Mike@DenverEmotionalHealth.com

About Me

I came to this work through a long-standing interest in how people adapt to difficulty and painful situations – how patterns form, how we protect ourselves, and why certain struggles persist even when we’re thoughtful and self-aware.

My background as a trial lawyer before becoming a therapist involved intensive listening, attention to nuance, and working with people under pressure. Over time, I found myself drawn less to problem-solving and more to understanding what was happening beneath the surface – especially in moments of pain, conflict, or emotional shutdown. That pull ultimately led me to clinical work.

How I Think About Therapy

I don’t see people as broken or in need of fixing. Most of the difficulties people bring into therapy make sense when viewed in context – as adaptations to stress, trauma, or environments that once required certain strategies to survive.

My role is to help you understand those patterns with clarity and compassion, so they no longer have to run the show. Therapy with me is collaborative, paced carefully, and focused on what actually brings relief and change, not just insight.

(If you’re interested in the specific therapy models I use, you can read more on the Therapy Approach page.)

Who I Work With

Many people I work with have been in therapy before. They’re reflective, capable, and still struggling with anxiety, depression, or a sense of being stuck. Often, they’re functioning on the outside but feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or self-critical internally.

I work with adults dealing with:

• Complex trauma and PTSD

• Depression that hasn’t responded to other treatments

• Anxiety, panic, and OCD

• Harsh self-criticism and shame

• Emotional numbness or shutdown

• Chronic or suspected psychosomatic health concerns

What It’s Like to Work With Me

I aim to create a space where all parts of your experience are welcome – even the ones that feel contradictory or hard to explain. I won’t push you toward change before you’re ready or tell you who you should be.

Instead, we focus on understanding what’s happening, supporting the parts of you that are carrying a lot, and finding ways forward that feel grounded and sustainable.

Getting Started

If what you’ve been trying hasn’t helped, or you’re simply curious about a different way of working, I offer a free consultation to see whether this feels like a good fit.

Specialties:
Complex Trauma (CPTSD) • PTSD • Anxiety & OCD • Treatment-Resistant Depression • Internal Family Systems (IFS) • Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy • Psychedelic Integration