Damond is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and earned his PhD from University of Georgia. He is a Co-Owner and Licensed Therapist for Polaris. Damond focuses his work with individuals overcoming anxiety, trauma, and depression using DBT and mindfulness based interventions. He also specializes in LBGTQ populations, family therapy, substance abuse recovery, sexual addiction, healing from abuse, ongoing personal growth, and adolescent development. He also provides clinical supervision and consulting support with practice development, insurance billing and credentialing, and Medicaid billing and credentialing. Damond will be working only at the Denver location beginning in June 2022, but is available remotely for clients who request telehealth sessions.

Taking the first steps in beginning therapy can be a daunting task - from determining if it is a right fit to you, to believing in your own capacity to grow and heal. MacKenzie specializes in working collaboratively from a relational and attachment perspective with people who have histories of trauma, challenging relationships with food and their bodies, struggle with intimacy issues, anxiety, depression, and women's issues/perinatal struggles . She believes a foundational goal of therapy is to cultivate curiosity about how one relates to their emotions, and why they continue to repeat problematic patterns in relationships. MacKenzie creates a safe, compassionate, non-judgmental environment that focuses on strengths, encourages meaning-making, and facilitates the change you wish to see in your life.

Elyse earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Colorado Denver. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Addiction Counselor in the state of Colorado. Elyse was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona and has been living in Denver for over ten years. She loves reading, being outside, and exploring all that Colorado has to offer. Elyse has experience working with adolescents, families, and adults who have struggled with anxiety, depression, grief and loss, trauma, and relationship difficulties. She has experience working in residential treatment centers with individuals experiencing co-occurring substance use and mental health problems. As a therapist, Elyse’s primary goal is to provide a supportive and understanding environment for her clients to share their emotions and experiences. It is important to Elyse that her clients feel understood and heard in the therapy room; she values collaboration and feels honored to be part of a client's journey. Elyse works to support, empower, and gently challenge her clients to help meet their goals and create a life of meaning. Elyse believes that therapy should be personal and individualized, and operates from a cognitive behavioral and acceptance and commitment therapy framework.

Kristen offers a non-judgmental space to express concerns, explore values, and uncover inner strengths and resources. She has an eclectic, person-centered approach to therapy and uses psychoeducation, mindfulness, and strengths-based perspective in my practice. Her specialty areas include anxiety, trauma and PTSD, depression, adoption, grief, life transitions, relationship issues, and LBGT populations.

Dorothy (“Dollie”) completed a Master’s Degree in Social Work at Columbia University in New York. She is licensed in both Colorado and Ohio, with over thirty years of clinical experience across a variety of settings including inpatient psychiatric hospitals, the public sector, teaching and private practice. She has extensive training in psychodynamic psychotherapy, including the Advanced Psychotherapy Training program at the Cincinnati Center for Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis. Her specialty areas include helping people with anxiety, depression, trauma-related disorders and relationship problems. In therapy, her goal is to help each client better understand how their difficulties, the dynamics of their relationships, and their history impacts their life in the present, in a safe and nonjudgmental environment.

If you are struggling with painful emotions, interpersonal problems, or difficult life transitions, Jon is here to help. You will find that Jon works hard to understand you and to help you better understand yourself and your relationships. Jon believes that every person has an inner potential for healthy growth and development, and his role as a counselor is to facilitate that growth. Jon provides a safe and nonjudgmental space to share and better understand your thoughts, feelings, and challenges.

Jon takes a wellness approach to mental health. He believes you can greatly improve your mental health and well-being by identifying and better using your existing strengths, resources, and sources of positive emotion in your life. Jon can also work with you on coping skills, interpersonal skills, and ways to modify unhelpful thoughts and behaviors.

Jon is personally committed to advocating for social justice, inclusion, tolerance, and kindness toward people of all cultural groups. Jon states “Building meaningful and authentic relationships with diverse people is one of the most satisfying aspects of my work.”

Jaclyn earned an MA at the University of Colorado, Denver. Working with couples and the desire to help and support improving relationships was a driving factor that jump started the journey into counseling, and has held the test of time. She has spent her career working with individuals and couples with diverse backgrounds and characteristics. The favorite part of her work is meeting a variety of people and helping them communicate better, find their voice, and live a more fulfilling life. Jaclyn has enjoyed interacting with people in various ways since being young and helping in any way possible. She believes that meaning and purpose can lead to feeling happier and enjoying better interactions with others. Jaclyn loves working with individuals or couples on relationship issues, communication issues, transitional and stress topics. Dual-diagnosis, with substance and addiction issues are also areas of specialty. She is passionate about helping people create positive change for more meaningful lives. Jaclyn is available for telehealth sessions.

Understanding the root of your anxiety or sadness is crucial for making sense of your emotional struggles—common challenges I often address in my practice. My approach centers on building a strong therapeutic connection, inviting you to safely become more honest with yourself and others. Together, we'll move beyond surface-level symptom management, exploring how unconscious conflicts and past experiences are impacting your life and hindering lasting change.

Ellie earned her MS from Metropolitan State University, Denver. She enjoys working with individuals and couples from diverse backgrounds and life experiences. Ellie works with those facing problems of living such as anxiety, depression, relational issues, communication, life transitions, self-esteem, and stress topics. Ultimately, her goal is to empower her clients to lead a more fulfilling and authentic life. Through self-awareness and self-acceptance, she helps her clients uncover their inner strengths and resources, helping them make positive changes and find greater peace. Ellie provides a safe, non-judgmental space to explore her client's inner world. Her therapeutic relationship with clients is a collaborative one, where she works to set achievable goals and develop strategies that resonate with her clients.

Briana’s approach to counseling comes from her desire to create an open, warm and compassionate environment. Briana believes that the best way to help people with their struggles is to cultivate a non-judgmental atmosphere that empowers individuals and families to share their stories and find lasting solutions. Briana believes that each client has his or her own story to tell and Briana loves to hear each person’s unique story. She strives to work collaboratively with clients to develop achievable goals and find long-term solutions that can be applied outside of therapy. Briana works with children, adolescents, couples and families.

More details coming soon!