About Colleen

If one concept could describe the unifying theme of my lifespan thus far, it would be a passion for holistic living.

ho·lis·tic (hōlĭs′tĭk)adj.

  1. Of or relating to holism.
  2. Emphasizing the importance of the whole and the interdependence of its parts.
  3. Concerned with integrating wholes rather than reductionist views of isolated parts. Eg: holistic medicine; holistic ecology

I’ve been a gardener and in love with the land, experimenting with how different types of manure affected flowers, since I was a child.

My passion for and curiosity about what makes the soil so special led to a Master’s degree in Soil and Water Science, doing research and education on the holistic treatment of polluted soil in accord with the genius of Nature, as opposed to trucking acres of contaminated soil off to treatment facilities and irreparably disturbing the land.

Over time, I began to see a segregated approach to medicine and mental health as well. I see the human person as a dynamic force, an integral part of a greater whole: their unique history, community, lifestyle, relationships, experiences, and values, connected in some way to the rest of all life. I began to sense frustration in the stories of people who felt they were being reduced to a disease or condition when they sought help for various struggles, and decided to go back to school after my children were grown.

While earning a Master of Science degree in Clinical Counseling from Divine Mercy University, I began extra-curricular training in Trauma Treatment focusing on integrating heart, mind, body, and soul. During summer, 2019, I was privileged to join the Center for Trauma and Resiliency Studies for immersion in Naivasha, Kenya. I witnessed incredible strength of character, resilience, courage, and inner wisdom in the people I worked with, even in the midst of ongoing life stressors and none of the safety nets that some of us in the USA take for granted.

Gal pals in the kitchen at our compound.
Our trauma team training community center staff.

Growing up on a farm came in handy for repairing the Boma fence.
No matter where on the globe our work may take us, a good trauma therapist knows the importance of down time (aka self-care) to prevent burn-out.

Thanks to the Kenya experience, I became hooked on trauma therapy with a holistic, integrated approach, pursuing EMDR training with the Trauma Institute and Child Trauma Institute. This journey has been life changing (to say the least) and led to an amazing 14-month internship as well as a job at Crisis and Recovery Centers in Idaho – one of the highlight experiences of my life so far.

Upon graduation, back home in Montana, I opened my private practice, Living Well Therapy Services, at the holistically-oriented Cloud 9 Building in Kalispell. To ensure depth and breadth in my practice, I continue to pursue additional training, particularly in the areas of attachment and developmental trauma, mind-body therapy, betrayal trauma, and complicated grief/guilt. If my training and experience would be beneficial to you, please reach out and let’s see if we would be a good fit for each other.