Therapists

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  We all attempt to understand where our beliefs, feelings, and habits are coming from, but connecting the dots alone can be confusing and frustrating. I provide the supportive and non-judgmental environment you need to comfortably process your attitudes, assumptions and expectations about the world around you. I will approach our work together with empathy, curiosity, and a sincere interest in your emotional well-being. Our therapeutic alliance will enable you to cultivate new perspectives and promote increased insight. Together, we can explore the many layers of your unique self, and gain a deeper understanding of how your thoughts, emotions and behaviors are interconnected.

Effective psychotherapy is scientific in analysis and approach, yet highly personalized to each client, situation and context.  I approach emotional challenges from an integrated framework of humanistic psychology, and utilizing cognitive-behavioral applications. My process is depth-oriented, with a focus on inter-relational models; going beyond simply employing coping techniques to reduce symptoms, but examining and addressing the root causes of your distress. My style is open, direct, accepting and patient, with a focus on presence and immediacy.  

In conducting assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning, I draw from my experience in psychiatric hospital, mental health agency and integrated care settings, to serve my clients in private practice. I have additional expertise in adolescent populations, attachment modalities, and trauma informed care. As a National Certified Counselor (NCC), I am among the elite group of board certified counselors who offer the highest standards of practice because we have met stringent education, examination performance, supervision, experience, and ethical requirements.

Therapy can open the door to increased self-awareness, healing, and personal growth. Don’t just survive…thrive!

Hello my name is Stephanie, I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in New Mexico. I am bilingual counselor working with both Spanish and English with adults, adolescents, children, and groups in a school setting, as well as in, hospital inpatient and outpatient treatment. When making the decision to seek counseling I understand that each person comes with their own unique experience. I feel the counseling relationship is meant to honor such experiences, perspectives, and ambitions through a thoughtful collaboration between counselor and client. I feel that this aspect of counseling can help to resolve my clients’ specific concerns, and it enables them to think beyond mere problem solving. Working with some issues and making changes can be challenging and every individual moves at a different pace. Counseling takes time that varies from person to person, but together we can work towards the changes you want to make. I take a more person-centered approach and you are in control of the counseling relationship. 

Hello, my name is Jessica Gassdorf. I have been a licensed mental health counselor in NM since 2020. Choosing a counselor can be difficult and looking at making change can be an intimidating process, especially in the beginning. My goal is to try to provide a safe and non-judgmental space for your journey to a better and healthier you. Everyone's process is different, and every individual is different which is why I work to take a person-centered and integrative approach with each client.  I have focused most of my career on working with those who have struggled with adjusting to new life situations and/or stressors, low self-esteem, lack of motivation, depression, anxiety, trauma as well as addiction. I work with client's to not only talk out the things they are struggling with or wanting to change, but also making some of the changes by learning, or refining, healthy boundaries and coping strategies. Together we will work on trying to uncover any root issues and working on a deeper understanding of how to manage day to day life. 

Hello, my name is Crystal Portillo, LMHC. I received my degree in Forensic Psychology in Los Angeles, at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. I have worked in school settings and in psychiatric inpatient facilities, treating individuals struggling with a variety of issues ranging from stress, anger management, anxiety, depression and mood disorders. Most of my pre-private practice experience has been at a partial hospitalization program incorporated as a step-down program from psychiatric hospitalizations. My clinical focus is on treating mental health issues with co-occurring substance dependency/addiction; utilizing the matrix model, dialectical behavioral therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy approaches. I integrate these constructs, within a person-centered approach to treatment, as effective therapy should never be a one size fits all approach.

Many struggle with addiction and maladaptive coping patterns. They can impact multiple facets of one's life; work, socialization, familial relationships, and much more. It is essential to know that no one starts using substances to become an addict, and I want to be there on your journey to begin living the life you want, and the one you deserve to live.

Hello my name is Nicole Harvey-Navarro, and I am an LMHC therapist with my degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from New Mexico State University. I have worked in many different practice types, to include schools, psychiatric facilities, and outpatient individual settings. My clinical focus is centered around cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectic behavioral therapy (DBT) as well as mindfulness- based approaches. I work primarily with adult populations who have difficulties with anxiety, depression, grief, stress, anger management, co-occurring disorders with substance use, mood, and interpersonal difficulties. It is important to recognize not everyone fits into one particular box, and adjusting my approach to fit client needs is something I strive for.  

Hello my name Maureen Colligan and I am an Independently Licensed Clinical Counselor whom has been residing in Southern New Mexico since 2016. I was raised in small city in upstate New York, where I earned my Associate’s, Bachelor’s, and then a Master’s Degree in Humanistic Education. Shortly after receiving my Master’s Degree, I continued my studies earning a Credentialed Addiction and Substance Abuse Counseling License. In 2011, I completed a second Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling, and I am working towards completion of my Doctorate degree in Healthcare Administration.

I entered the United States Army Reserves while in college, working short tours of active duty, and was honorably discharged in 1987. I have worked as an advocate for persons with disabilities, and as an addiction counselor for over 20 years in outpatient, inpatient, and detoxification treatment settings. I am currently seeing clients with unresolved trauma and PTSD, eating disorders, mood disorders, pet loss grief, and those experiencing family or marital Conflict. I see individuals, adolescents (over age 12), and Couples. My primary approach to counseling is from a Cognitive Behavioral perspective, but I incorporate Brainspotting Phase 1, and use a client driven eclectic approach with each person. 

Hello, my name is Ruth Wagner, and I am a bilingual Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), dedicated to providing compassionate and culturally sensitive therapy services to clients in both English and Spanish.

I believe that mental health is essential to overall well-being and that therapy can be a powerful tool for achieving it. My approach is client-centered while working collaboratively with clients, children, adolescents, and adults. Whether you are dealing with life transitions or stressful situations, you’ve lost yourself, there is low self-esteem, feel unmotivated, depression, anxiety, and trauma, I am here to work with you in understanding, and meeting your unique needs and goals to move past the obstacles that prevent you from living a happier life.

I draw from a variety of evidence-based interventions, including therapeutic art techniques, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). My goal is to provide a safe, non-judgmental space where my clients can feel comfortable exploring their thoughts and emotions.

As a bilingual therapist, I am committed to helping individuals who may feel more comfortable expressing themselves in their native language. I understand that language can be a barrier to accessing mental health services, and I am dedicated to bridging that gap. I look forward to working with you and supporting you on your journey toward mental health and well-being.

My name is Shiloe Valles, and I am a provisionally Licensed Mental Health Counselor. I graduated with my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in 2022 from New Mexico State University. I was raised here in Las Cruces, and have lived in New Mexico for my entire life. This community is special to me, and I have a passion for helping those who live here thrive and flourish.

I believe that counseling should consider the whole person- mind, body, and spirit/soul. By approaching my work in this way, I aim to ensure that the entire health of your being is taken into account. My desire is to help you reorient to your center and rediscover balance in your life. I take a feminist, person-centered approach to my work, which simply means I honor and witness the person sitting across from me, while cultivating an open, honest, and collaborative relationship with you. My intention is to hold a sacred space for you to share who you are and what you are going through without judgment, as I listen with empathy, compassion, and understanding. I work alongside you to help you make sense of your current challenges, discover your strengths, leverage those strengths against your current struggles, gain insight into how your past may be affecting your present, and make meaning out of the things you have experienced. With a background in yoga, I also incorporate mindfulness and bodily awareness/movement into my work, as appropriate. I am bilingual in English and American Sign Language, and I currently work with adolescents, young adults and mature adults.

I look forward to meeting and working with you!

My goal whenever I work with you is for you to feel listened to, valued, and heard. Sitting in the room with anyone is an honor and a privilege as they take the courageous step towards therapeutic treatment. If you find yourself constantly overworked, stressed, burnt out, struggling to say no to others, and/or having difficulties separating your self-worth from your accomplishments, We might be a good fit.

II have experience in numerous clinical settings including inpatient, school counseling, and outpatient settings.  I work primarily from the clinical approach of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). My approach is to help teach you tools on how to accept your emotions for what they are and use them to make informed choices as opposed to reacting off of them. Hardship and struggles are part of the human experience. Still, through integrating strategies such as mindfulness, self-compassion, and experiential learning, I hope to assist you in feeling empowered to face whatever life throws at you and to live in congruence with your values.