Jessica Waters, Phd, CRADC, ADDC, CCTP, CGCS, RYT-200/500
Our Clinician-Practitioner
Jessica Provides telehealth services for mental health therapy to residents of Colorado Only. She provides addiction counseling to those in Colorado, Oregon and Missouri. All Coaching services, including Trauma , Grief and Addiction Recovery Coaching are available throughout the United States and Internationally. A former teacher, trauma and resiliency specialist and now therapist, she has over 25 years combined experience. She is certified in integrative medicine for mental health and has studied at the Andrew Weil Institute, the Chopra Center, the Center for Traditional Medicine, the University of Minnesota and the Mind Body Institute with Harvard trained Mind Body Medicine specialist Dr. Leslie Korn. She is a HeartMath HVT certified provider and a certified mindfulness instructor, sound healing practitioner, aromatherapist with training in the utilization of ear seeds. She has and continues to study with Grandmother Flor DeMayo, one of the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers, the art of traditional healing with Curanderos in the Curandera Espiritu path as well as with the University of New Mexico, and through her own Anishinaabe/European heritage. She is a Metaphysical Practitioner, Reiki Master and Intuitive Counselor, Metaphysical New Thought Practitioner and has studied the Mystics with Fr. Richard Rohr and his team in New Mexico. She is presently pursuing training in Functional Medicine for Mental Health and has completed her 300 Hour YTT (qualifying for her RYT-500). She is currently completing her Certified Functional Medicine And Trauma Specialist (CFMTS) and Certified Multichannel Eye Movement Integration practitioner I (CMEMI-1).
She has spoken and presented workshops and trainings to both large and small organizations and school districts. As a former teacher of two decades, addictions counselor and school based resiliency specialist, she understands the practical needs of teachers, parents and children. She is a trained NAMI presenter and has served on the board for a variety of non profit organizations that focus on helping the homeless. She currently partners with Family Promise of the Northland in providing hygiene kits for it's laundry and shower service for homeless women with children in Kansas City as well as provides these kits to the homeless on the street.
Jessica's Story
"My personal journey in life was resistant to therapy because of different unsatisfying experience with the traditional therapy model. I have survived and now thrive, overcoming childhood sexual abuse, multiple rapes and sexual assaults, a school shooting, school based assaults and my own substance abuse issues that were my survival means. After the death of my brother in 2006 from his addiction, I knew my path would lead to the same place if I didn't change my life at that point. As someone once told me, everybody's bottom looks different. Not everyone has to be homeless on the streets to be there. That was true in my case. I stopped drinking, quit smoking and in treatment became addicted to prescribed benzodiazepines after a brutal sexual assault and episode of school violence where I worked. While I thrived prior, my bottom was at that moment when I could not find safety anywhere, let alone in myself. It was then I entered the traditional model of therapy where my life story was unbelieved by clinician's who had no idea how to treat such complex trauma. Luckily, I found the right set of supports after numerous tries. For the next 8 years I'd throw myself into expanding on my master's education in psychology and studies in trauma and expressive arts therapy to learn more about how to heal myself... and others. I have always held the belief that healing from trauma, grief and addiction is a trinity process. Mind. Body and Spirit. You cannot eliminate one. It must be a holistic approach for success. Dedication to practice, taking small, supported steps, meeting people where they are at, having a good therapeutic alliance and learning to build trust is all essential to that healing process. In my own experience, I was determined to learn everything about these healing modalities that I could and share the power of the arts in healing with supplement support, endocannabinoid support (CBD/CBG/CBN), behavior nutrition, lifestyle changes, mindfulness, sound healing, energy work, spiritual work, visualization, affirming practices, all of it. The combination of all of these practices allows for avenues of healing that workbooks and shame filled processes can't provide. While they may be helpful, the holistic practices of substance abuse, trauma, grief and mood healing help release not only trauma, but karmic and energetic attachments that keep us trapped and regulate the system without pharmaceuticals. I support pharmaceutical support, however, as everyone is different and different people need different supports, even if they are temporary, to begin the healing work, to get you on the path to a different life. Through the process, you can discover your own power to heal... yourself. But first, you have to reach out. The practices supports all sexes, orientations, nationalities, gender identities, sexual orientations, sizes, abilities, and more. We are an interfaith organization based in indigenous, metaphysical (New Thought, Energy Medicine), progressive Christian and Quaker perspectives.
I believe in accessibility of mental wellness care and offer low cost counseling and coaching on a sliding scale. We are supported by low cost fees, donations and sale of online therapeutic art courses at The Center for Shamanic, Therapeutic Expressive Arts. We receive no government funding, and do not take insurance."
Credentials and Certifications
Specialization Licenses, Registrations and Certificates
Registered Psychotherapist (CO)
A.D.D.C. – Addictions Counselor Candidate (CO)
CRADC/ICADC - Credentialed Reciprocal Alcohol and Drug Counselor (International)
Missouri (CRADC, QAP) and Oregon (CADC, QMHP-R)
CMHIMP – Certified Mental Health Integrated Medicine Provider
M.A.R.S. – Medication Assisted Recovery Specialist (MO)
M.P.S.- MO Prevention Specialist
*The latest State of Colorado Mental Health Sunset Review process resulted in the official title of registered psychotherapist changing to unlicensed psychotherapist, signed into law on 7/14/2020. All licensed and unlicensed psychotherapists are required to maintain registration and good standing with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) and both of these groups legally practice under the Mental Health Practice Act.
NAADAC Specialty Training Achievement's:
Wellness in Recovery
Advancements in Technology in the Addiction Profession
Recovery to Practice
Women in Recovery
More Addictions Work
CAIMHP-Certified Addictions Informed Mental Health Provider
Trained fully in Dartmouth/Hazelden Betty Ford's FIT Co-Occurring Disorders Program
Y12SR (Yoga for 12 Steps) and Yoga for Recovery
Disordered Gambling Counselor Certification Training (currently completing) - University of Indiana
Co-Occurring Disorders Specialist (currently completing) - Breining Institute
Trauma Credentials
CCTP – Certified Clinical Trauma Provider
CFTP - Certified Family Trauma Provider
CATP – Child and Adolescent Trauma Provider
CCTAS – Certified Clinical Trauma and Addictions Specialist
CYMHS -Certified Youth Mental Health Specialist
Certificates in Trauma Informed Care for Organization, Clinical Foundations of Trauma Informed Care, MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) and Mindfulness-University at Buffalo-SUNY
CCFP – Certified Compassion Fatigue Professional
Special study in Chronic Pain and Trauma
Mood/Grief Certifications
CCATP-CA – Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional
CDMDTP- Certified Depression Mood Disorders Treatment Professional
ADHD-Certified Clinical Services Provider and Certified Educator
CGCS – Certified Grief Counseling Specialist (including work from Hospice of America) Certified Complicated Grief Treatment Provider – Columbia University
Cal State University Institute of Palliative Care-Healing Through Art for Palliative Care- Train the Trainer
Integrated, Functional, Alternative Medicine for Mental Health Certifications
Certified Integrated Mental Health Provider - Dr. Leslie Korn
Functional Medicine for Mental Health - Arizona Trauma Institute (currently completing)
Specific training in Integrated Medicine for Mental Health from The Andrew Weil Institute at the Un of Arizona
Somatic Embodiment and Self Regulation Level 3 Practitioner
Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200, CYT-500) with certifications in Restorative, Chair, Children’s, Yoga For All, Body Positive Yoga Accessible Yoga Teacher (AYT) and Ambassador
HeartMath Clinical Services Provider – Stress, Anxiety and Depression
HeartMath Resilient Heart - Trauma Informed HeartMath Certified Provider
Trained in The DaLian Method
Certified Primordial Breath Practitioner – Chopra Center
Certified Health and Wellness Life Coach – Vegan Nutrition Coach
Trained in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and MMFT Training
Certified Mindfulness and Meditation Teacher
Certified Mindfulness Informed Professional
Certified Energy Medicine Practitioner, Reiki Master and Karuna Ki Master
Certified Angelic Healing Practitioner
Contemplative/Mystic Studies at CAC with Fr. Richard Rohr and Faculty
Expressive Arts Therapy Certifications and Training
Certification in Therapeutic Art Life Coaching and Shamanic Life Coaching 'Certificate in Arts in Health – Arts in Health Institute
Certification-Trauma Informed Expressive Arts Therapy
Certified Sound Healing Practitioner (Multiple Instruments and Voice)
Trained in the FOAT Method
Certified Advanced Mindful and Meditative Art Facilitator
Mindful Art Therapy, Art Therapy and Anxiety, Grief and Art Therapy, Expressive Arts for Trauma Healing and Emotional Regulation
Expressive Arts for 12 Steps and Addictions - Dr. Jamie Marich and Pamala Hayes
Healing with the Arts Specialization -University of Florida
Academics
Specialization Certificate in Curanderismo - University of New Mexico (currently completing)
Specialization Certificate in Integrated Health and Wellness - University of Minnesota
Specialization Certificate in Positive Psychology-University of Pennsylvania
Specialization Certificate of Social Emotional Learning University of Colorado- Boulder
PhD (ABD) Transpersonal Counseling ( 2023) - University of Metaphysical Sciences
Doctorate of Holistic Ministry (New Thought/Metaphysics)- University of Sedona
Certificate in Fine Art-Kansas City Art Institute
Doctoral Studies Psychology - Cappella
Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership - Capella
Certificate of Transpersonal Counseling - Institute of Transpersonal Psychology
Certificate of Transpersonal Studies-Creative Expression- Institute of Transpersonal Psychology (Sofia)
M.A. Psychology - Regis University
B.S.Ed. – Elementary Education and Music - University of St. Mary
A.A. – Music, Metropolitan Community Colleges