Inspiring Conversations with Erica Bertschy of EWB Counseling

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Bertschy.

Hi Erica, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My path into this work began with motherhood. My early experiences with parenthood and loss deeply reshaped how I moved through the world. They made me more curious about how people process grief and adapt to the unexpected. At the time, I was in a career that didn’t feel meaningful anymore, and life was asking harder questions of me.

Then my dad was diagnosed with cancer. I was parenting young kids while supporting him through treatment and eventually, end-of-life care. It was a disorienting and tender time, one that made me more attuned to how people hold it all together when things are falling apart. I wanted to be part of work that honored that kind of quiet strength and vulnerability.

That’s what led me to pursue a master’s in counseling. During graduate school, I interned with a local hospice and felt a deep sense of alignment in supporting people through grief and major life transitions. After graduation, I opened my private practice, EWB Counseling, where I work with individuals navigating loss, caregiving, and the emotional demands of change.

This work feels personal and grounded. I show up with clinical training, but also with a deep respect for what it means to live through grief in real time.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I started graduate school shortly after my dad died, while newly pregnant with my third child. It was an intense, emotional time, I was grieving, parenting, growing a baby, and beginning a path toward a new career all at once. I often felt like I was holding so much under the surface while showing up for others and trying to stay steady myself.

As I build my private practice, the challenges have been different – licensure hurdles, financial pressures, and the constant juggle of family life alongside work. The struggles have shaped me just as much as the successes, and they continue to inform how I show up for my clients, with a lot of humanity and a deep respect for how hard it is to hold it all.

As you know, we’re big fans of EWB Counseling. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
EWB Counseling is a private practice based in Denver that specializes in grief support, life transitions, and attachment-focused therapy. I work primarily with individuals, especially mothers and caregivers, who are navigating loss, overwhelm, and the emotional challenges that come with major life changes. My goal is to provide a space where clients feel seen, heard, and validated without pressure to “fix” or rush their process.

What sets EWB Counseling apart is the blend of clinical expertise with lived experience. I integrate evidence-based approaches like Emotionally Focused Therapy and mindfulness with a deep understanding of grief’s complexities, both from my professional background and my personal journey. My style is warm, direct, and sometimes infused with a touch of humor because I believe healing and processing do not have to be heavy all the time.

I am proud that my brand reflects an authentic, compassionate approach to mental health that centers self-compassion and emotional coping skills. EWB Counseling offers telehealth sessions statewide plus in-person options here in NW Denver. I strive to provide a safe space for anyone who feels stuck, overwhelmed, or raw from loss and life’s transitions and who wants support navigating those feelings with kindness and real-world tools.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that healing and growth don’t happen in a straight line or on anyone else’s timeline. Grief and life’s challenges often come in waves, sometimes unpredictable and messy. Holding space for that reality—both for myself and for my clients—has been transformative. It’s allowed me to practice patience and self-compassion, and to truly meet people where they are without rushing them or trying to fix their pain.

This lesson shapes everything I do in my work. I believe people deserve a safe, honest space to explore their feelings and find their own way forward, even when it’s uncomfortable or uncertain.

Pricing:

• My session fee is $140 for a 50 minute session.
• I offer a free 20 minute phone consultation to ensure we are a good fit.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ewbcounseling.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ewb_counseling/

Image Credits
Stephanie Marilee Tucker