LGBT therapists in Lafayette, CO

I'm Nicole Shelton, a double board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health and Family Nurse Practitioner (APRN, PMHNP, FNP). My experience in ICU and the ER informs my holistic approach to care. I specialize in treating anxiety, depression, substance use, and trauma across the lifespan. As a military wife and mother, I emphasize lifestyle balance, encouraging patients to integrate nutrition and exercise. I am dedicated to breaking mental health stigma and advocating for veterans and those impacted by trauma, ensuring you feel seen, supported, and empowered on your journey.

I bring warmth, humor, and clear guidance to therapy. Cognitive techniques help uncover how thoughts shape emotions and actions, while mindfulness fosters calm and focus. We’ll also explore your values to guide our work. Humor keeps things light, and directness ensures we stay on track. Together, we’ll work toward lasting growth and confidence.I earned my Master’s in Counseling from Wake Forest University.

My priority is to provide a safe, compassionate, and non-judgmental space where you feel heard, respected, and supported. With over 40 years in healthcare—including service as a former Navy Nurse Corps Officer and retired military veteran—I bring values of resilience, trust, and teamwork into every therapeutic relationship. I view care as a partnership and work to empower you to take an active role in your mental health.

Clinical Focus & Services

I provide pharmacotherapy (medication management) motivational interviewing, and other therapeutic modalities. We can assess during the first meeting if your treatment requires additional therapeutic support. I will provide a referral to a licensed therapist to ensure you receive comprehensive care. My practice supports:

• ADHD (I am an ADHD Certified Clinical Support Provider)
• College students with focus/concentration concerns,school overload, or interrelationship difficulties
• OCD
• Anxiety & Stress
• Panic Disorder
• Social Anxiety Disorder
• Trauma
• Mild to Moderate Depression
• Interrelationship issues
• Smoking cessation
• Gambling addiction
• Shop lifting addiction
• Smoking Cessation
• Alcohol Addiction

“How we relate to whatever we're experiencing is even more important than the experience itself " -Bruce Tift

I believe we all have a natural impulse towards evolution and health. Through training and discipline we can greatly accelerate this process.

Survival strategies needed in childhood, arising from our intelligence, are no longer appropriate and can cause unnecessary suffering. These outdated approaches are primarily unconscious. I provide a safe non judgmental space to get to know your patterns with an attitude of kindness. This awareness can give you the freedom to choose the direction you want instead of being driven by historical conditioning.

Bruised Not Broken Therapy was born out of the lack of Afrocentric based psychotherapy that allowed people of color to embrace their journey of life through the context of color. HIV, substance abuse, mental health and the denial of the experience of being a person of color continues to plague communities of color, as we still have yet to talk about these experiences.

Stimulants, Suboxone and Benzodiazepines are prescribed in this practice with DEA guidelines. Dr. Padilla is a Doctor of Nursing Practice from the New York tri-state area and has over 30 years of experience in healthcare. He treats children from 6 years old through adulthood, focusing on psychiatric medication management. He specializes in mental health and has extensive experience in the field of psychiatry. Dr. Padilla takes a “start low and go slow” approach to prescribing, paying special attention to medication potency and potential interactions with other medications prescribed by other providers. Dr. Padilla earned his Doctorate in Clinical Practice Nursing from Rutgers University–New Brunswick. He also holds bachelor’s degrees from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and the University of Miami, as well as an associate’s degree from Bergen Community College.

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, parent coach, and former educator with 36 years of experience helping children, teens, parents, couples, and families move from conflict and overwhelm to greater calm, confidence, and connection.

I specialize in working with families navigating autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, anxiety, depression, emotional regulation, school challenges, and family conflict. I also help parents reduce daily power struggles, improve communication, and respond with greater confidence and consistency.

I believe lasting change happens by looking at the whole picture—not just the symptoms. My work considers the child, the parent, the family system, and the school environment to identify the patterns that keep families stuck. Together, we develop practical, individualized strategies that create meaningful, lasting change.

My goal in our first session is to help you feel comfortable, heard, and supported. We'll talk about what's bringing you in, explore the challenges you're facing, and identify what's keeping you or your family feeling stuck.

There is no pressure to have everything figured out. We'll move at a pace that feels right for you. Together, we'll begin identifying patterns, clarify your goals, and create practical next steps that feel realistic and manageable.

Whether you're seeking support for yourself, your child, your relationship, or your family, you'll leave our first session with a better understanding of what's happening and a clear direction for moving forward.