Teletherapy for Northeast Colorado Springs - Colorado Springs, CO

There are an infinite number of ways to live life happily and successfully. I love people and our collective diversity. If your life is not what you want it to be or if you are longing for internal growth, we can explore the life and the person you want to be, your way, together in an environment free of judgement and full of warmth and compassion. I enjoy working with people of all races, cultures, spiritual beliefs, and gender preferences to achieve relief from life's distress, depression, anxiety, and past trauma with it's accompanying grief and loss.

If you are here, I want to start by commending you for taking the first step in your journey to care for yourself and your loved ones. You are worth it! Choosing a counselor is a very personal choice, and finding the right fit can make a world of difference. Most people will experience some type of hardship or trauma in their life. If you are like so many others who need a safe space to process and work through the emotions that come with what life throws at us, I can help. Together we can collaborate and work through solutions to try and fit your needs.

Many of my clients understand that they are struggling, yet are unsure what to do about it. Be it depression, anxiety, substance use, identity, trauma, or other such issues, it may seem overwhelming to address without guidance. Many have not engaged in counseling before or had a setback in their lives that they need assistance exploring. Many clients want freedom to be authentic in who they are, but have difficulty believing this is possible. We learn, together, that believing in and finding compassion for the self is an experience of being courageous and vulnerability is strength. We learn to own all of ourselves.

Trapped. Anxious. Worried. Out of Control. Done. You smile and participate in your daily activities, but really you’re just trying to get through the day. You have racing, intrusive thoughts that you cannot seem to ignore. You want to move forward. You want to work on these things, but a part of you cannot seem to stay on the horse. Perhaps your fear gives you a sense of comfort and routine, yet you know that this is unhealthy. Let’s gear up and battle this together. Are you ready?

The past few years have been traumatic for individuals and families all over the world. Many have had difficulty coping with their day-to-day struggles which has been compounded by underlying traumatic events, abuse, and lack of support. Many struggle with unhealthy coping mechanisms to help them manage their depression and anxiety. This often leads to neglecting individual needs, toxic relationships, and substance use. Understanding how these issues manifest in one's life and discovering how to heal and become the best version of oneself is a difficult process that is most effective with someone to serve as a guide.

Asking for help can be difficulty but this is a major step you have to take towards your recovery. I believe everyone should be listened to, respected and deserve a kind/compassionate therapist like myself that can help them as they struggle at some point in their lives. Counseling is a great resource to help an individual through the crisis, and can empower you to make changes in your relationships, personal and life decisions. I will strive to create an empowering therapeutic environment to help you achieve these goals. My overall goal is to give you the skills and tools needed to become the overall best version of you! Reach out!

Reaching out for help is the first step on the path to your healing. Walking alongside my clients, finding the best therapeutic techniques to fit your individual needs. Encouraging and empowering my clients along the path as you experience healing and wholeness as you begin a new chapter in your life. I specialize in working with women: Partner Betrayal Trauma, Intimacy Anorexia, Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, and PTSD.

I have a PhD in Clinical Psychology - Trauma emphasis from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. I specialize in PTSD and trauma, anxiety, and attachment/relationships. Clinical treatment experience includes the Veterans Health Trauma Clinic, Colorado Springs VA Medical Center, Iron Horse Family Medicine Clinic on Fort Carson, and AspenPointe/Diversus Health. In addition to this training, I am a combat veteran spouse, mother, stepmother, and disaster responder, allowing me to merge evidence-based practice with a “field-based” and realistic approach to mental health.

I strongly believe in the significance of mental health for overall well-being. The mind serves as the central operating system of one's life, and nurturing it is crucial for shaping a prosperous future. With a deep-rooted commitment to assisting individuals in achieving emotional, mental, and spiritual wholeness, I draw upon my personal experiences and academic background to offer empathetic, compassionate, and attentive care. My ultimate objective is to guide you towards discovering and embracing the very best version of yourself.

At Plankeel Counseling, LLC, we love to work with you to help you achieve your goals, heal, and restore your mental health and relationships. We care, we want you to feel comfortable, and we look forward to journeying alongside you - whatever you are facing. Plankeel Counseling, LLC accepts some insurance but is only accepting new clients wishing to self-pay at this time for either individual or marriage therapy. Jeff is not currently helping with referrals for non-existing clients. Jeff has 20+ years of experience as a therapist - don't hesitate to reach out if looking for individual or marriage therapy to be put on a waitlist.

You are pushing through every day, holding on to the last thread of hope that you have. You feel unworthy, unloved, unseen, and unheard. Even when the person you love most is around you, you still feel alone. You isolate yourself in times of stress and try to find resolve in your isolation, but you end up feeling even more lonely. You try to find distractions to keep your thoughts from building, but the distractions don't work. Things keep building up under the surface and the pressure almost feels like it is too much. You feel like you are about to break. Are you ready to make a change and allow yourself the peace that you deserve?

I believe the role of a therapist is to create the environment and container clients need to thrive and access their healthiest selves. Effective psychotherapy is about learning the skills needed to facilitate your own personal growth. Psychotherapy, especially psychotherapy focused on trauma, can sometimes be difficult, painful work that requires both courage and compassion. I am continually amazed by my clients' strength and resiliency in the face of difficult stressors. My role is to help clients develop self-compassion and meaning in a world that can often cause suffering.

I am a trauma-focused therapist who strongly believes that the negative cognitions we have about ourselves start with the trauma we have experienced in the past. I provide psychotherapy and EMDR therapy to those looking to resolve issues related to trauma, depression, anxiety, substance use, and emotional dysregulation. I believe for one to connect with others, one should connect with themselves internally. Through a healthy therapeutic alliance, I believe we can collaborate and work together to heal and gain coping strategies that will provide relief from symptoms of concern.

I have always had a genuine interest in the uniqueness and well-being of others. I believe that we can all grow from the situations we have experienced. Whether that experience be divorce, abuse, addiction, or trauma of some sort. Our brains & bodies have a way of healing themselves through processing. Certain experiences can cause us to feel alone, anxious, sad, depressed, unmotivated, angry, violated, exposed, and at times emotionally unstable. Here in therapy I walk the journey with you as we work through emotions, gain insight, and create more beneficial perspectives. I provide a space of safety, understanding, and compassion.

As an art therapist and sex therapist in training, I see our work together as sacred, deeply rooted in trust and respect. The therapy I offer is creative arts-based, person-centered, trauma-informed, feminist-relational, and sex-positive. My role as a therapist is not to provide you with answers, rather, I will walk alongside you as you carve your path of healing, explore your truths, and deepen your relationship with self and others. I strive to provide a safe space for you to process and to just be yourself on this process.

Distressing symptoms in the present often are from situations in the past which when addressed people report feeling free in the present to become their authentic selves and accomplish their goals. I wanted to become better prepared and so studied beyond basic EMDR training to become a Certified EMDR Therapist with the International Association (EMDRIA). Primarily I work with veterans, adults, young adults and seniors that struggle with past unresolved trauma or distress, PTSD, over reactions, anger, depression, anxiety and fear, impulsivity, low self esteem and confidence, emotional mood swings, as well as aging issues.

I hold a specialty certification as a Certified Grief Informed Professional (CGP) and have completed several grief and trauma focused trainings, including EMDR, a highly effective trauma treatment. I have experience supporting clients with a wide range of presenting concerns, including (but not limited to) depression, anxiety, relational conflict, as well as varying forms and degrees of trauma.

You’re doing your best, but still struggling. You have survived dark times already. You want to feel supported, yet people hurt and leave you. A part of you wonders if it will ever get better. My hope is that, together, we can find a path forward. By taking the time to get to know the parts of you that are struggling and hurting, we can begin to heal and listen deeper to what your heart is truly aching for at its core.

Thank you for taking the time to review my profile. Reaching out for help can be daunting and I applaud you for taking this initial step toward living a more rewarding life. I approach therapy as a collaborative process; working closely with you to ensure your goals for treatment are always my priority.