Grief counselors and therapists in Salida, CO

Small town living is a special kind of living. I have lived in northeastern Colorado my entire life, except for a short 5 years in Olympia, WA. I understand small town life.

I decided to become a therapist 14 years ago and completed my Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Northcentral University. My passion for helping families and individuals heal led me to specialize in Medical Family Therapy and to also receive advance training in EMDR therapy.

Sometimes life overwhelms us, but it doesn’t have to. I believe we all have the potential to control the way we react to situations we face.

With decades of experience, I am well-versed in many different modalities. No one approach works for everyone, so I built a large tool kit to have a broad range of tools available. Areas of expertise include individual, couples and family counseling, trauma recovery, anxiety, depression, special needs of gifted and talented, medical social work, impact of illness, traumatic brain injury, grief and bereavement, positive aging, geriatrics and end of life issues. Having been raised in a military family I enjoy working with our veterans, active duty personnel and their families.

On the outside, you may look high-functioning —managing responsibilities, caring for others, showing up for work and relationships — while internally feeling overwhelmed, anxious, disconnected, or stuck in patterns that leave you drained—you don’t have to navigate it alone!

I believe healing is not about becoming someone completely different — it’s about reconnecting with the version of yourself that has been buried underneath stress, survival, anxiety, self-doubt, or past experiences.

Starting therapy can feel vulnerable, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. I would be honored to support you in the process.

Have you ever felt that standard talk therapy is just treading water, and you're finally ready to swim to the shore?

With over 15 years in the field, I am a savvy, straightforward therapist ready to help you stop analyzing your life and start mastering it. My work is not a passive discussion; it is a direct and solution-oriented challenge to the barriers holding you back. My experience as a licensed professional counselor forms the foundation of a targeted approach, expertly blending proven techniques to confront issues like depression, anxiety, trauma, and complex relationship or parenting dynamics head-on. If you are serious about fighting for a better future, my non-judgmental yet rigorous style will provide the critical incident debriefing or grief and loss support you need. We aren't here to dwell on the "why"; we are here to execute the "how."

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

Hi! I'm Molly. I love being a therapist and feel so honored to be trusted with the tender work of healing. I'm a licensed clinical social worker, which basically just means that I'm a therapist who looks at both the person and their relationship with their larger environment. I've worked with ages 1-70+, diagnoses across the board, and in a variety of settings - a psychiatric hospital, medical detox for substance use, community mental health, intensive outpatient, residential, and in-home. Maybe you've been in some of those settings yourself! Wherever your path has taken you, I'm happy to walk alongside you in this present chapter.

Two decades of clinical excellence.

Dr. Cindy Ruelas-Tafolla's path to becoming a clinician began at age 13 with the sudden loss of her father — an experience that planted the seed of her life's purpose: to be the kind of support she needed during her own darkest moments.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Law and Society from UC Santa Barbara, her Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California, and her Doctorate in Social Work (DSW) from USC.

Over two decades, she has served as a Medical Social Worker, Case Manager, and Behavioral Health Therapist — bringing doctoral-level depth, board-certified credentials, and genuine compassion to every client she works with.

I’m Dr. Pearson, and I draw on over 30 years of counseling experience helping individuals, couples, marriages, families, teens, children, and organizations work through life’s challenges. I support clients dealing with depression, anxiety, stress, anger, relationship issues, family conflict, addiction and alcohol concerns, military-related stress, and major life transitions. My background includes working with people across many stages of life, including active-duty military members, veterans, DoD staff, military families, couples preparing for marriage, families under stress, and individuals seeking healthier ways to live at home, at work, and in their relationships. I believe therapy should offer hope, practical support, and a clear path toward healthy change.