Mental health in mountain towns like Fraser or Winter Park, Colorado can be challenging in the winter. The days are shorter, it’s cold as hell, and there’s more isolation, loneliness, depression, and anger. That might contribute to the high suicide rate here in Grand County. Read on to learn about 10 ways to protect your mental health as we head into winter.

What is your first session with a trauma therapist like? If you’re nervous about beginning therapy, read on to help calm your nerves. I’ll take you through the first trauma therapy session with me, including what to expect and tips to make the session comfortable. Schedule trauma therapy with me to overcome grief, PTSD, anger, and depression.

PTSD can be confusing for several reasons. When trauma hits, your body's survival instincts can go into overdrive. This is the "fight, flight, or freeze" response, designed to protect you from danger. But sometimes, that system gets stuck on high alert, making you feel unsafe even when you're completely secure. To learn more about how to calm these instincts and begin the journey toward healing, read on.

Talk therapy is a common treatment for PTSD, but it's not always the right fit. If you’ve tried talk therapy before with limited success treating your PTSD, you’re not doing it wrong- talk therapy just doesn’t always cut it. If you're struggling with PTSD, you may find that talk therapy is difficult to process a traumatic event, time-consuming, and not effective for everyone.

Have you ever wondered why you are so afraid to feel certain emotions? Or, why it feels like a caged animal is inside, controlling and screwing up your life? Trauma often disrupts self-trust and brings an overwhelming sense of powerlessness. When we feel overwhelmed and powerless, we become afraid. It might manifest as aggression, irritability, bad sleep or unexplained aches. Read on to learn the why and how, and what you can do about it.

Are you searching for how to help a man in your life deal with his PTSD, trauma, bad sleep and irritability? If you know and love a man who is suffering, you know that it feels awful to watch him suffer. You might feel unable to help him, or confused about the best path forward. This letter is for anyone who cares about a man who is suffering. Read on for specific ideas from a licensed trauma therapist who specializes in treating mens PTSD.

Have you been feeling extra irritable lately? Has your sleep been disrupted and poor? Are you noticing your relationships are not fulfilling, and you feel unmotivated? Maybe you are stuck “on” and can’t seem to relax? It’s time to assess your window of tolerance and take action to improve it.

Have you experienced trauma and you’re not sure what to do? Should you avoid triggers, or should you allow them in small doses in order to process? (Hint *its the second option!) There are so many suggestions on the internet, but what should you really do? Read on for ideas from a licensed trauma therapist. Please note: these tips are not medical advice. Please seek a qualified mental health provider for individualized therapy.

More men should get therapy. Is it as simple as that? No. Of course not. But there might be misconceptions you hold about therapy, and those misconceptions and barriers are holding you back from a life unburdened by trauma. If you’re a man or you love a man, this blog post breaks down the stigma, shame, and reasons that men are less likely to seek therapy. It also shares practical tips for seeking help for men.

Let’s face it, they don’t teach us anything about real emotions in school. Maybe because it is complex and sensitive and makes people feel uncomfortable. Maybe be because the adults in our lives had no idea what to say. How did you learn about grief? And, what can you do to deal with your grief?