Yvonne is a Mom, Wife, Author, Speaker, Counselor, and the founder of Cottonwood Counseling.  She is an independently licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LPCC) and a Registered Play Therapist (RPT).  She has been helping adults, children, adolescents, and families for over 18 years.  She provided services in her private practice for 7 years.  Upon seeing the growing demand for mental health services, she felt the need to open a group practice in order to better serve her community.  She is certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy and Sand Tray Therapy.  She specializes in treating Trauma, PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety.  With a degree in Mechanical Engineering, she has been a Satellite Engineer, a Mission Planner, and has even worked for NASA.  As the author of the Amazon Best-Seller A DROP OF WATER: A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY, she was inspired to share from her knowledge as a Therapist and Suicide Loss Survivor to help others find encouragement and inspiration through loss.  Her passion and the mission of Cottonwood Counseling is to provide knowledgeable, nurturing, and effective treatment to the community.

Phu Barney, the Practice Manager for Cottonwood Counseling has over 25 years of management experience, 15 of which have been in the mental health field.  Her education includes a B.S. in Business Management and Human Resources.  As a HIPAA security officer, she manages the information security policies, procedures, and technical systems of Cottonwood Counseling.  Along with her education she has an in-depth knowledge of most aspects of a Mental Health practice including medical billing, insurances, credentialing, HR, but most importantly, patient care.  She and her husband have 3 children and 5 grandchildren.  Her hobby is her family and taking care of patients.  Understanding and supporting her patients is her number one priority.

Denise is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), having completed her degrees at the University of New Mexico and Webster University. She has worked in therapeutic foster care, group homes for children and adolescents, and mental health and addiction services for adults and adolescents. Denise has also worked in behavioral therapy for autism spectrum and intellectual and developmental disorders. Her current focus is in trauma, mood disorders, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and autism spectrum disorder. She specializes in providing therapy to children, adolescents, families and adults while working to help clients develop their own strengths and effective ways of coping with life’s challenges. Denise is well-versed in the particular nuances and challenges of the LGBTQ community and multiple cultural backgrounds.

Nicole is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, having completed her education at New Mexico State University. She has experience working in child welfare, nonprofit and clinical mental health settings. Nicole has a passion for ending the stigma surrounding mental health and offering support during life’s difficult moments. She believes in providing a safe space for people to find their voice. Her approach is person centered and she is able to support individuals that have experienced trauma, depression, anxiety, self-esteem and grief/loss through psycho education, mindfulness and Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). When not working, Nicole enjoys spending time with her husband and sons as well as playing with her animals, reading, and playing Dungeons and Dragons.

Joan is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC). She graduated from Southwestern
Theological Seminary in Texas in 2005, with dual MA degrees in Marriage and Family Counseling and Christian Education. Her experiences include counseling and interpreting in private practices, non-profit agencies, corrections facilities, and universities. She serves adolescents and adults, with issues related to depression, anxiety, communication, parenting, relationship conflict, family/marital relationships, cultural adaptation, faith, grief and loss, self-esteem, conflict resolution, anger management, domestic violence, smoking cessation, and problem gambling. Life is never static, so matches her counseling approaches. She believes in ‘change through renewal of mind,’ via eclectic approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy,Solution-focused therapy, and Brief therapy. She provides Christian counseling when requested. Her clients may also request counseling in English, Mandarin, or Cantonese. She hopes her service inspires and teaches people to make positive life-oriented choices, and helps to lead people to achieve a quality physical, emotional, and spiritual life.
Her hobbies are cooking, gardening, and enjoying tea time. She says it is amazing watching her plants grow. That translates to cherishing watching her clients grow through life challenges.
Her motto: “Cheering with you when the sun shines. Walking with you when it rains.”