What we

Offer

We specialize in.

PTSD

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Trauma, Veterans, Major Life Changes

ANXIETY

Generalized, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Phobias

DEPRESSION

Sleep Insomnia, Life Transitions, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity

LGBTQIA+

Working with diverse populations across the gender and sexuality spectrums

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD occurs when someone experiences or witnesses a terrifying event that can have lasting effects on your body and mind. These reactions are not a sign of weakness and unfortunately PTSD can happen to anyone.

  • You keep re-living the traumatic event: Dreams, thoughts, intense distress when exposed to something similar

    You avoid things that remind you of the trauma: People, places, thoughts or feelings experienced during the traumatic event, avoid things/activities you enjoy that are significant to you to avoid the feeling

    Your body feels locked: Hard to sleep, irritability, lack of concentration, startle easily, always on guard

  • The Emerald Couch offers a variety of therapies to help our clients currently experiencing PTSD:

    1. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): EMDR can help you process upsetting memories, thoughts, and feelings related to the trauma. By processing these experiences, you can get relief from PTSD symptoms. Learn more about it here

    2. Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): CPT is a 12-session psychotherapy for PTSD. CPT teaches you how to evaluate and change the upsetting thoughts you have had since your trauma. By changing your thoughts, you can change how you feel. Learn more about it here

    3. Prolonged Exposure (PE): PE teaches you to gradually approach trauma-related memories, feelings, and situations that you have been avoiding since your trauma. By confronting these challenges, you can actually decrease your PTSD symptoms. Learn more about it here

  • The Emerald Couch is here is help you achieve normalcy in your life again. Goals for people with PTSD can look like:

    1. Lifting the weight off your shoulders

    2. Stopping the triggers

    3. Relaxing and feeling safe again

    4. Recalibrating a normal alarm response

The Emerald Couch woman sad needing therapy in Denver Colorado

Anxiety

Anxiety is an overwhelming feeling of fear, worry or dread. Anxiety is a normal feeling, but it is time to seek help if it is interfering with your everyday life or difficult to manage. Every year  about 19% of Americans are affected by anxiety. Anxiety can appear in many ways such as generalized anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and phobias.

  • Anxiety feels like it interferes with your life. This can look like:

    1. Restlessness, feeling hyper aware, sweating, feeling on edge or uneasiness, tense and feels like you are in a threatening place and is extremely stressful.

    2. Difficulty remembering things.

    3. Difficulty falling and staying asleep and overall increased irritablility.

    4. Easily fatigued or overwhelmed with simple tasks, this can be about anything and everything.

    5. Having a never-ending to-do list that is not productive.

  • OCD is a more extreme version of anxiety where obsessive thoughts lead to repetitive behaviors. This type of anxiety requires specialty treatment.

    OCD can present itself in a few different ways:

    1. Recurrent and persistent thoughts that cause distress or anxiety, try to get rid of these thoughts with distraction or suppression and you know they are unreasonable. Recognized as obsession, compulsion is trying to get rid of it.

    2. Feeling superstitious at times – Response is worried about xyz, so I do xyz a certain number of times. This can feel out of control as you might feel that you have to do it or can’t not do it.

    3. OCD can also look like an obsessive drive to engage in their compulsion. It can feel like a monster that grows and eventually takes over your life.

  • Phobias are an extreme anxiety around a specific thing that causes an extreme fear response. This can result in avoiding the trigger to a degree that makes it unmanageable in day-to-day life.

  • 1. General Anxiety

    We want to help you untangle and identify what you are anxious about and why. We want to teach you to notice what is happening in your thoughts, feelings and physical response and how it collectively affects your behavior. We will identify your goals together and help you move towards them by clarifying what is important and creating a strategy on how to get there.

    2. OCD

    We recognize that you may have sought treatment before (the average person struggling with OCD has seen seven therapists), but we are specialized in OCD treatment and are trained to help you overcome and find comfort. First, we will identify all obsessions and compulsions and rank them in level of interference in day-to-day life. We then manage the emotion that comes with the obsession so you don’t feel the need to engage in the compulsion. We will build a plan together to help stop the cycle.

    3. Phobias

    There are two ways we address phobias: do you want help trying to live with it? Or do you want to get rid of it? We want to balance what is important to you. Phobias require exposure work. We will work with you to slowly get you closer to the trigger until you are not afraid of it anymore.

  • The Emerald Couch has seen some incredible transformations for clients that experience anxiety. Common outcomes that we see include:

    1. Overcoming your fears in life.

    2. Engaging in your life free from anxiety.

    3. Obtaining a centered, mindful, groundedness in your life.

    4. Making decisions based on what you want instead of anxiety.

The Emerald Couch woman sad sitting and needingtherapy in Denver Colorado

Depression

Depression is common all over the world. Every year in the United States around 7% of people experience depression and about 1 in 6 people will be affected by it during their lifetime. From day-to-day grind, to major life transitions, depression can rob your joy and leave you feeling numb. Depression can negatively affect how you feel, the way you think and how you act and fortunately, is also treatable.

    1. Feeling sad or having a depressed mood.

    2. Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed.

    3. Changes in appetite — weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting.

    4. Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much.

    5. Loss of energy or increased fatigue.

    6. Increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., inability to sit still, pacing, handwringing) or slowed movements or speech (these actions must be severe enough to be observable by others).

    7. Feeling worthless or guilty.

    8. Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions.

    9. Thoughts of death or suicide.

  • Our goal as a therapist is to look at the whole person. Asking questions like: Is this a new and sudden feeling? Or is this something you have always struggled with your whole life. We confront depression head on to help diagnose what is going on in your world. We will create a treatment plan that is right for you and your unique situation while having the support and safety to see it through.

The Emerald Couch women holding hands

LGBTQIA+

The Emerald Couch is dedicated to working with diverse and marginalized populations. We provide a safe, judgment-free space to help people on all walks of life – including gender and sexuality spectrum and the unique needs and experiences associated with each.

  • Mental health therapy for the LGBTQIA+ community is an essential tool for individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, and other non-heterosexual and non-cisgender identities. This community faces unique challenges related to their sexual orientation and gender identity, such as discrimination, rejection, and social isolation, which can lead to mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

    Effective therapy for the LGBTQIA+ community requires an understanding of the specific issues and experiences that these individuals face. Therapists must create a safe, supportive, and non-judgmental environment where clients can explore their identities and feelings without fear of discrimination or stigma. They must also be knowledgeable about LGBTQIA+ culture and the impact of systemic oppression on mental health.

  • Therapy for the LGBTQIA+ community may include a range of approaches, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, trauma-focused therapy, and family therapy, depending on the individual's needs and goals. It may also include support groups, community resources, and advocacy services that help clients access the care and support they need to thrive. Ultimately, mental health therapy for the LGBTQIA+ community is an essential component of promoting mental wellness, self-acceptance, and social justice.

The Emerald Couch men partners showing affection needing therapy in Denver Colorado

Healing takes time.

Emerald Couch therapist Ana

Meet our team.

Meet our team of dedicated and supportive therapists that are here to help you, encourage you, see you grow and achieve your mental health goals.

The Emerald Couch therapists, Mitra and Ana, providing therapy in Denver Colorado

Experience what makes therapy with The Emerald Couch different.

We offer specialty care on a number of mental health disorders and treatment plans to outline your path.

01

We provide high-quality care that is built to teach you valuable skills and tools to carry with you the rest of your life.

02

We prioritize a relationship first to build a lasting support system.

03

You have the power to change your life trajectory.

If you are ready to feel better, to overcome, to heal, to truly prioritize your mental health – we are here for you and will help you take that first step.