Meet Our Team
Melissa Shulman MSN, PMHNP
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
I believe mental health care should be an empowering experience. As your psychiatric nurse practitioner, we will work together to identify what is most important to you on your journey to building a rich and meaningful life.
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I specialize in diagnosing and prescribing medications for a variety of disorders, including depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, ADHD, bipolar and other mood disorders and schizophrenia. I have a BA in neuroscience, and bachelors and masters in nursing. My experience has been with adolescents and adults in the inpatient and outpatient setting.
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My relational style is warm and authentic. During our sessions I will provide insight into your symptoms, answer questions, and give you the best treatment options for your unique needs. My goal is that you feel seen and supported.
Valerie Newsum MA, LPC, NCC
Therapist
I believe each healing journey is unique and should be honored, and I feel honored to be a part of that journey with you. We can work together to identify how past experiences have impacted you today then together set goals for the future, finding the steps to meeting your goals. We will identify emotional blocks, patterned trauma based reactions/behaviors, and how this is influencing you today. I practice a variety of therapy modalities based on your needs, some of these include- attachment based, compassion focused, culturally sensitive, DBT, humanistic, Internal Family Systems (IFS), interpersonal, nature focused, person centered, strength based and eclectic.
I am currently seeing ages 15+ struggling with mood disorders, trauma based disorders, substance use disorders, personality disorders, ADHD, serious and persistent mental illness, life transitions and more. I look forward to working with you.
Erin Boerio LPC
Therapist
I have learned from 13 years of working with diverse clients that what we seek is often inside of us in one form or another, but hidden deep. We struggle because we learned strategies that helped us cope with times when we did not get what we needed or when we were harmed, and those strategies became our default.
In our sessions, we will use methods like Internal Family Systems (IFS), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and person-centered therapies to help you let go of what no longer serves you and develop new ways of being.
I work with adults whose concerns include depression and anxiety symptoms, trauma responses like PTSD and personality disorder traits, experiences of reality disconnection like hallucinations and dissociation, as well as life stressors and desire for greater understanding of self. I am especially passionate about providing affirming care for individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community.
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Heather Ford MSN, PMHNP, AGPCNP
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Are you looking for more than a medication centered approach to your care? If you are wanting to truly be at the center of your own care, I look forward to partnering with you in a holistic approach to your wellbeing. Often a conventional (based on psychotropic medications) approach can facilitate the journey toward mental health as a tool to soften the edges of difficult symptoms. However, those tools are not the final destination. Many people find they don't work well at all. Your symptoms are often rooted in a deeper cause (or causes) that require addressing mind, body, habits and relationships.
While my training includes conventional diagnosis and evaluation, I integrate alternative therapies, including hormone balancing, herbal agents, nutritional strategies, and movement recommendations into your plan to get to your mental health goals.
So if you are looking for an alternative to the "pill for every ill" paradigm, I look forward to being part of your journey!
Dr. Meghan Dow DNP-PMHNP, CARN-AP
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
My first passion was working with children and teens, this is what lead me to a career in mental health. As my career progressed I have worked with adults and consulted in geriatrics. I have treated a broad spectrum of psychiatric disorders and substance use disorders- this is where my dual certification comes from. I believe in meeting people where they are at and working as a team to improve symptoms and outcomes together. You can expect the focus to be on symptoms and getting resolve rather than diagnosis and labels.
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I believe in being a lifelong learner and work hard to stay on top of the current research and literature to better care for my clients. My practice style is often "out of the box" as I think you get the best benefit from this approach, and it really allows more individualized care. My current endeavor is bring hormone balancing to care to support mental health symptoms.
Jesse Lyon LCSW
Therapist
Overcoming emotional obstacles offers us the opportunity to heal. As a psychotherapist, my approach is to observe the unconscious, dive deep into emotional experiences and release ourselves from self-limiting beliefs. The goal is to increase our self-awareness to realize we already have everything within. My counseling services support and help with anxiety, depression, post-partum depression, personality disorders, C-PTSD, substance use, phases of life, and acceptance of human sexuality. I currently work with 18+.
Kelly Lowther LCSW
Therapist
Working from a client-centered approach, I believe meeting clients where they are is important. My goals are to create a safe space for my clients to process and heal from stressors and past trauma. I’ve been in the mental health field for 7+ years, working across the life span, as well as in numerous settings. My passions include working with adults 18+ through life transitions, complex trauma, personality disorders, relationship issues and codependency, substance use, grief and loss, eating disorders, body image, and self-esteem. I utilize IFS (Internal Family Systems) and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) in my practice. I am also certified in CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy)
Aimee Techau PMHNP, CARN-AP, NE, PhDc
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
In addition to practicing as a psychiatric and addictions nurse practitioner, I have 10+ years of leadership experience. My background in nursing includes public health, mental health, and addictions nursing. I have a broad knowledge in treating individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) and those with multifaceted mental health diagnoses in outpatient and inpatient settings. I have special training and certification in therapy strategies for trauma, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused therapy.
Currently I work as a senior instructor at the University of Colorado in the College of Nursing, teaching undergraduate and graduate mental health nursing. My clinical and research expertise includes creating and implementing new evidence guidelines to low-barrier approaches for mental health and substance use treatment in integrated care settings to reduce stigma and improve access to care.
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This is my priority increasing easy access to care and removing the stigma to mental health and addiction medicine treatment. I incorporate medication prescribing and therapy techniques into my care to best care for you.
Brandy Brackeen
Office Manager
I am currently working on my undergraduate degree. It has been a journey since I started as an art major, then had some life events that took me down a different path. I realize I identify as an empath and want to give back in a way similar to how I have received support. My long term goal is become a therapist. In the interim I get real joy out of organizing therapy and psychiatric services for those in need.
I am the first person many of you speak to when joining The 40/20 Collective and I am happy to have you as much as the rest of the team.
