With more than 24 years of psychotherapy experience, I offer a compassionate and strengths-based approach to counseling.  I work with clients to empower them to tap into their inner strengths.  Clients have a chance to tell their story and then work through important issues. The process of adding coping skills and gaining insight can help individuals move forward in reaching their goals.  While I have worked with adults, couples, teens, and children, I currently specialize in women's issues. 

I use trauma-informed approaches that allow me to be attuned to when past trauma experiences might be impacting clients now. I look for ways to help clients to learn to recognize how trauma affects them and how to cope in ways that are healthy.  

Clients need a safe place to disclose their heartache and current struggles. I will both support and challenge clients on their own path to recovery. My counseling approaches are empathic and varied to fit your needs.  I primarily draw from; Cognitive-Behavioral, Schema Therapy,  Rational Emotive Therapy,  Psychodynamic Therapy, and Person-Centered. I also use concepts from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Positive Psychology to offer the positive working environment clients need to recover. I am also EMDR trained and can use this powerful tool to help you recover from traumatic memories. I will help you to develop transformational goals to work toward better outcomes. Together we work as a team to develop insight and practical strategies for attaining your personal goals.

I work hard to respect everyone's life perspective and will meet you where you are personally. I am a Christian and adhere to my personal faith as an individual. I work with both Christian and non-Christian clients and do not push my faith on clients although faith issues can always be explored.

While I respect everyone’s life perspective, I do offer faith-based counseling services where faith can be openly discussed. I can help you integrate your faith into your recovery process to help you attain fuller satisfaction in your life. I take a "whole-istic" approach to counseling, meaning that I see recovery as a process to support a client's physical, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual components of self.

I am a member of the Colorado Counseling Association.

I teach at Colorado Christian University's graduate program for counselors as adjunct faculty.

I was awarded the Best of Aurora award for mental health services 5 years in a row, from 2011 to 2015.

Professional Training

Undergraduate School: 
Hope College Liberal Arts Education Bachelors degree in Psychology, Graduated Cum Laude in 1993.

Member of Psi Chi National Honor Society in Psychology.

Graduate Training: 
Western Michigan University, Masters degree in Counseling Psychology. Graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1996. (CACREPaccredited program).  http://www.CACREP.org

Counseling Licenses:
L.P.C. – Licensed Professional Counselor
This license I attained in Illinois and then transferred to the state of Colorado in 2004.

L.C.P.C. – Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor
I attained this license in Illinois. It does not exist in Colorado. The clinical license Requires 4 years of supervised training and sitting for two state licensing examinations. The first requirement is the LPC examination (following 2 years of supervised training), then two more years of supervised training followed by sitting for the clinical examination.

Additional Training:
20+ years of experience working in the counseling field in agency, psychiatric hospital, group and private practice settings working with individuals, couples, teens, and children coping with a wide range of concerns.
200+ hours of Continuing Education in counseling skills.
18+ hours of Continuing Education in supervision training (see FAQ for a list of some of the courses I have taken).

Professor:

I taught both graduate and undergraduate counseling courses at CCU.  Courses I taught include; Lifespan and Development, Counseling Skills, Group Processing, Social and Cultural Foundations, Psychopathology and Counseling Theories.

Continuing Education

THE FOLLOWING ARE some of THE COURSES I HAVE TAKEN SINCE 2006:

• Personality Disorders in Social Work and Health Care, Gregory Lester, Ph.D.

• Play Therapy and Beyond: Treatment Techniques and Strategies with Children and Pre-Adolescents

• Counseling Couples: Understanding and Improving Love Relationships, Dr. Gary Brainerd, PhD, LMFT

• Alcohol Problems in Intimate Relationships: Identification and Intervention

• Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Barry Gregory, M.Ed. Ed.D. LMHC NCC

• Women’s Mental Health

• Cutting: Understanding and Treating Self Harm, Dr. Steven Levenkron

• Famous Therapist Errors

• Understanding Trauma In Children

• Anger Management: The Complete Treatment Guidebook for Practitioners, Howard Kassinove, Ph.D and Raymond Tafrate, Ph.D.

• Alcohol Problems in Intimate Relationships: Identification and Intervention

• Risk Assessment and Mental Status Exam, David Nowell, Ph.D.

• Sensory Processing Disorder, John Taylor, Ph.D.

• Essentials of Clinical Supervision

• Wisdom of the Dream: A Jungian Approach to Dream Interpretation, Dr. Howard, Tyas, PhD

• Legal and Ethical Supervision

• Assessing and Treating Reactive Attachment Disorder: Beyond Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Rhonda Lettington, MS,LMHC, NBC, ACAD, HTP

• Effective Strategies in Clinical Supervision

• Emergency Mental Health: Treatment and Assessment, Tim Webb, MAEd. LPC

• Bi-polar Disorder in Youth, Dr. Hugh Johnston

Author

I am the author of The Journey Out: Overcoming Attitudes that Hinder Spiritual Growth. (Click book title to order from Amazon.com)  If it is "Out of stock" you can still order it and they will order more from from the publisher.  It is a print on demand book meaning they only print as people order.  Hopefully, someday I will republish with a new title and with an accompanying workbook.  It can be used as a group bible study as it has questions at the end of each chapter.  If you do this please give me feedback as to how it goes.  I can also use suggestions to improve it; gretchen@southeastwomenscounseling.com

  You can flourish with a life of fruitfulness, faith, and joy!

The Journey Out is about moving out of the “weeds” that choke our faith and into a life of fruitfulness. Based on the Parable of the Sower where the good seeds fall among the thorns, the book will challenge you to move beyond stagnancy and routine to growth in relationship with God.

By removing harmful attitudes and replacing them with fruits of the Spirit and character traits that foster real relationship and authenticity, you will find the freedom to flourish unhindered.  Read More >>

Counseling Services > Who I am

Gretchen Flores, MA, LPC, LCPC
Licensed CLinical Professional Counselor