Ellie Mental Health - Highlands Ranch, CO

09/09/2025

Work stress weighing you down? You're not alone. This post is packed with practical tips to help you manage the daily grind: quick mindfulness exercises, boundary-setting strategies, and ways to decompress after a tough day.

But here's the thing: while these tips can offer relief, they don't always get to the root of the stress. If you find yourself constantly feeling overwhelmed, irritable, or checked out, it might be time to dig deeper. 💬 Talking with a therapist can help you unpack what's fueling your stress and build tools to navigate it long-term.

Swipe through for helpful tips, and remember: stress management is about more than quick fixes. You deserve real support!

08/27/2025

Back-to-school checklist-but make it mental-health-friendly! As you shop for supplies and prep for routines, don't forget the emotional tools kids need to thrive. Here's a quick checklist to ease the transition.

08/12/2025

Struggling to set boundaries without feeling like the bad guy?

This podcast episode is for anyone who's ever struggled to say no, felt drained by unclear expectations, or wondered how to protect their peace without burning bridges.

Therapists Miranda Barker, LICSW, Letisha Harris, MA and Madison Wozniak, LCSW have an honest, practical conversation inspired by the book "Set Boundaries, Find Peace" by Nedra Glover Tawwab.

We explore:
🔹 What healthy boundaries actually look like in real life
🔹 How trauma and guilt can make boundary-setting harder
🔹 The difference between time, material, emotional, and internal boundaries
🔹 How we've grown (and stumbled) through boundary work ourselves

Whether you’re a therapist, a client, or just someone navigating the messiness of relationships, this episode offers tools and takeaways you can use right away. Here's the link to the episode on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/07cgH1wdmbfORDCfHiT0Bp?si=73TM0KZzQlSqSCGyreN-lg

Let us know what you think of this episode in the comments! ⬇

08/08/2025

Big emotions in little bodies can feel overwhelming-- for them and for us. Here’s how to respond without losing your cool. 💥➡️💞

08/05/2025

Back-to-school season is here and for many families, so is back-to-school anxiety.

Whether it’s the fear of new routines, separation from parents, or social pressure, the transition can bring up gigantic feelings for kids of all ages.

In this blog, therapist Miranda Barker, LICSW shares:
✅ Common signs of back-to-school anxiety in kids and teens
✅ Practical tools and coping strategies to try at home and in the classroom
✅ Book recommendations to support emotional wellness
✅ Simple morning and evening routines to ease transitions
✅ When it might be time to seek additional support

Let’s normalize school jitters and empower our kids with the tools they need to thrive (not just survive) the school year. 🍎🎒

📖 Read the full blog here:
https://elliementalhealth.com/calming-first-day-fears-a-parents-guide-to-back-to-school-anxiety/

Help kids conquer back-to-school anxiety with practical tips, calming routines, and coping strategies for a smooth transition.

08/04/2025

Did you know that Ellie Mental Health, Highlands Ranch offers Clinical Licensure Supervision to both Ellie AND Non-Ellie therapists!?

07/31/2025

Today, on , we hold space for the losses that changed us— the ones we speak of often and the ones we carry quietly.

Whether your grief is fresh or decades old, visible or invisible, your pain is real. We're thinking of you today.

Here are some tips and book recommendations from one of our therapists for helping kids navigate grief and loss.

07/29/2025

Ever zoned out during a meeting, driven somewhere and not remembered how you got there, or felt totally disconnected in a stressful moment?

These aren’t just quirks.... they can be signs of dissociation, a powerful and often misunderstood coping mechanism.

In therapy spaces, we talk about dissociation often. But outside of them, people may not recognize it or know what to do when it shows up. For folks with trauma histories, dissociation isn’t just occasional spacing out—it’s the nervous system protecting itself when things feel too overwhelming to process.

➡️ In this new blog post, Ellie therapist Miranda Barker, LICSW, breaks down:
- What dissociation actually is (and isn’t)
- Why the body uses it as a survival response
- How trauma-informed approaches like EMDR, parts work, and somatic therapy can help
- Practical grounding strategies that reconnect people to the present

Whether you're a clinician, a mental health advocate, or someone who’s felt disconnected and didn’t have a word for it—this is worth the read.

🔗 Check it out here: https://elliementalhealth.com/feeling-disconnected-a-therapists-guide-to-understanding-dissociation/

🎧 Bonus: Watch this related podcast episode featuring trauma therapist Amy Wilkerson, LICSW, for more insights. https://youtu.be/2Cxr5KB8Atg?si=p-mTzj5ZgGmwveOx

Explore how dissociation serves as a trauma coping mechanism and discover therapeutic approaches for healing.

07/26/2025

Ever heard of DBT?

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a powerful, evidence-based approach that helps people manage intense emotions, improve relationships, and build a life worth living.

Originally developed for borderline personality disorder, DBT is now used to support anyone struggling with:
💥 Big emotional swings
🧠 Anxiety or depression
🗣️ Conflict in relationships
🧍‍♀️ Feeling stuck in unhelpful patterns

DBT teaches skills in 4 key areas:
Mindfulness
Emotion Regulation
Distress Tolerance
Interpersonal Effectiveness

It’s not just about coping, it’s about thriving with tools that actually work.

07/23/2025

Understanding your health insurance doesn’t have to be scary, in fact, the more you know, the more you can avoid surprise bills. In this video, we break down key terms like premiums, deductibles, copays, and coinsurance, and explain how benefit checks really work behind the scenes. 🧾✨

07/18/2025

If your heart races every time you see a “Can we talk?” subject line, you’re not alone (also, if you're a boss, please stop doing that).

Therapy can help you learn how to calm your nervous system, set boundaries, and stop spiraling every time you hear that notification ding.