Email: denver@compassioncentered.com
About Me: I am living proof that it is never too late to find your calling. I started college at the age of 32 and graduated 9 years later and began doing the work I was created to do. I have worked in a minimum-security prison, for the state in a non-profit mental health program, in a 2- year inpatient drug rehabilitation facility, and with several private practices. All along the way, I have encountered individuals who are struggling because they feel unworthy and unlovable, think they are broken, and feel as if they are not capable of thinking or feeling any different than they currently do, but the truth is these individuals are courageous and brave simply because they became aware and asked for help.
In my 3rd year of graduate school, I read the book Healing Developmental Trauma and it changed my perspective on how to identify/view trauma. This book highlighted the silent traumas, abandonment, neglect, maladaptive parenting styles, and non-nurturing and how they impact our internal security. This dictates how our identity is formed, how we develop our attachment style, and the development of interpersonal skills. Because of this, my professional focus is Developmental Trauma in Adults resulting in low self-esteem/identity issues, emotional dysregulation, interpersonal conflict, and problem solving/decision making challenges. These often produce anxiety and depression and cause unimaginable stress. Additional focus areas include Psychotic Disorders, Codependent/Substance Use Disorders, Personality Disorders (particularly Borderline), Bipolar I and II, and PTSD. I am excited to bring my skill and experience to Compassion Centered Counseling to serve clients.
Professional Development: I truly believe 19th century Danish philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard, who said, “Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” Because I grew up believing I was not smart, and discovered I was, learning became an insatiable desire. Information and knowledge allowed my mind to develop and grow, and I do not ever want that process to stop. I love to read books and articles and attend seminars and training to enhance my skills not just because I am required to, but because I cannot give what I do not have. The only way I can help my clients find clarity for their lives is if I continue to seek clarity for myself. I know what it feels like to be lost in the dark hole of trauma, but I also know the way(s) out and that is what I hope to offer to my clients.
In 2019, I became EMDR trained and that education, again, shifted my perspective on how the brain manages and metabolizes trauma. I am very excited to be able to offer this service as well as continue learning in this area so that this specialized service can be offered to every individual that needs it. Also, in 2023, I became an LPC Supervisor which allows me to invest in new clinicians coming into the field and assist in their personal and professional development. It is the best way I know how to honor those who invested in me.
My Background: I grew up in East Texas as the youngest of 8 children and as stated previously, I didn’t have a very high opinion of myself. I moved to Dallas at the age of 27 and after a series of events that challenged my view of self, I took a leap of faith and started college at the age of
- I received my education at Dallas Baptist University, earning both my BA in Biblical Studies (2010) and MA in Counseling (2014). Additionally, in 2009 while earning my BA, I was accepted and attended a summer semester at Oxford University in England where I studied Philosophy of
Religion during the Enlightenment and the Religion of C.S. Lewis. In September of 2014, I received my LPC-Intern (now Associate) license and became fully licensed in 2017 followed by the designation of LPC-Supervisor in 2023. Every day, I feel deeply grateful for the educational opportunities afforded to me and pray I honor those gifts.
What I Love About My Career: This concept, for me, is difficult to articulate. You see, I love being a safe haven for those who are ravaged by grief and pain, but I don’t love that they are ravaged by grief and pain. I love helping others break the chains of trauma but my heart breaks because the chains are there in the first place. I love helping people learn to love themselves but grieve because of all the years lived where they didn’t. This quote by Stephen White from his book Critical Conditions sums up for me what I love about my career:
“I hold the hands of people I never touch.
I provide comfort to people I never embrace.
I watch people walk into brick walls, the same ones over and over again, and I coax them to turn around and try to walk in a different direction.
People rarely see me gladly. As a rule, I catch the residue of their despair. I see people who are broken, and people who only think they are broken. I see people who have had their faces rubbed in their failures. I see weak people wanting anesthesia and strong people who wonder what they have done to make such an enemy of fate. I am often the final pit stop people take before they crawl across the finish line that is marked: I give up.
Some people beg me to help. Some people dare me to help.
Sometimes the beggars and the dare-ers look the same. Absolutely the same. I’m supposed to know how to tell them apart.
Some people who visit me need scar tissue to cover their wounds.
Some people who visit me need their wounds opened further, explored for signs of infection and contamination. I make those calls, too.
Some days I’m invigorated by it all. Some days I’m numbed.
Always, I’m humbled by the role of helper.” Stephen White – Critical Conditions