Rachel Lucas
Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and Certified Addiction Specialist (CAS) in the state of Colorado.
My Philosophy
I firmly believe as humans we are all doing our best with what we know and the resources at our disposal. Our best varies substantially as circumstances, resources, support, and our resulting ability to manage problems fluctuate. Having a place to slow down and gain better awareness and understanding of our problems and ourselves in the context of our lives and relationships can be quite beneficial, even transformational.
I believe we all naturally gravitate towards healing and growth, and therefore therapy doesn’t have to be a last resort when everything has gone wrong and we are at a complete loss for what to do, desperate for relief. Though this is when many enter treatment, therapy doesn’t have to be a last resort. It can be akin to seeing the doctor for a regular check up to ensure we are healthy and functioning at our best. It can be a session here and there to broaden our perspective and expand our coping skills. Or perhaps a brief period of support and therapeutic presence while navigating a difficult time in our lives… Therapy can be these and any number of other possibilities, dependent upon the client and how they want to approach therapy.
However you may wish to approach therapy, I am honored to develop a meaningful relationship with you as my client, assisting you with cultivating your inner wisdom and intuition, empowering you to face and engage in the difficult and life changing work that therapy can provide.
About Rachel
I first became interested in counseling after witnessing the effects of trauma and addiction on my foster siblings as an adolescent. Feeling compelled to understand their behaviors and ways of relating with others, I then pursued a degree in psychology which quickly burgeoned into a passion for connecting with others, and supporting them, as they transcend their pain to reach a place of healing and growth.
I began working in mental health in 2004 and since then have completed a master's degree in counseling and gained a wealth of clinical experience working with adults, adolescents, couples, and families in a variety of settings. I have coordinated and run a chemical dependency intensive outpatient program, implemented crisis assessment and management in conjunction with brief therapy to clients experiencing mental health emergencies/crises in a psychiatric hospital setting, provided individual and group counseling to numerous clients to address a multitude of therapeutic issues, and worked with some of Colorado's most severely traumatized at-risk youth and families in residential and outpatient settings. I am passionate about forming relationships with my clients and helping them to find their inner strengths and wisdom.
Education and Training
I received a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Northern Colorado in 2015 following the completion of my internship at the Sexual Assault Victim Advocate Center (SAVA) in Fort Collins, CO. I have sought out additional training and certifications in my areas of specialty, and regularly attend education and professional development activities in addition to maintaining membership in professional mental health counseling organizations in order to stay informed about current findings in the counseling profession and further refine my skills and knowledge as a counselor.
Trauma is perhaps
the most
avoided, ignored,
belittled, denied,
misunderstood, and
untreated
cause of
human suffering.
— Peter Levine, PhD
Professional Memberships
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National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC)
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American Counseling Association (ACA)
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Association for Creativity in Counseling (ACC, a Division of ACA)
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Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD, a Division of ACA)
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Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (SAIGE, a Division of ACA)
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Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW, a Division of ACA)
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American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA)