Conversations with the Inspiring Kristy Davis

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristy Davis.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I think what most people know about therapy without actually going is what they see in the movies. They picture a therapist with glasses, good posture, legs crossed, sitting on a chair as a distraught person sits across from them on a couch. I would have to say I thought the same at first, but, oh, how I was wrong. The sitting part is probably the only thing that would be correct. I have done a lot of sitting in my life. When I was in high school, I would sit in my school counselor Mrs. Flink’s office because I really struggled with reading and math. I wasn’t an easy kid and did not make things easy for her. Mrs. Flink would pull me out of class and check in with me. If I was upset, I was quiet and made her job extremely hard. She was patient and waited for me to come around, even if this meant me not speaking to her the entire time when we met. I eventually would look forward to the time we would meet and really began to look up to her. Little did she know that she would inspire me to want to do the same for others. Everything would eventually come full circle and I would be the therapist patiently waiting for my client to talk with me.

I started my journey by going to school for my bachelor’s degree in Psychology, at Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado, once again, I did a lot of sitting. Years later, at 3:00 am, I found myself sitting in my office at the Residential Girls home where I was working, studying for graduate school. While completing my MSW at the University of Denver, I interned in Children’s Hospital’s Emergency Department where I completed my research on Compassion Fatigue in Health Care Workers. During this time, I sat with psychiatrists, medical specialists, nurses, and social workers from all over the world whose knowledge was invaluable. I did even more sitting while I had to complete 5000 hours of additional training for my Certified Addictions Counselor III. And even more as I received my Masters of Social Work and eventually became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. All that sitting was definitely worth it. In 2002, I was Recognized as Counselor of the Year through CAFCA for the state of Colorado and have since received various other rewards throughout my career. However, nothing has been as rewarding as direct patient care.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has been an incredible journey so far. People have invited me in for the most intimate moments in their lives and I have never taken it for granted. I’ve been in a room as a family took their child off life support because they didn’t want to be by themselves. I’ve sat on a burn unit with a patient as we streamed the funeral of their loved one, holding their hand as they cried. I’ve stood outside a trauma room talking with loved ones of a patient that have just overdosed on heroin, comforting them as they try to make sense of such an ugly addiction. I have seen people at the darkest, most heartbreaking, and bravest moments of their lives. But I felt like something was missing. When you work in the emergency department, you never get to know the ending to their stories. You don’t see them come out of their darkness and see them triumph. I wanted to follow people on their journey and see them when they worked through divorce, when they conquered addiction, and be there when they found their happiness again, which is why I started my own practice.

The most important advice I could give to a young women just starting her career is don’t be afraid to ask questions and learn from others. Find your style, be true to yourself, and absolutely don’t be afraid to fail. It is not about failing it’s about how you rebound. Some of my biggest failures have led me on my most incredible journeys. Also, don’t get so lost in trying to succeed that you neglect the most important people in your life. Take the vacation, meet your friends for brunch, watch a movie with your significant other without being on your phone. Don’t take your loved ones for granted, you never know how much time you have with them. When you’re 90 years old and about take your last breath, no one is going to care what you did for a living. My grandparents always said “keep me proud,” meaning you are no better than anyone else and no one else is better than you. Be kind to yourself and others. Learn how to be assertive, not aggressive. And set boundaries so you and your patients can have healthier and more productive relationships.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Mental Edge Therapy story. Tell us more about the business.
I’m the owner of Mental Edge Therapy in Cherry Creek. I work with adults in individual therapy, specializing in addiction and trauma, however, as a therapist, you work a lot with depression, anxiety, relationship issues, and various other life stressors. I think there are a lot of layers to relationships that people don’t talk about. I really enjoying working with individuals that are currently having affairs or have been affected by one. The media portrays affairs as this heartless, evil action that a person takes against another person, however, relationships are complicated and the majority of the time there are multiple factors that have contributed to this behavior.

Unfortunately, our society has a sigma about mental health that we need to get rid of. It is not weak to get help, it’s extremely brave! Mental health can affect anyone. I work with an amazingly diverse population. I have clients in the LBGTQ community, teachers, first responders, CEO’s, and various other clients from different backgrounds. I think it’s hard to ask for help and I want people to feel comfortable. I’m the therapist that doesn’t care if you cuss during our session. Life is hard enough and I don’t want people to feel censored when they come into my office. I also think that when used appropriately humor can really be useful tool in therapy. There is no better emotion than laughter through tears.

Which women have inspired you in your life? Why?
Kelly Frank, Kristen Keller, Sara Docksey, Michelle Levy, Laura Larson, Christina Engel, Dawn Gabriel, Keely Morris, Casey Schmidt, Sandy Moran, Kathie Kriegh, Sue Fabeck, Erika Schumacher, Brooke Talbot, Bonnie Cady, Mandi Doryland, Julie Bahl, Stephanie Johnson,Amanda Kerpius, Robin Flink, Carmelina Palmer, Mya Palmer, Cristina Bearden, Jude Robinson, All the Davis, Benoit and Boudreaux women in my Family, especially My Mom, Maw Maw Francis and Maw Maw Rita. All of these amazing women have been apart of my journey. When I decided to go to graduate school these women supported me. When I said, I was going to run the New York City Marathon but couldn’t run a mile they were my biggest cheerleaders. Some of these women own their own company, one wrote a book, another is studying for law school, they are great moms and some of the most amazing women I have ever met. I am where I am in life because of these women. Thank you for being the women that fixes another woman’s crown without telling the world it was crooked.

Pricing:

• Sessions are $110

Contact Info:

• Address: 121 S. Madison St
  Suite C Denver, CO 80209
• Phone: 720-934-9784
• Email: Krobtherapy@gmail.com
• Instagram: Mental_edgetherapy

Image Credit:
Keeley Morris

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