FAQs About Counseling and Therapy in Denver
Life’s challenges can feel like a lot to hold, especially if you’re navigating motherhood, trying to work through past hurts, or just feeling a bit lost in your life. Being here in Denver—a place that’s known for outdoor adventure and big city life—sometimes adds to the pressure to have it all together. If you’re looking for support, you’ve probably noticed there are lots of options. Figuring out what’s right for you can feel overwhelming.
As a therapist in Denver who works with women and moms, I get it. My focus is on helping you feel grounded and connected, whether you’re newly postpartum, working through relationship struggles, or trying to move past old patterns that aren’t working for you anymore. This FAQ is here to help answer some of the big questions about therapy and art therapy, so you can feel more comfortable taking that next step.
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How Do I Know if Therapy Is Right for Me?
It's completely understandable to have concerns about starting therapy. Opening up to a new therapist can feel daunting, especially when it involves sharing personal and vulnerable aspects of your life with someone you don’t yet know. Finding a therapist in Denver who feels like the right fit for you can make a big difference in this journey.
Fears Around Expectations
One of the most common worries is wondering what to expect. The great thing about starting therapy in Denver is that there are many different therapists available, each with unique specialties and approaches, including art therapy. Many Denver therapists even offer free consultations, giving you a chance to ask questions and explore if their style and expertise are a good match for you.
Therapy is flexible and can be adapted to fit your unique pace and goals. It may take time to find the therapist and approach that works best for you, but the investment in feeling better and finding relief is well worth it (in my opinion!).
What Can I Expect from Therapy in Denver?
Therapy is like having a relationship that’s all about you—a place where you can truly be yourself without judgment. You can expect therapy to feel like a hug. In Denver, you’ll find therapists who offer a warm, supportive space to help you tackle life’s challenges and reach your personal goals, whether that’s managing anxiety, healing old wounds, or feeling more connected to yourself.
A New Perspective
Think of therapy as a unique opportunity to try out new ways of relating to yourself and others. Your therapist might help you practice communication skills, work through self-care strategies, or even role-play tricky conversations. You’ll have their support every step of the way, with guidance and encouragement as you build skills to strengthen your relationships and bring more ease into your life. Therapy is a chance to invest in yourself, learn, and grow in a way that feels safe, compassionate, and focused on what matters most to you.
How Does Therapy Support Relationship Challenges?
Research shows that one of the most powerful parts of therapy is the relationship between you and your therapist. This relationship acts as a model for building healthier connections outside of therapy, too. Therapy provides a unique space to heal from past experiences, explore new ways of relating, and discover parts of yourself you might not be aware of. This self-awareness and personal growth can help you feel more secure, connected, and fulfilled in your relationships.
Creating Healthier Patterns
Therapy can be especially life-changing when it comes to attachment issues—the patterns we develop in relationships based on early bonds with caregivers. By understanding and healing these patterns, therapy can support clients in strengthening their connections with partners, deepening their bonds with children, and building a kinder, more compassionate relationship with themselves.
Can Therapy Help with Postpartum Anxiety and Depression?
Absolutely. Therapy can be incredibly supportive for both moms and their partners dealing with postpartum anxiety or depression. During this time, therapy helps new parents recognize their symptoms and understand why they’re experiencing them, reassuring them that they’re not alone and that these feelings aren’t their fault. Finding a therapist in Denver trained in perinatal mental health can provide invaluable support for navigating the identity shifts and emotional challenges that are unique to parenthood.
Protection and Prevention
Therapy can also help prevent symptoms from worsening. It offers you a safe environment to unpack your feelings and find relief, so you feel better equipped to care for yourself and your baby. Together with your therapist, you can explore the changes you're experiencing, address the mix of emotions that arise, and work toward finding a balanced, more connected sense of self.
What’s the Difference Between Traditional Talk Therapy and Art Therapy?
Talk therapy, or psychotherapy, is what is known as a top-down approach. It focuses on using the mind, through cognitive processing, verbal communication, and emotional awareness to change patterns in the way we think, feel and behave. Talk therapy can take place one-on-one with a therapist, both in person or online, or in a group setting. There are many different types of talk therapy, including Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic therapy, Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), Interpersonal therapy (IPT) or Holistic therapy, to name a few.
In contrast, art therapy is a bottom-up approach that uses creative processes to support healing. Through artmaking, clients are guided to become present and connect with their body’s sensations, emotions, and responses. Instead of focusing on cognitive or verbal processing, information is received through the senses, creating safety, soothing the nervous system, and fostering self-awareness.
My approach combines both psychotherapy and art therapy, offering a holistic mind-body-spirit approach to wellness. Clients can choose one method or a blend of both based on their needs and comfort level.
How Can Art Therapy Help Me Heal?
Art therapy can be profoundly healing, especially for those processing trauma and the unique challenges of motherhood. The non-verbal, expressive aspect of art therapy makes it accessible and effective for many people, particularly when words alone feel limiting or even overwhelming. Why?
Getting to the Root
Trauma often leaves a lasting imprint on the body and mind, storing itself in images, sensations, and non-verbal memories rather than words. This is why talk therapy alone can sometimes feel insufficient for processing trauma; language might not fully reach the root of these embodied experiences. Art therapy bridges this gap by working directly with non-verbal expression, allowing you to access, express, and process these deep-seated emotions in a way that feels safe and contained. Through creating art, you can bring these inner experiences to light, facilitating a sense of release, relief, and understanding.
Expression as Communication
If you've ever experienced “mom-brain”—the mental fog that often accompanies early parenthood—you know that lack of sleep, hormonal changes, and the demands of caring for a newborn can make even basic communication feel challenging. In these moments, finding words to describe emotions or experiences might feel impossible, which is where art therapy shines. Words are entirely optional in art therapy; instead, you can use color, shape, and imagery to express yourself. Art allows for the exploration of feelings like overwhelm, joy, grief, and self-doubt without the need for explanations or precise language. This is especially helpful for new moms who might feel isolated or disconnected from their pre-parent selves, as it offers a gentle, nonjudgmental space to reconnect and process their new identity.
What Issues Can Art Therapy Help With Beyond Trauma and Motherhood?
Stress and Anxiety
Beyond trauma and motherhood, art therapy can be incredibly supportive for a range of other issues, including managing stress and anxiety. Art therapists often use prompts that invite you to work with soothing colors, gentle lines, and calming shapes—all of which can help slow things down and encourage relaxation. Creating art itself is natural relaxant; it quiets the mind, can lower your heart rate, and brings you into the present moment, which helps ease anxious thoughts.
Relationship Issues
Art therapy can also be helpful in navigating relationship and attachment issues. Relationships can feel complex, and understanding your own patterns can be challenging. Art therapists might invite you to explore your relational patterns through creative expression, like using colors, shapes, or imagery to represent the feelings or dynamics in a relationship. This approach helps you to see and understand your own ways of relating and communicating, which can lead to healthier relationships with both yourself and others.
Grief and Loss
When it comes to grief and loss, art therapy provides a gentle space to hold the depth and complexity of these emotions. Humans are meaning-makers; many of us want to find some sense in loss. An art therapist can help you honor and memorialize a loved one, an experience, or even a part of yourself through artmaking. In this way, you can process grief in a meaningful, tangible way that supports healing.
Where Do I Go From Here?
Counseling can be the first step toward healing, growth, and resilience. Whether you're dealing with stress in motherhood, relationship struggles, or looking to better understand yourself, connecting with the right therapist in Denver can make a meaningful difference. My approach blends art therapy, mindfulness, and body-based practices to create a holistic, compassionate experience tailored to your unique needs.
Book a Free Consultation
If you’d like to learn more about how art therapy can support your journey, I encourage you to explore my services or reach out for a free consultation. Working with a therapist in Denver who understands your goals and challenges can help you find new insights, build resilience, and reconnect with your inner strengths.
Consider The Therapeutic Art Guidebook
And for those curious to dive into creative self-care at home, download The Therapeutic Art Guidebook. This guide provides art-based exercises designed to help you begin or deepen your journey of self-discovery and healing.
Taking that first step is often the hardest, but it opens doors to a more connected, empowered, and joy-filled life.
Like what you read today? Check out related articles: Finding the Right Therapist in Denver and Consultation Questions to Ask a Psychologist, Counselor or Therapist in Denver
