Every person's journey to healing looks different. I offer specialized support designed to look past the surface and help you understand the deeper root causes of your challenges. Together, we will build practical tools while creating long-term, internal change.

Areas of Specialization

1. Addiction & Substance Use

I help clients explore the deeper emotional and relational roots of their substance use—not just the symptoms. Together, we look at the pain, underlying patterns, and core beliefs that have shaped your relationship with substances. We will work toward building healthier ways to cope, connect, and feel truly grounded in your recovery. This is a compassionate, judgment-free space to rebuild your life from the inside out.

2. Trauma Healing & Core Wounds

Trauma and early life experiences often shape the painful beliefs we hold about ourselves: I’m not enough. I’m unworthy. I have to hide who I am. I specialize in helping clients gently explore these core wounds and safely release the survival patterns that grew from them, moving you toward deeper self-trust, safety, and wholeness.

3. Mental Health & Emotional Wellness

Many people navigating recovery or life transitions also face anxiety, depression, overwhelm, and long-standing self-doubt. My work focuses on understanding what’s underneath these experiences—your nervous system responses, the beliefs you’ve carried, and the ways you’ve learned to survive. We build practical tools to help you feel steady, present, and deeply connected to yourself.

My Approaches & Modalities

I don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. I draw from a diverse toolkit of evidence-based practices to tailor our sessions to your unique nervous system and goals:

• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing): A specialized, evidence-based therapy that helps the brain reprocess traumatic memories, reducing the emotional distress and triggers tied to past events.

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): An approach that helps you accept your inner thoughts and feelings rather than fighting them, allowing you to commit to actions that align with your deepest values.

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Focused on providing concrete skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and navigating relationships effectively.

• Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT): A goal-directed, forward-looking approach that targets immediate solutions and builds upon your existing strengths.

• Experiential & Body-Aware (Somatic) Techniques: Because trauma and stress are stored physically, we use somatic tools to tune into the wisdom of your body, release trapped tension, and calm the nervous system.

Taking the first step toward therapy can feel daunting, so I make the process as simple, clear, and low-pressure as possible. We start with a brief conversation to ensure we are a great match for your goals.

Here is exactly how we get started:

1.Schedule Your Free Consultation: Takes 2 minutes.

Click the "Schedule a Free 15-Minute Consultation" button to access my online calendar. Select a date and time that works best for a free, 15-minute phone consultation.

2. The 15-Minute Connection Call: Low-pressure conversation.

I will call you at your selected time. We will briefly discuss what you are looking for support with, and you can ask me any questions about my approach or modalities like EMDR. It’s a casual vibe simply to ensure I am the right fit for your needs.

3.Complete Your Intake Paperwork: Done securely online.

If we decide to move forward, I will send you a link to my secure client portal. You’ll complete standard intake forms and privacy policies online from the comfort of your home before our first official session.

4.Your First Full Session: 50 minutes.

We will dive into your first intake session. This space is entirely yours to share your story at your own pace. Together, we’ll map out a personalized plan focused on your tools, your healing, and your timeline.

What Makes Me Different?

Choosing a therapist is a deeply personal decision, and finding the right fit matters. While many therapists bring great clinical training to the table, my practice is built on a unique blend of personal insight, specialized tools, and a whole-person philosophy.

Here is what sets my approach apart:

1. Lived Experience Meets Clinical Expertise

I don’t just understand the mechanics of addiction, mental health struggles, and recovery from a textbook—I know them from the inside out. My path to becoming a therapist was forged through my own personal journey of healing and recovery. This lived experience allows me to offer a space of profound, zero-judgment empathy. I know the immense courage it takes to face your darkest moments because I have walked that path myself.

2. A "Whole-Picture" (Systemic) Lens

With a Master of Social Work (MSW) background, I don't view you or your struggles in isolation. I operate under the belief that our environments, communities, early life stories, and societal structures profoundly shape our mental wellness. We won't just look at your symptoms; we will look at the whole picture of your life to understand why certain survival patterns or core wounds developed in the first place.

3. A Diverse, Specialized Toolkit

Healing requires more than just sitting and talking about the past. Because trauma, anxiety, and stress are physically stored in the body, I integrate evidence-based, mind-body modalities tailored to your unique nervous system. My toolkit includes:

• EMDR to safely process and release past trauma.

• Somatic & Experiential Techniques to help you reconnect with your body's wisdom.

• ACT & DBT to give you concrete, practical skills for everyday distress tolerance and emotional regulation.

4. Collaboration, Not Lectures

I don't view myself as a rigid, clinical authority figure who is here to "fix" you. I view our relationship as an authentic partnership. You are the absolute expert on your own life. My role is to act as a knowledgeable, supportive guide—offering the tools, strategy, and safe space you need to step back into your inherent power and wholeness.

The Bottom Line: If you are looking for a therapist who balances real human empathy with deep clinical strategy, and who believes that you are already whole rather than "broken"—we will likely be a great fit.

Taking the step to reach out can feel vulnerable, and I want to make it as seamless as possible. Whether you are ready to book your free consultation or simply have a few questions before getting started, feel free to connect using whichever method feels most comfortable for you.

Call or Text 720-336-8179. Available for direct inquiries and consultation scheduling.

Email: dominique@ascendmindfully.com Reach out anytime; I typically respond within 24–48 business hours.

Consultation: Free 15-Minute Call. The quickest way to get on my calendar and see if we are a good fit.

Confidentiality Note: Please note that while my email and voicemail are secure and HIPAA-compliant, text messaging is not entirely encrypted. For your privacy, please keep text messages limited to scheduling and basic inquiries rather than sensitive clinical details.

What are your standard rates?

• Individual Therapy Session: $150 per 50-minute session.

• Payment Methods: I accept all major credit cards, debit cards, and HSA/FSA (Health Savings Account / Flexible Spending Account) cards. Payment is securely processed on the day of your session.

Do you take insurance?

I operate as a private pay provider and do not bill insurance companies directly. This allows us complete clinical freedom over your care, timeline, and goals without an insurance company dictating your treatment or requiring a rigid mental health diagnosis.

However, if you have out-of-network benefits, you can likely get a significant portion of this fee reimbursed.

Stress-Free Reimbursement with Mentaya

To make therapy more accessible, I have partnered with Mentaya, a service that completely streamlines getting reimbursed for your therapy sessions through your out-of-network benefits.

Mentaya is perfect if you:

• Have out-of-network benefits but feel overwhelmed by insurance jargon.

• Don't want to deal with the hassle of downloading, tracking, and mailing superbills.

• Have tried submitting claims in the past but faced frustrating denials.

• Simply want to skip the administrative paperwork entirely!

1.Sign Up for Mentaya: Takes 2 minutes.

Register using my direct invite link: Sign Up Here

2.Session Entry: Handled by my practice.

After our sessions, my practice will automatically enter your appointments into the Mentaya platform.

3.Claim Submission & Follow-Up: Handled by Mentaya.

Mentaya automatically submits the claims directly to your insurance company and handles any necessary phone calls, denials, or follow-ups.

4.Get Reimbursed: Straight to your bank account.

Your insurance company processes the claim and sends the reimbursement check directly to you!

Working with me is a mix of deep, transformative processing and down-to-earth, collaborative human connection. I don’t sit across from you in silence, nodding blankly or hiding behind clinical jargon. Because of my own lived experience, I bring realness, warmth, and zero judgment into the room.

Here is what you can expect from our sessions:

1. You Set the Pace, I Bring the Map

You are the absolute expert on your life story. I am here to act as a supportive guide. We will work as a team to identify the patterns, trauma, or survival skills that aren't serving you anymore, and map out a practical strategy to move you forward on your own timeline.

2. A Focus on the Roots, Not Just the Symptoms

If you are struggling with substance use, anxiety, or deep-seated self-doubt, we won't just talk about coping skills for the surface-level behavior. We are going to gently look at the "why" underneath—the core wounds, the nervous system responses, and the early experiences that shaped those habits. True, lasting healing happens when we heal the root pain.

3. An Integrated, Body-Aware Toolkit

Talking is great, but trauma and chronic stress are physically stored in the body. In our work together, we will combine traditional talk therapy with active, evidence-based tools tailored to your unique nervous system:

• We might use EMDR to take the emotional sting out of a painful past memory.

• We might use Somatic & Experiential techniques to help you calm physical anxiety, release trapped tension, and feel grounded in the present moment.

• We will use ACT and DBT to build practical, daily skills for managing heavy emotions and setting boundaries.

4. An Authentic, Safe Space

Above all, my practice is a sanctuary where you can bring your whole, unpolished self. You can celebrate your wins, vent about your bad days, cry, laugh, or process deep pain. There is nothing you can say that will shock me or change how I view your inherent worth.

What it feels like: Clients often tell me that working together feels like having a deeply supportive, highly knowledgeable ally in their corner—someone who holds a safe mirror up to their strengths, challenges them gently when needed, and genuinely believes in their capacity to find their way back to wholeness.