Hidden Gems: Meet Elizabeth Denkins of Meraki Counseling

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Denkins.

Hi Elizabeth, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I graduated from Colorado Christian University in 2018 and I got my dream job working in a residential facility for adolescents. It was not a good fit for me for several reasons but it is what prompted me to open my own practice. I wanted to work with people who wanted to change. I have a wealth of knowledge in working with trauma and I found most of my energy was being spent trying to get my clients to simply engage in therapy.

I started my practice on January 1st, 2020. I had no idea the crisis of COVID which was at my doorstep. COVID was a setback for my business as people were largely seeking therapists through insurance and meeting virtually was undesirable to some. I worked for a group practice while building up my clientele.

Through working at the group practice I realized I am not good at working for other people and the statement “if you want something done right do it yourself” tends to be all too true. On October 15th, 2022 Meraki Counseling was my only job. Since then I have worked to be paneled with insurance and am thriving as a business owner and therapist. I enjoy working with my clients and seeing them progress and grow towards the life they want to live.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Starting a business is a struggle. I have a wonderful supervisor who helped me through the tasks I dreaded. Starting a business takes a lot of work with creating a business name, a website, being approved as a business by the state, and many other things. Clerical work is my least favorite and is most often a difficult part of owning a business. I like to be sitting with clients and engaging in therapy.

As previously mentioned, COVID was detrimental to my business. I started in 2020 and had about 4 clients the entire year. The pandemic caused most people to cut things out of their budget and, as much as it was needed, therapy was cut for several people. The difficulties have slowed down as I have gotten into a routine.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am the sole owner and employee at Meraki Counseling. Running my business is a necessity to do what I love, which is to provide therapy. I specialize in working with trauma. I am certified in EMDR. EMDR is one of the best treatments for resolving PTSD symptoms. I enjoy several other therapy modalities including IFS and CBT.

Quite often people think their symptoms are something that needs to be managed but through EMDR symptoms can be eradicated. I enjoy helping clients progress to a better quality of life than they knew they could have. I think what sets me apart as a therapist is my love for what I do. I truly enjoy people and see the best in them.

I have passion for my job and am always looking to improve and learn about mental health and how to help my clients. Meraki means the soul, love, or creativity put into something; the essence of yourself you put into your work. This speaks to the continued work I do on myself to be the best therapist I can be for my clients.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Being in private practice is a continuous learning experience. I think one thing I learned and continue to learn is boundaries. I have overworked myself in the past which resulted in stress and did not allow me to show up for my clients the way I would like. I am continually assessing my boundaries with my job to be certain I have a manageable amount of work I can do well.

Another way I have boundaries with my job is by allocating time I intentionally do not work. When I get home in the evening I do not work until the next morning. With email and online work always available this has been an important boundary to set with myself to avoid burnout.

Pricing:

• $120 per session
• $250 for 6-week group therapy

Contact Info:

• Website: https://merakicounselingdenver.com/meraki-counseling
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meraki_counseling/
• Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/elizabeth-denkins-rice-denver-co/490983