Jim’s Story

Where It All Started

During the Summer of 2010, my parents hit their limit with my behavior, which included substance abuse, depression, anger, and academic issues. My parents, therapist, and education consultant intervened, and said I was either going to wilderness therapy or I would no longer be supported financially or emotionally. Luckily, I had enough awareness of my problems to realize I needed help. As a wilderness therapy client, I found my former self again! I learned coping tools to manage depression and anxiety, built lasting friendships with those managing similar issues, graduated with a BA in Psychology from the University of Colorado, and started working for an insurance brokerage firm in Chicago.

Where It All Started

My Experience As A Senior Field Instructor

My Experience as a Senior Field Instructor

In May of 2018, I decided that I finally wanted to pursue my dream of changing career paths and becoming a mental health professional. Following a year of sobriety after graduating wilderness therapy, I slowly relapsed into my drug and alcohol addiction. Luckily for the experiences I gained in wilderness therapy, I had the skills to get myself back on the wagon. I got sober and moved to Bend, OR in July, 2018 to work for a wilderness therapy program as a Field Instructor. I was eventually promoted to Senior Field Instructor, which included the responsibilities of mentoring individual clients, leading therapeutic groups, and managing other field staff. I also helped lead a parent conference, where I coached parents on the skills their children were learning in the field.

My Experience as a Residential Coach

After a year and a half working in wilderness therapy, I accepted a position as a Residential Coach at a transitional living program, which is the next level of care for young adults following wilderness therapy. My primary methods for reaching these young adults was relational, specifically using Motivational Interviewing (MI) techniques to build empathy and connect them with their goals and values. My other responsibilities included planning recreational activities, running therapeutic groups, working directly with clients’ primary therapists, and assisting in parent phone calls.

My Experience As A Residential Coach

 

My Experience in Graduate School

My Experience in Graduate School

After spending three life changing years in Bend, OR, I enrolled in University of Denver’s Master of Counseling Psychology Program, and graduated in June, 2023. In addition to my education, I operated in Internship Therapist roles at a local substance abuse rehabilitation program, maintaining positions in their outpatient and residential/detox centers. I also worked at another young adult treatment program in Boulder during my first year of school. One of my goals during these experiences was to use therapeutic modalities and interventions to assist parents in developing problem solving skills to support their children’s mental health struggles.

My Experience as a Clinical Therapist

Now that I have graduated from the University of Denver and earned my Master of Arts (MA) and Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate (LPCC), I am continuing to support clients as a full-time therapist at another substance abuse rehabilitation program based out of Denver, CO. I primarily practice Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and existential therapy to form an eclectic therapeutic orientation. These skills are directly transferrable to consulting with parents because I have further line of site to the same modalities used by therapists in residential and wilderness programs. I focus on family work with each of my clients, which includes weekly family phone calls and full family sessions when applicable.

My Experience as a Clinical Therapist

Jim Morris Clinical Therapist

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