Improve Your Mental &
Emotional Well-Being
Looking for a male therapist serving Leadville, Buena Vista, and Salida? You’re in the right place.
Struggle is universal.
If you're here, it's likely you're facing challenges related to anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, life transitions, or other struggles common to the human condition. Or, maybe you’re just looking to grow. The good news is that you’re not alone. The even better news is that therapy can help you get where you are going.
Suffering is optional.
When you choose to work with me, we’ll start by creating trust and safety in our relationship. After that, we’ll explore the root causes of your challenges and help you reconnect with your inherent wisdom, healing, and capacity for growth. With this rediscovered self-knowledge as a true north, you’ll be able to define and create a life you want to be living.
Book a Free Consultation
Want to find out if we might work well together? There’s no better way to figure out if we click than scheduling a free consultation.
Meet Erik
Hi, I’m Erik Wardell. I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate (LPCC). I have a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling and training in mindfulness, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), and grief and loss counseling.
While all that training may or may not be helpful in your journey, what actually will help is how I show up, connect with you, and offer soulful and compassionate guidance and support. I invite you to learn more about who I am as a human and therapist by clicking the button below.
Why Mountain Town Mental Health?
Colorado’s mountain towns don’t have as many compassionate male therapists as they need. I created Mountain Town Mental Health to help address that problem.
Life in the high country can be filled with adversity, uncertainty, and struggle. It’s also filled with love, joy, beauty, and connection. However, we sometimes lose sight of the latter. Mountain Town Mental Health is a therapy practice designed to serve Colorado’s mountain communities like Buena Vista, Salida, and Leadville. By combining best-in-class mental health interventions, the wisdom of ancient traditions, and soulful human connection, I can help you step into the life you want to be living and breathe more love, joy, beauty, and connection back into your world.
Leadville, Buena Vista, & Salida Therapist FAQ
How do I know if therapy is right for me?
If you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, past traumas, chronic stess/burnout, or simply seeking personal growth, therapy might be worth trying out.
What’s your therapy philosophy?
I believe that you were born whole, good, and perfectly you. These are your birthrights. Yet somewhere along the way, you may have lost your ability to connect with them. Maybe the world hardened you or taught you to adapt or defend yourself in unhealthy ways. Whatever this messy—and at times unfriendly—world has done to you, those birthrights are waiting to be reclaimed. It’s my job as your therapist to use my skills and experience to help you make that happen so you can live the life you are meant to live.
Is therapy worth it?
Let’s face it, therapy is expensive. Especially good therapy. I charge a rate of $160/hr for individual and family counseling. I also offer 90 minute sessions for $240 and 2 hour sessions for $320. I have needs-based sliding scale pricing available, please ask about it if you would benefit. Is it good therapy? That’s up to you to decide, but I feel confident my current clients would say that it is.
At the same time you can’t really put a price on freedom. That’s to say freedom from limiting beliefs, self-esteem issues, relationship struggles, depression, anxiety, self-sabotage, or a life that feels… well… just meh. The real question is: how much are you willing to pay for that kind of freedom? What would you be willing to pay for the life you could to be living? If you are willing to invest financially, emotionally, and intellectually in making your life easier and more fulfilling, I recommend you get in touch with me.
How can I know we’ll work well together?
You can’t. But I will tell you that I won’t work with you if I’m not feeling it. And, I don’t want you to work with me if you’re not. That’s why I offer a free 20-min consultation. You can get to know me a bit and I can get to know you. If nothing comes of it, no sweat. I’m always happy to recommend other therapists that might be a better fit or steer you in the direction of useful resources.
What’s different about a male therapist vs. a female therapist?
The short version is that nearly 80% of therapists are female and most the male therapists live in cities. Sometimes talking to a man just feels easier. Especially when that male therapist knows what it feels like to live in the mountains and deal with small town struggles.
What happens in a therapy session?
We’ll start by co-creating a space where you feel safe, seen, and supported. We’ll get out of out heads and drop into our hearts so that we can connect at a deeper level. From that place, we’ll get into the reality of whatever is going on in your world and work though whatever your experience is telling us we need to work through. While I may be the guide from time to time on your journey, you’ll be in the drivers seat and in control of the experience.
How It Works
One of positive outcomes of the pandemic is that it taught us how impactful virtual therapy can be. That’s why I offer teletherapy services to adolescents and adults in Leadville, Buena Vista, and Salida. Especially those looking to work with a male therapist. I use a program called SimplePractice that makes telehealth a seamless experience. Intake forms, therapy sessions, billing and everything else happen in one place. And, you’re talking to someone that lives just a few valleys away, instead of someone in a completely different state.