Merryl Rothaus, Mental Health Counselor in Boulder, 80304

Merryl Rothaus, MA, LMHC, LPC, ATR-BC

Profession(s):
Mental Health Counseling, Marriage & Family Therapy, Social Work
License Status:
I'm a licensed professional.

My Approach to Helping

As a transpersonal psychotherapist, I hold a strength-based and non-pathological approach to the heartful, mindfulness-based work that I do with my clients. I believe that all people, regardless of experience and regardless of the amount of suffering, have the innate and inherent potential to grow and heal. In my work with clients, I may use a variety of my many trainings or just one, depending on what you and I feel would be most helpful. In addition to my Graduate studies at Naropa University, I am also a Graduate of the two year training in the mindfulness-based, body-centered form of Hakomi Psychotherapy which I believe is the most effective and sensible approach to psychotherapy that I have experienced. Additionally, I am a trained Gestalt psychotherapist. As a Registered and Board-Certified Art Therapist I believe very much in the ways that line, shape, color and texture are a language of healing for both people who are familiar with art and for those who have not picked-up an art supply since they were children. In all of these techniques, I work from a heartful, client-centered, mindfulness approach that embraces your wisdom and life experiences. I am committed to working with you as a unique individual in order to craft sessions that cater to who you are and how you best learn.
Lastly, I have been core faculty teaching Graduate students to be psychotherapists at both Antioch University, Seattle and at Naropa University in Boulder, CO. Teaching has kept my practice current and innovative.
Although I have extensive training and expertise, I believe that therapy is most helpful when you and I are in it together. I believe in a term called "assisted self discovery" whereby I help you to access your ability to know yourself well so that you may transform and grow in the context of a safe and spacious therapeutic environment. I hold deep presence and compassion for my clients and learn a great deal from each client that walks through my door. I truly believe in and love my work which I believe contributes enormously to the progress that my clients make both in the therapy office and out in their worlds. It is my hope that you as a person seeking a therapist will find the best match for who you are and for your specific needs and I encourage all potential clients to take time to interview potential therapists. Because I believe that this can best happen in person, I offer a free initial consultation so that we may meet in person, get to know one another a bit and give you the opportunity to interview me in order to see if working together is the best match for you. Please feel free to contact me and I look forward to meeting you! If not, it is my prayer that you find a wonderful therapist with whom to grow and heal.

More Info About My Practice

I am happy to meet with you for a FREE initial consultation so that we can meet in person and feel whether or not working together would be to your benefit.

Important Factors for Choosing a Therapist

I encourage all clients to trust their gut and intuition when choosing a therapist. You have to have a "felt sense" experience of a YES that this is the person with whom you wish to work on yourself. While you most likely will still feel some nervousness or fear to do therapy, choose someone with whom you feel a connection. I believe you could meet with the therapist who comes with a slew of credentials and education, but if you don't feel a connection to that person, therapy will not work. However, I also believe that it is important to work with someone who does not work from a "cookie-cutter" point of view and rather, offers a diverse toolbag of skills. We are all really different. Your challenges are not the same as the next person's. Therefore, what works for you may not work for the next person. Because of this, I think it's crucial to work with someone who offers many different approaches and options and who is comfortable finding out what works for YOU as an individual. Take your time to interview a handful of people (most of us therapists offer free consultations for this reason).

How My Own Struggles Made Me a Better Therapist

I am someone who comes to this profession with a keen understanding of suffering and what it means to feel "darkness." Consequently, I know the merits and gifts that come from learning from these places. I do believe that there are gems to be found in the dark places. That has certainly been my experience and I am grateful to the therapists who helped me to see that. This has inspired my work a great deal. Furthermore, because I know what suffering, struggle and pain feel and look like I have tremendous compassion for those in the midst of these places. I literally can relate to you in this way and the words, "I understand how you are feeling" are not just platitudes....they are true.

Services I Provide

Individual Therapy & Counseling
Marriage, Couples, or Relationship Counseling
Family Therapy
Group Therapy
Mediation
Coaching
Consultation
Clinical Supervision
Online Counseling / Phone Therapy
Home-Based Therapy

Ages I Work With

Children
Teens
Adults
Elders

Languages I Speak

English

Groups I Work With

Adolescents, Adults, Children, Eating Disorders and finding healthy solutions to body dissatisfaction, Women's Issues, Thyroid Disorders, Depression, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Chronic Illnesses, ADD/ADHD, people recovering from any kind of trauma, those who are grieving