Meet Stephanie

Stephanie Spjuth, LCSW

FOUNDER | CLINICAL DIRECTOR

Welcome !

I’m so glad you’re here.

I started Hope Counseling because I believe every person deserves to have hope—not just for healing, but for living a life that feels meaningful, grounded, and truly yours.

I earned my Master’s in Social Work from Aurora University in 2017 and have worked in a wide range of clinical settings—from ERs and inpatient units to residential programs and outpatient care. Those experiences gave me a strong foundation in crisis work, clinical assessment, and long-term therapeutic support. But what continues to inspire my work the most is the courage people show up with—just by being willing to do the work.

My approach to therapy is laid-back but intentional. You’re in the driver’s seat—I’m here as your copilot. That means I’ll bring my training, tools, and experience to the table (and probably a few metaphors), but you get to decide the pace and direction. I’ll be the one to help you spot signs, notice detours, and say gently, “Hey, we may have just flown past something important.”

I’m a lifelong learner and forever curious—constantly studying new modalities, diving into books, podcasts, and research so I can better support the people I work with. I take this work seriously—but I also believe therapy can be a space for laughter, honesty, and a kind of realness we don’t always get in our everyday lives.

At Hope Counseling, my goal is to create a space that feels safe, supportive, and human. A place where healing and growth can actually happen. Whether you’re navigating anxiety, trauma, burnout, or just feeling stuck—I’m here to walk alongside you.

My Clinical Focus

I specialize in working with individuals navigating the complexities of trauma, emotional overwhelm, and identity, with a particular focus on women, mothers, and those impacted by early attachment wounds or caregiving burnout.
My areas of clinical focus include:
Depression & Anxiety
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Phobias and Intrusive Thoughts
Attachment Wounds & Core Belief Work
PTSD & Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)
Relationship and Boundary Challenges
Perinatal and Postpartum Mental Health
Suicidality and Emotional Dysregulation
Life Transitions, Grief, and Identity Shifts
I understand how layered these experiences can be—especially when trauma, caregiving, or neurodivergence intersect with emotional isolation. My goal is to offer a nonjudgmental, affirming space where healing feels safe and sustainable.
Modalities & Specialized Training

I draw from a wide range of evidence-based, trauma-informed, and somatic modalities to tailor care to each client’s needs and nervous system. My training includes:
EMDR – Certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, including The Advanced Practice of EMDR for Perinatal & Infant Mental Health
Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy (DNMS) – For healing unmet emotional needs and early childhood wounds
Dissociation-Informed Therapy – Including ego states work and parts-based approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) & Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) – Especially for anxiety and OCD
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) – Emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and mindfulness
Somatic Therapy – Including body-based approaches for trauma, racialized trauma, and attachment wounds
Attachment-Based Therapy – Working deeply with early relational patterns and nervous system regulation
Integrative Attachment Family Therapy – Supporting intergenerational healing and connection
Janina Fisher’s Trauma Treatment Certification (CCTP) – Specializing in treating complex trauma using Internal Family Systems (IFS) and sensorimotor approaches
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Treatment Specialist – Focused on best practices for OCD, ADHD, Tourette’s, tics, and related conditions
Treating Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents – Completed Dr. Lindsay Gibson’s 3-Month Professional Training Certificate Program

Specialized Services with Stephanie

In addition to the services offered by our team, Stephanie also provides…

Psychological Evaluation Services for Immigration Cases
I take a tailored approach to every assessment, ensuring the final report directly addresses the specific legal nuances of your case:
- Asylum Cases: Providing objective evidence of PTSD and trauma symptoms to corroborate claims of persecution, as well as establishing clinical documentation for why a client may have missed the one-year filing deadline.
- Extreme Hardship Cases: Identifying and detailing the complex psychological stressors affecting petitioners and their families, including chronic illness, disability, financial/professional hardship, and the psychological impact of adverse home-country conditions.
- VAWA Cases: Documenting the psychological trauma consistent with domestic violence, assessing credibility, and providing specialized context for nuanced dynamics, such as male victims of female intimate partner abuse.
ESA and PSD Clinical Evaluations

I provide professional evaluations for Emotional Support Animals (ESA) and Psychiatric Service Dogs (PSD) as an integrated component of ongoing, comprehensive mental health treatment.
My assessment process adheres strictly to federal guidelines—including the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—and is rooted in the determination of clinical necessity and therapeutic benefit.
Clinical Eligibility and Standards:
Qualifications: To qualify for a recommendation, clients must have a diagnosed mental health condition that substantially impacts one or more major life activities.
PSD Requirements: For Psychiatric Service Dog evaluations, clients must be actively engaged in a comprehensive treatment plan. Additionally, the animal must be individually trained to perform specific tasks that mitigate the client’s disability and must meet all public access standards.
Ethical Framework: All recommendations are issued exclusively within the context of an established, genuine therapeutic relationship.
Strategic Partnership with CertaPet In addition to my private practice, I am a contracted provider with CertaPet, the industry leader in compliant telehealth documentation since 2015. Led by veteran clinician Prairie Conlon, LPC, NCC, CertaPet is the first platform to provide 100% compliant ESA documentation from state-licensed mental health professionals.
Through this partnership, I facilitate ESA documentation for eligible individuals residing in Arizona, Arkansas and Nevada. CertaPet’s commitment to legitimacy and clinical integrity is evidenced by their industry-leading standards:
Verified Expertise: 100% of evaluations are conducted by state-licensed mental health professionals.
Proven Reliability: With over 278,000 successful clients, CertaPet letters maintain a 99.7% acceptance rate with housing providers.
By combining clinical rigor with CertaPet’s streamlined platform, I ensure that clients receive documentation that is both ethically sound and legally robust.
Clinical Supervision For Provisional Licensure & Clinical Internships

I see supervision as a supportive, collaborative process that builds on each clinician’s unique strengths and needs. My focus is on fostering clinical growth, ethical practice, and confidence, while adapting supervision to align with personal goals. I strive to create a safe and encouraging space where new clinicians and interns can learn, grow, and improve.
I follow Colorado’s supervision requirements and also offer placements for students. Interns can expect a practical, supportive environment centered on professional growth and client care. My commitment is to guide future clinicians and help them succeed in their work and development.
Case Consulation
Whether you are looking to deepen your conceptualization of a specific case or are navigating the administrative and emotional complexities of practice, I provide consultation centered on:
- Trauma & Complex PTSD: Integrating trauma-informed frameworks to safely navigate dissociation, attachment wounds, and nervous system dysregulation.
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Navigating the nuances of ego-dystonic themes, managing therapeutic roadblocks, and structuring effective clinical timelines.
- Modality Integration & "Stuck" Cases: Blending parts work, somatic awareness, and cognitive behavioral tools. I provide strategic guidance on combining Internal Family Systems (IFS), EMDR, and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) so you can help clients move from survival mode to clarity.
- Crisis & Complex Clinical Assessments: Drawing from my extensive background in emergency rooms, inpatient units, and crisis evaluation to help you safely conceptualize high-acuity cases, safety planning, and systemic care.
- Perinatal & Maternal Mental Health: Consulting on postpartum challenges, life transitions, and the unique emotional intersection of motherhood and caregiving.