Desiree Carroll, MA, LPC, NCC
The Heart Behind Lakewood Holistic Counseling
Growing up, I was the identified eldest daughter, despite being the youngest child. From a young age, I exhibited a heightened sense of responsibility, sensitivity, care for others, and independence. These traits led me to be highly observant and to make space for other people. I noticed when someone was left out or when someone’s words or actions quietly hurt someone else. At the same time, I was often alone in my own world and what I was feeling. I learned that to be in a relationship with others, I must shrink parts of myself.
Flash forward to choosing to pursue a Master’s in Counseling. While it was based on interest and the soft skills I developed in childhood, it also became the first step to reclaiming the parts of myself that had shrunk. Through my education and my own seat on the therapy couch, I began to understand complex trauma, the nervous system, and experience the profound healing that can occur through a safe relationship.
Therapy, slowly and safely, provided a space where I could share my feelings, preferences, ideas, and what makes me, me. It allowed me to shed responsibility that was never mine, create boundaries for my sensitivities, and gave me the opportunity to take up space. Being a therapy client remains the most important and liberating thing I have ever done for myself.
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My Unique Approach
In a world obsessed with quick fixes and deadlines, I found my nervous system craving something different, something deeper and slower. Speed felt unsafe, fixes felt surface level and like things will be missed, deadlines felt like pressure.
Research and experience both show that the relationship between the therapist and client is the most powerful intervention of all. Not a quick fix with a deadline.
As I got more experience and more years of practicing the art of therapy, my speciality became long term relational care. I combine evidence based interventions with a pace that allows you to breathe. If you are looking for a pause, a place to slow down in this very fast paced life, and truly be seen, held, and cared for- I’ve got you.
Integrating the Science of Healing
To support this relational foundation, I use research-backed modalities tailored to your unique nervous system. My practice is grounded in:
Deep Processing: Trained in AEDP to be fully present with you and all of your parts; un-do aloneness; deeply process emotions in the present; and transform neural pathways.
Trauma Recovery: Certified in EMDR to help process past hurts and limiting beliefs that keep you stuck; increase your window of tolerance; and ultimately restore positive beliefs about yourself.
Skill Building: Incorporating DBT, ACT, and Motivational Interviewing for practical, everyday navigation.
Connection:Animal Assisted Therapy for those who find comfort and safety in the presence of a four-legged co-therapist.
My Values and Commitment to You
Inclusion: LGBTQIA+ affirmative. Black lives matter. Health at Every Size.
Justice: I am committed to examining, uncovering, and dismantling the ways in which I participate in systems of oppression.
Accessibility: I am committed to volunteering my time and utilizing my skills of empathy, compassion, understanding, and attunement to provide care for the underserved in the Denver metro area.
Integrity: I am committed to prioritizing your confidentiality and privacy. I am committed to taking care of myself so that I can show up fully for myself and my clients. I am committed to staying informed of best practices in mental health and continuing my education.
Outside of the Office
It’s natural to wonder who your therapist is when the clock isn't running. Outside of work, I’m navigating the same "adulting" we all are- keeping a clean house, taking walks, trying to figure out what is for dinner, and hunting for the next binge-worthy show.
But what really makes me “me”? I’m proudly from the mid-west and have lived in the Denver area for 15 years. I have a deep understanding of how grueling online dating can be, I’ve gone through the complex process of deconstructing religious beliefs and finding my own path, I enjoy knitting and brain puzzles, I always have a book going, and I’m unashamedly obsessed with my dog. And if you’re a Swiftie? Fair warning, I know every Taylor Swift song and I will find a way to use her lyrics as a therapeutic metaphor.