About

Marlys Hersey is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and a licensed addictions counselor (LAC) in Colorado who has always been intrigued with how we make sense of ourselves and others and the stories we tell, and works from a place of genuine respect and curiosity.

Marlys holds a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Adams State University, and has worked as a therapist in a variety of settings including community mental health, intensive rehabilitation treatment, integrated medicine, and private practice.

Having worked extensively with people struggling with anxiety, depression, grief, addictions, emotional dysregulation, relationship problems, family conflict, trauma, suicidal thinking and behavior, issues with sexual and gender identity, and life transitions, Marlys is open to collaborating with motivated clients fifteen and older, providing individual and couples therapy.

Marlys strives to allow clients the space to gain essential insight and awareness, and learn the skills needed to elicit new and different results in their lives. Drawing from several therapies, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), EMDR, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Relapse Prevention, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Marlys fosters partnerships with clients to help them feel better, function better, connect more easily with others, enjoy their lives more, and move towards their goals with clarity, humor, and grace. 

Prior to becoming a therapist, Marlys has had a few other careers: writer, photographer, massage therapist, editor, college writing instructor, park ranger, barista, plant caretaker, and restaurant worker. Marlys has lived in several parts of the U.S., enjoys traveling, hiking, hula hooping, bicycling, reading, talking with friends — and snorkeling, kayaking, and canoeing in warm water. She is a big fan of animals (especially cats), trees, the ocean, mountains, desert, clouds. Marlys is perpetually learning Spanish and to play ukulele. All of these experiences have helped fuel Marlys’ attempts to better understand the human condition, and all color her approach to therapy.