How I Can Help
“Vicki has a special calming quality that is hard to explain.
She is empathetic without being dramatic.
When I come out of our sessions I leave with tools that help me.
I have a sense of not only relief, but hope for a better tomorrow.
”
Highly Sensitive Persons
After many years of feeling like there was something wrong with me because I felt different, I learned when I was 47 years old that I am a Highly Sensitive Person. The trait is normal and not a disorder. This information was life-changing.
My passion for helping other Highly Sensitive People is a direct result of my own struggles to accept who I am, feel more at peace and have more confidence. Being an HSP makes us unique. I believe this is a good thing. We have much to offer the world.
Grief & Loss
My father died suddenly when I was eight years old. This was the beginning of many losses that occurred in a short amount of time. As a child I did not receive the help that I needed. All of this unresolved grief led to years of depression and dysfunction. It was not until I was 37 years old that I found a therapist who understood these issues. However, when I was 39, my mother suddenly died at the age of 65.
It was then that I had to find meaning in all of the pain and loss that I had been through. I realized that it was time to pursue my dream of becoming a therapist. So, at the age of 40, I began graduate school and earned a Master’s Degree in Social Work exactly 20 years after receiving my Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work.
Tips for Productive Therapy
One of the great things about therapy is having someone’s undivided attention while being validated and “heard”. We often don’t get this in our intimate relationships. While this feels good, it’s the work you do outside of your sessions that will promote change. I highly recommend that my clients bring paper and pen to take notes during our time together. It’s difficult to remember what was said when the session is over. Because I know that change takes time AND effort, I will often suggest books to read, tasks to complete or other types of “homework”. It is helpful to bring thoughts and questions to the session from the work that was done during the week.
Experience, Education, and Credentials
I have the life experience AND professional education to help you gain some peace and stability. I know what it is like to sit across from a therapist and feel vulnerable and raw. I know how taking the risk, feeling the pain, and the doing the work changed my life and allowed me to become who I am now and help others on their journey. I feel honored and humbled to do this work. Please know that you are not alone.
Experience
Aurora Police Department - Aurora, CO
San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office - San Bernardino, CA
Southeastern Arizona Behavioral Health Services - Bisbee, AZ
Boulder Community Hospital - Boulder, CO
Family Hospice - Boulder, CO
Military and Family Life Counselor (contract work with the Department of Defense) U.S. and International
Boulder Community Health - Boulder, CO
Jefferson Center for Mental Health - Arvada, CO
EDUcation
Bachelor’s Degree of Social Work, University of Kansas, 1983
Master’s Degree of Social Work, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2003
Certificate in Grief Counseling, American Institute of Health Care Professionals, 2019
CREDENTIALS
Licensed Clinical Social Worker #672, Colorado
Licensed Clinical Social Worker #0904016631, Virginia
Memerships
Virginia Counselor’s Association
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”