Our Team

We all experience seasons of life where we feel stuck or overwhelmed. It takes courage to seek out the support we deserve. I know this first hand because of my own personal therapeutic work.

Originally from New Jersey, I enjoy hiking, camping, cycling, basketball, soccer, playing scrabble, and going on adventures with my beautiful wife and two amazing sons.

My life’s purpose is to bring healing and freedom to others. I am grateful for the training I received at Denver Seminary, where I received a Masters degree in Community Counseling. I have worked in the counseling field since 2005. My training is in a broad range of areas, but some of my specialties are: anxiety, depression, trauma, couples work, and addictions (sexual, drug and alcohol).

I also was trained at the Splankna Therapy Institute in Denver. Splankna therapy is Christian mind body work, and the first Biblically based protocol for Energy Psychology. I am an EMDR trained practitioner.

Extending others grace and compassion, and helping them receive lasting healing and freedom, is an honor and a privilege. Your work with me will reflect your individuality, your unique life experience, and the self-knowledge you already possess.

I would be honored to journey with you in your path towards more peace and wholeness!

Having obtained a Clinical Mental Health degree from Denver Seminary and a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Nutrition from Colorado State University, I take a holistic approach to mental health. We can thrive as people when all areas of our lives are considered: physical health, spirituality, mental health, and lifestyle. My areas of focus include depression, anxiety, physical health issues, disordered eating, spirituality, grief, trauma, and couples/relationship struggles. I am trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) for clients desiring to work through trauma.

My hope is that therapy is both a comfortable place to see life more clearly, as well as address the challenges that lead to personal growth. Venturing through life feeling disconnected, fearful, or shameful can have a strong negative impact, yet I’m encouraged that therapy can catalyze joy and fulfillment through changes over time.

I live in the Grand Valley with my husband and our 3 children. In our spare time, we can be found enjoying many of the outdoor adventures offered here on the beautiful western slope of Colorado.

My personal journey has taught me that trying to be “perfect” and performing for love, only weighs us down with anxiety, but resting with Jesus and receiving His grace, sets us free.

My life’s purpose is to encourage women to slow down, and receive God’s loving words of truth, life and acceptance.
I recently heard Spiritual Direction described as a luxurious sacred hour of resting in God’s presence. I love that description! As the Holy Spirit (the true director in the room) guides me, I offer: guided meditations, space to breathe and bring your Heavenly Father whatever is on your heart, (he can handle our hurts, our doubts and our fears), questions that help you dig deeper and discover your deepest desires, and times of silence and listening prayer. Jesus loves to spend time with us and God is inviting us all to pay attention and notice the ways He is already working in our lives.

I’ve been married for over a decade and I’m grateful for the strength and kindness of my husband, Stephen. Stephen and our amazing sons inspire me not to take myself too seriously, and to savor the good gifts right in front of me. I’m a fan of hosting neighborhood potlucks, swing and salsa dancing, cooking, hiking with friends and family and reading. Jesus is inviting my family and I to live a grateful, unhurried, unplugged, and generously hospitable life.

I would love to journey with you as your spiritual companion, as you discern what invitations the Lord has for you, during this season of your life.

Educational Background: In 2005 I received a Masters of Counseling Psychology and a Certificate in Spiritual Direction from the Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. Because I love all things contemplative, I have a second certificate in Spiritual Direction from CFDM, Christian Formation & Direction Ministries, Pacific Northwest.

I am passionate about helping others experience all of the healing, freedom and breakthrough that Jesus has in store for them!

To learn more about: what to expect in a Spiritual Direction session, and the differences between Spiritual Direction and Counseling, click on the link below.

Spiritual Direction and Counseling.

Life is difficult and many fight their greatest battles all alone. I am here to walk with you through difficult times and help you to see more clearly what God has for you in this life and the life to follow.

I have worked in the counseling field since 1989 and have experienced success in marital counseling, premarital counseling and relationship issues. I have extensive experience in working with those diagnosed with bipolar, depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges.

Happily married since 1992, my wife and I have raised 5 children, two of them adopted. My approach to counseling is simple. God made you perfect! The world, others, and even you have built barriers preventing you from living life more fully.

Counseling offers a rather unique opportunity for an individual to know themselves better and to lead a more fulfilling life. We all get stuck in old patterns that are frustrating and self-defeating. The goal of therapy is to unlock these patterns and allow for a new relationship with yourself and others. I seek to provide warmth, safety, and understanding as we collaborate to resolve the problems that bring a person into treatment.

Masters Degree in Community Counseling from University of Central Oklahoma

I earned my undergraduate degree in Human Development and Family Studies at Colorado State University where I met and married my husband of almost 30 years. Post-graduation, we moved to Oregon where I attended Lewis and Clark College and subsequently earned my Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology. During this time, I provided advising, career counseling, and individual counseling services at Portland Community College. I additionally met with couples and groups in a traditional counseling office setting. Upon graduation, we moved back to Colorado to the Boulder area where I worked as an advisor and career counselor at CU Boulder. I also counseled individuals and couples, as well, in a private practice setting in Longmont, Colorado.

In 2001, after the birth of my first daughter, I took a 20-year hiatus from the counseling profession. I spent this time raising my two daughters (my youngest was born in 2003) and homeschooling them for the elementary, middle, and high school years. Throughout that time, I worked with couples, as a lay counselor, utilizing the Christian based Prepare & Enrich Marriage Curriculum. I am currently a certified facilitator of this curriculum and utilize it with couples who need assistance walking through premarital or marital issues. This is a six-week curriculum with sessions being an hour and a half each. I currently only offer my services via Zoom. In my spare time, I enjoy tap dancing, praying, walking in nature (with my adult children and husband especially), obsessing over my dogs, reading, and anything British; especially anything British from the Victorian Era. For more information on the Prepare & Enrich Curriculum, please click this link: Prepare and Enrich.

I also offer Career Counseling. To learn more about my Career Counseling Business, visit my website at Career Crossroads Counseling,

Addiction is difficult for people to understand if they have never personally experienced it. We feel like we are not in control of our lives, and everything around us is falling apart faster than we can manage. Developing a basic understanding of how the human brain works for your specific situation can help you overcome cravings and withdrawals as you work towards sobriety. The work takes on a different aspect when we begin to explore the reasons that led to addiction.

My life’s calling is to walk with you through this journey, as you explore your mental health, your recovery, and yourself. I have worked with individuals struggling with various types of addiction including alcohol, illicit substances, and sexual addictions. I will provide for you the best of my education, intelligence, and care, as we discover what healing looks like.

I am a Certified Addiction Specialist and am pursuing my Master’s degree in Clinical Counseling, at Regent University. I have worked in the field of addiction counseling for three years and have been a part of the recovery community for eight years.  In my free time my family and I enjoy soccer, skiing, and being outside.  I look forward to walking alongside you to share a part of your journey with you!

Hello! My name is Patty Shepard and I am here to help you set goals and make healthy changes in your life. Along your journey, I will guide and encourage you with hope, compassion, and acceptance. I provide my clients with a safe and trustworthy environment, while offering supportive and effective tools to help you express and manage your emotions, all while learning about yourself.

I work with children, adults, couples and families, as we move towards bringing harmony into our relationship with self and others. I have vast experience working with behavior challenges in children, and I would love to assist you in your parenting journey. I also have experience working with adults needing support. I encourage the adults I work with to tend to their own needs, so that they can truly love and care for others.

I bring non-judgement and compassion to the table, and I truly hope I can serve your needs however I am able. You’ve already taken that first step, which can be a bit scary, but you did it! Now, Let’s move forward together!

Counseling Orientations:

Attachment-Based, CBT, Compassion Focused, Solution Focused Brief (SFBT), Strength-Based and Person Centered.