you have been through the journey of waiting, heartbreak, social worker visits, home studies, unending patience, disappointment, paperwork, court dates, possibly international travel, cultural and language barriers and health issues. Now your child is in your home and life gets real. You start to carry shame because it has been harder to attach to and parent your child than you expected. You feel isolated and misunderstood. You are worn out as a parent and feel like you don’t have the energy to connect to your spouse, biological children, or friends. You look around one day and wonder if your life is forever changed. You feel like you would give everything to protect and heal your child but you worry you have lost yourself or your marriage in the process.
Parenting children through adoption can be very challenging. Especially if your child comes from a background of international adoption or foster care and even harder if your child was not an infant when you joined your lives together.
Many adoptive and foster parents have conflicted feelings about the ways their lives have changed since deciding to embark on the journey of adoptive parenthood.
Many people in your family and social circle don’t understand, nor do they want to talk about these challenges. Some have expectations that adoption should all be happiness and joy and redemption. It is hard to explain about the sleepless nights, stress, conflict, disruptive behaviors and grief that can settle into a family after your child joins your family. These unfortunate realities may leave you feeling alone and possibly hopeless, anxious or depressed.
In addition to being a trained mental health counselor, I am also an adoptive mom and I understand the journey, because I have also experienced it. I adopted a two year old girl from Ethiopia in 2011. She is now a teenager and we have been on a long journey of attachment as well as navigating school related, behavioral and social challenges – both within our family and with peers and classmates. We have also been on a journey to build connections with some of her biological family members and her birth culture. None of this has been easy, and we haven’t done it perfectly. But the key has been to receive support when it is needed and continuing to choose love and empathy along the way.
These challenges which I have faced as an adoptive mom have given me a great passion for working with other adoptive parents. I have led a support group for foster families as well as international adoption families. I have walked beside other adoptive families as a supportive, understanding and nonjudgemental presence in their lives and I would love to also be that person in your life. I provide a safe space to both process your feelings and encourage you on your parenting journey with your child.
I offer in-person counseling sessions at my Louisville, Colorado office or telehealth sessions if that is more convenient for you.
It is never too late to reach out for support, to receive the healing you also need, so that you can provide a healing family environment for your child as well.
Attachment with your child
Understanding childhood trauma and attachment styles
Marriage/relationship challenges in adoptive families
Grieving the family you thought you had and accepting the family you do have
Finding your own space for self care and self development as a woman
Understanding teen attachment patterns and identity formation
Difficulty navigating sibling relationships in adoption
Navigating school related issues like 504 plans and IEPs
Denver Boulder Counseling 
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