About Carolyn Duhn, LPC

Hi! My name is Carolyn Duhn. I’m a licensed professional counselor and founder of Embodied Counseling. I chose this practice name because I hope the changes that occur together in counseling would be embodied in your day to day life, not just our time together. My hope is that through our work, your thoughts, beliefs and values about yourself and your relationships would match with your emotions and how you experience yourself and others, that you would embody your truest self and thrive.

Philosophy

I believe every individual was made to live joyful, meaningful lives and to be treated with dignity, respect, compassion, and kindness. Unfortunately, for some, our upbringing has presented obstacles in optimal development resulting in oppressive self-talk, a negative outlook on the future, unhealthy relational patterns, felt disconnection from ourselves and others, a dysregulated nervous system (mood swings or periods of very high or low energy), or even a low/inaccurate-self image. For others, later-life experiences like loss, life changes, perceived failures and traumas can present other similar barriers to living completely alive and connected to ourselves; physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and relationally. I believe that healing and restoration is possible, and though the path might be difficult and full of hard work, it is worth it! I empower individuals to embody their best selves by drawing on their personal strengths, faith and resources as a source of fuel to the work of letting go of past upsetting experiences. My approach is integrative, and I utilize techniques that integrate mind, body and spirit in addition to traditional counseling methodology to work through the past in order to find the joy, calm and connection for which you were made.

Clinical Background

I have my Master of Arts (M.A.) in Community Counseling from Denver Seminary and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Spanish. I have over thirteen years of clinical experience working with adults, adolescents and children in individual outpatient and group psychotherapy. I have worked in the community mental health setting, as a telephonic counselor in the insurance sector as well as in private practice. All of these settings have given me valuable time with people of diverse ages, faiths and backgrounds. Additionally, I have received training in traditional talk therapy (mainly using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy [ACT]) as well as approaches to psychological healing which involve the mind, body, and spirit such as EMDR, Brainspotting, EFT Tapping and Internal Family Systems.

How My Story Helps Me as a Therapist

Struggling with depression, anxiety, grief and other mental health symptoms is something that most people will be faced with in their lifetime, and I’m no stranger to them myself. I mention my struggles here briefly and one or two ways they give me a more dynamic perspective with individuals I support. I need to stress the emphasis I put in maintaining my own personal wellness that I achieve through ongoing attention to self-care and personal counseling so that I can be thriving and at my best with my clients.

Having struggled with depression, I know that it can be scary to lose hope, confidence, motivation and drive when you’ve felt like you grew up a positive, self-assured, confident, and hopeful individual. Having experienced trauma and symptoms of PTSD, I know what it is like to have painful feelings and overwhelming anxiety interrupt your daily functioning and create distance in intimate relationships. Having lost more than 5 loved ones in only a year’s time, I know how debilitating loss can feel, the rollercoaster of emotions that follow and the existential questions these can bring up. Having had several loved ones battle cancer, I “get” the constant unsettled feelings that can arise with the uncertainty of treatment, how it can dramatically shift family dynamics and rock one’s own sense of identity in surprising ways. I know how hard it is to make changes that lead to lasting wellness and this has informed my counseling approach as I’ve passionately searched for techniques that create lasting change. I know everyone’s experience is unique so I won’t assume mine is the same as yours. More than anything, I hope you feel heartened to know I’ve been through my share of struggles and come out on the brighter side, and there is hope for you too.

On the Lighter Side…

I love to laugh and bring a smile to those around me. Being 6’1” tall, people often wonder about my sports background, so I’ll answer the first question on everyone’s mind: yes, I played volleyball in college (ah those were the days). Nowadays, I spend my free time reading, skiing, hiking and spending time with friends and loved ones. I am inherently very curious and love learning about new things, traveling and enjoying different cultures.