Heather Rose Counseling
Online Therapy for High-Achieving
Women in Denver
Heather Bohlender, LCSW, LAC (she/her)
Hi.
If you tend to be hard on yourself,
I am soft.
If you have nothing but critiques,
I am gentle.
If you feel confused about how to make real, lasting changes to improve your situation, I’ve got a lot of ideas and strategies.
I’m a therapist who works with women who want to heal their trauma. I’m also a social worker who is deeply devoted to the cause of justice and liberation for all. Your race, ethnicity, gender expression, and sexual orientation are such a vital part of who you are. I want to better understand all of it.
You’re safe with me.
There’s nothing better than vibing with women who are on the journey to ditch self-doubt and go to the next level in their careers and relationships. I get so excited watching women make connections about old messages and negative self-talk that no longer serve them and writing new narratives for their lives.
I’m also a regular ol’ human being who is imperfect, but trying to build a life worth living. When I’m not playing therapist, I’m cultivating an acre of land in the country, playing fetch with my dog, talking smack on the pickleball court, or watching The Great British Baking Show with my husband.
Professional Credentials
licensed clinical social worker (LCSW)
licensed addictions counselor (LAC)
EMDR-certified therapist
My journey to becoming a therapist and
opening Heather Rose Counseling:
In 2014, I was living in South Korea and working as an English teacher. And I remember thinking to myself: This is good, great even. But I don’t think I want to do this for the rest of my life. So I started wondering if there was anything I could do for the rest of my life that would feel mostly satisfying and earn a living.
Quickly, I thought of all of the wonderful therapists I had personally seen throughout the years.
The rich conversations.
The deep insights.
Their unique ability—distinct from my parents or friends—to help me find clarity in my life.
And I realized that—likely—no other job would be more fulfilling than being a therapist.
And I was right.
I went to graduate school for social work, earned my master’s degree in 2018, became licensed in 2020, and worked for 6 years in community mental health.
In that position, I learned about the human condition.
How we hurt.
What we long for.
How we heal.
My teachers were people with severe and persistent mental illness, extensive trauma histories, people who were unhoused, and people with substance use disorders. People who had the courage to say, “I’m not okay. And I need help.” I’ve never witnessed more profound bravery.
So, now 10 years later, after considering that major career change, I opened my private practice. In June of 2024, Heather Rose Counseling came to be and I’ve never been more certain or more happy about a decision.
May this be a place of healing.
May this be a place of hope.
May this be a place where you finally feel at home in your own body and life.
Beyond having the degrees and certification that allow me to be a licensed therapist, I’m also a well-traveled person and a card-carrying member of the Human Race. This is my superpower.
And possibly, the most important reason I feel equipped to be a therapist has nothing to do with clinical trainings I’ve taken and everything to do with learning how to like myself.
To respect myself.
To trust myself.
To have compassion with myself.
THAT is the hard-earned work that I am proudest of.
And that personal work has only been confirmed by being a therapist to hundreds of beautiful, intelligent, capable women
who tell me:
I just don’t feel good enough.
I don’t like my body.
I feel ashamed of myself.
I feel like an imposter in my own life.
I can’t even imagine how I would speak kindly to myself.
If I let myself eat what I want, I’m afraid I’ll never stop eating.
I am no longer a Christian, but I still kind of fear the wrath of God that
I was taught growing up.
I feel like I’m stuck in the past and I can’t move forward.
I promise you, it’s not just a “you-problem.” The system of
patriarchy is functioning exactly as it was intended:
to make you question yourself, to make you play small.
For what other reason would so many incredibly competent
and amazing women tell me they feel incompetent and insignificant?
It’s bullshit.
It’s a hoax.
It’s a set-up.
Healing is possible.
As a trauma therapist, I lead with authenticity and compassion.
Because I get it.
I’ve been there.
I’ve played small. I’ve been hesitant. I’ve been at war with my own body, my own mind, my own spirit. I grew up in a high-demand (conservative Christian) religion with a lot of ideas about what it meant to be a girl and a woman and a wife. I developed an eating disorder. I thought being called a “perfectionist” was a badge of honor, but actually it was a ball-and-chain.
Working with a therapist helped me heal from an eating disorder, learn to set healthy boundaries, work collaboratively with the inner-critic, and find peace with myself.
This is the gift I have received.
And this is the gift I want to pass on to others.
I am passionate about helping women who have
experienced trauma
I love being able to be part of women’s healing journey. To help them construct their version of a life worth living.
Maybe that’s feeling more confident,
more connected to their intuition,
more attuned and compassionate to their bodies needs.
Maybe that means learning to set boundaries with people who
have not earned the right to be part of their lives. Maybe that means stepping away from a relationship (or a religion) that has been harmful.
There’s nothing better than earning the right to be a trusted place
for women’s most vulnerable thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
I do not take that lightly.
What an honor.
Get started with therapy today.
person-centered, client-lead philosophy
trusting your nervous system to guide treatment
big fan of humor and sharing of memes
helping women liberate themselves
You don’t have to live with depression, anxiety, dread, and fear.
Therapy can help you help you build confidence, cultivate better boundaries and a stronger sense of self.
My online therapy practice specializes in women with trauma who want bigger, fuller lives.
To start your therapy journey, follow these simple steps:
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let's hop on a 15-minute video call so I can answer your questions and you can see that I won't bite
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meet with Heather for an intake session to talk about your goals