Elizabeth Davis, LCSW
I founded Thrive Wellness in 2019 in Norwood, Colorado, after a long career across mental health and social work. These days I’m based in Durango, offering in-person Sunday sessions from April through November, and traveling internationally in the winters—always staying connected to clients online.
My therapy is skills-based and experiential—I don’t just teach DBT, I live it. Like the time I was in Argentina trying to light a gas stove, completely oblivious to the smell of gas until neighbors knocked on my door, worried I was about to blow up the building. That’s distress tolerance in action. I use IFS to observe the parts of myself that get activated in those moments, and I bring that same real-life, human perspective into my clinical work.
I’ve lived and worked in some intense environments—from serving as the school counselor on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, to crisis work in the ER, detox units, and jail. I know how to work with people experiencing real crises, and my clients often tell me that my combination of human honesty, humor, and grounded skill makes therapy approachable, relatable, and effective.
I recently completed a 9-day silent mindfulness meditation retreat with some of the leading figures—so to speak—in the field of psychology and depth work. The experience deepened my ability to bring presence, clarity, and compassion into the therapy room, and continues to inform how I practice EMDR, DBT, and IFS. I also dance tango—an embodied, somatic practice that keeps me grounded in community and connection.
I don’t see myself as just a traveler passing through places; I integrate into communities. That same philosophy shapes my work: therapy that is approachable, accessible, grounded in evidence-based practices, but always taught through a real, human lens. I accept most major insurance, including Medicaid and Medicare, because therapy should be affordable and available to all.
THRIVE WELLNESS
My Approach
I approach therapy with curiosity, openness, and a commitment to continuous learning. Life can be really hard at times—especially now, with rapid changes—but it doesn’t have to feel unbearable alone. Each person is unique, so our work together is tailored to your needs, weaving together tools from EMDR, DBT, CPT, and IFS-informed perspectives in a way that actually makes sense for you.
Sessions are guided by a shared agenda and treatment plan, so our work moves forward instead of just checking in on the week. I mix humor with the hard stuff, creating a safe space where you can be seen, held, and truly witnessed—think of it as serious work with a wink when needed.
My goal is to help you become your own therapist, using me as a supportive, holding environment while you practice noticing, understanding, and caring for your parts. I offer practical tools, exercises, and in-between session assignments to help progress continue outside our hour together.
Through my work with older adults, caregivers, and athletes, I help people explore questions like “What does health really mean?” or “What does family mean?” as we navigate aging, physical changes, trauma, and life transitions. The hope is that life still throws curveballs, but you’ll be better equipped to handle them—with presence, curiosity, skill, and maybe even a laugh along the way.
About Me.
A Little About Me
I understand how important it is to find the right fit in a therapist, so here’s a bit about me. I grew up in New Jersey and pursued my education at Penn State and New York University. A transformative trip to Yosemite National Park inspired me to move west, and I began working in the National Parks until 2010.
I served as a school counselor on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, coaching track, sponsoring classes, leading clubs, and even serving as PTA president. During that time, I traveled internationally—through a Rotary Club professional exchange to India, discovering ultrarunning, biking down the Baja coast, and continuing to learn Spanish while exploring Central and South America.
After moving to Colorado in 2010, I settled in Norwood and worked in integrated behavioral health. Over the next decade, I gained invaluable experience in community mental health—including outpatient therapy, crisis work in the ER, detox, and jail—before founding Thrive Wellness in 2019.
The pandemic brought new challenges and opportunities for growth. I returned to learning Spanish and discovered unexpected healing in the dance of Tango. As someone who has pushed my body as an athlete, I’ve learned, like Gabor Maté describes, that we can endure without attuning to our bodies and emotions. Tango has helped me reconnect, explore somatic healing, and deepen my understanding of how trauma is often stored in the nervous system.
I resonate strongly with parts work and the philosophy that each person is complex, with multiple, sometimes paradoxical, identities. I try to live this in my work, creating a space where clients can be fully seen, held, and witnessed.
I’m also passionate about supporting specific populations. For older adults and caregivers, I’m developing a group inspired by Erik Erikson’s stage of integrity versus despair, exploring purpose, legacy, connection, and acceptance in a supportive community. For athletes, both amateur and professional, I bring personal experience and professional insight to help understand how trauma can inform risk-taking, desensitization to danger, or using exercise to mask emotional challenges.
One quote about community resonates deeply with me:
“Are we listening deeply enough to be changed by what we hear? We are not fixed in our own traits. You don't unify by trying to get people to be all the same; you unify by complexifying the individual. You have multiple identities within you, and we can allow ourselves to connect across some of those paradoxes.”
ACCEPTED INSURANCE
Medicare
Optum/UBH/UMR
Aetna
Rocky Mountain Health Plan
Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Humana
Medicaid - Prime
