Minding mental health in rocky times By Wendy Rigby Trail-Gazette
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n this time of uncertainty and stress, the mental health of the residents of Estes Park is of paramount importance. Frontline therapy warriors have been relying on technology to help them continue important sessions with clients. “Connection, I believe, is one of the keys to helping people overcome mental health challenges,” said Ray Nypaver, MA, LPCC, owner of Wanderlust Counseling in Estes Park. “Connection is extremely important at this time. We just have to be mindful of the way that we do it.” Nypaver has been conducting her therapy sessions via Zoom, although she admits, the set-up is less than ideal. “We do rely on facial expressions and the energy we have
Ray Nypaver / Courtesy photo
Ray Nypaver owns Wanderlust Counseling in Estes Park. during in-person sessions,” she noted, “but our work continues.” Nypaver started her practice in Estes Park in October of 2019. She has a degree from the University of Colorado Boulder in mental health counseling with a concentration in
nature therapy. “Mother nature offers a lot of wisdom,” she said. “There is science behind it. Sitting under a tree, taking a walk, looking at the mountains activates a part of the brain that helps us remain calm.” Nypaver is one of about a half
dozen therapists in Town. No psychiatrists practice here, so people who need more acute mental health care are referred to psychiatrists in other cities in Larimer County. However, the half dozen or so therapists in Town offer a variety of approaches to mental wellness, from animal therapy to EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy. To help people who might not be able to afford therapy right now, in April, Nypaver offered one free session to anyone whose income has been compromised but who still need someone to talk to in order to help them through the crisis. “I can’t fix anything as far as their life challenges go, but I think sometimes people need a nonjudgmental place to talk and to work out the emotions that See MENTAL, pg. 28
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