Gretchen L
MA, LPC, LAC

Gretchen holds a Masters Degree in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology from Naropa University. She has worked adolescents and adults as a therapist, mentor, and guide in wilderness and residential settings and with a range of issues, including addiction, trauma, mood disorders, eating disorder, learning disabilities and life transitions/rites of passage. She also works part time as the young adult counselor and mental health professional at Harmony Foundation in Estes Park.

1. What is your name? Gretchen
2. What is your nickname? Gretchen
3. Where did you grow up? Rockford, IL
4. What was your favorite class in school (k-grad school)? History
5. Who was your favorite band growing up? Led Zeppelin
6. Name your 3 favorite jobs you’ve had? Coach at Harmony Foundation, Lifeguard, Wilderness Guide
7. What do you love doing more than anything else in the world? Spending time with my son
8. What’s your favorite food? Veggie Pizza
9. Chocolate or vanilla? Call or text? Truth or dare? I don’t like chocolate ice cream but I like chocolate everything else; Text; Dare
10. Your greatest accomplishment: My son
11. What do you know now that you wish you knew then? Not to take things personally
12. What did you want to be when you grew up? An actress

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Testimonials

Expand mentors have a balance between accomplishing tasks with the clients they serve while always seeking to deepen connections with the clients.

N.M. MA, LPC

The talent and skill in connecting with adolescents and young adults is without comparison.

A.C. MA, LPC, PsyD

Our mentor was instrumental in getting our daughter back on track. She is warm, yet firm and tireless in her approach to helping young people. I would encourage anyone who needs help to call Expand Mentoring.

JM- Ed Consultant

Expand mentoring was there for my student as she transitioned from a therapeutic wilderness program home. It was this structure that allowed my student to reintegrate back into the family and community instead of going to a therapeutic school.

KM- Ed Consultant

You feel like you've known the guy for years! My mentor is a great guy.

Expand client

Working with expand mentors means I am collaborating with a team that offers skillful, caring, and coordinated care to my clients; meeting them in their world, working organically to connect and expand treatment far beyond the therapy office.

B.W. MA, LPC

Working with a mentor helps me see possibilities for my life that I wouldn't have seen otherwise.

Expand client

I enjoy working with expand mentors because they help guide me in life while I'm still in control.

Expand client

Mentoring has been vital for me in helping me separate my apathy in the past by instilling a new found desire to succeed.

Expand client

Our mentor has done an amazing job working with our son. He came into the picture at a critical time for him and has been a huge part of all the positivity in his life right now. He's coming up on 1 year sober (his sister's birthday) and is started a full-time job.

Expand parent

Working with Expand Mentoring as a therapist provides my clients the extra support they need to practice/follow through with their personal goals and positive coping skills they are learning in therapy.

J.S. MA, LPC

Over a period of three years, my mentor patiently guided me to a healthier, more independent place. The tools and skills I learned from her gave me the confidence to challenge myself and be successful. She was there for me to rely on when I was lost, and her support gave me the strength to decide I wanted a better life for myself. When I was looking in every direction for the answer to, "How do I get better?", my mentor gave me the greatest gift my helping me find it in myself.

Jenn

In 2010, I made the decision to get help because I was addicted to substances that led me to make poor life decisions. I got the opportunity to work with Expand Mentoring and my life turned around. It was not easy and I left for a period of time, but my mentor helped me make better decisions, fix old behaviors, and I am alive. I have seen my mentor weekly for almost four years now and am grateful to have her in my life. She never hesitates to pick up the phone, she shows up, and she is a smart and amazing role model who has helped me become a better person in countless ways.

Maya

In my experience with treatment and seeking personal growth I have had good therapists and bad therapists, as hard as it is to say more bad therapists or counselors than good ones. Before meeting my mentor for the first time I had never had a “mentor” in the technical sense that she was not a therapist but more of a friend and guidance counselor than anything. In my opinion the reason that my Expand mentor is so good at her job is because she is able to connect with the young adult she is working with. Another reason is her out there style and personality, she is not afraid to share her experiences, whether good or bad for the bettering of you. Personally I met with my mentor twice a week for almost 6 months and even though every time I dreaded going and sitting there with her discussing hardships with my family or talking about my grades in school, she was always there for me. Even though I would never admit this in person, because this is anonymous, she did help me change my view and outlook on life and my family drastically. Without her I sincerely believe my family and I would not be on talking terms.

Kris

I‘ve met a lot of people throughout the years of treatment and I think it is safe to say I have yet to encounter somebody as challenging as my Expand mentor. I have also yet to encounter somebody so determined and passionate in their career. I’d forgotten that people were still cheering me on, and my mentor will never let me forget that again.

Laura

Expand Mentoring's talent and skill in connecting with young adults is without comparison. Over many years working with my mentor, I have watched the mentors form lasting and transformative bonds with even the hardest to reach youths. The mentors are truly gifted at what they do.

My defiance and need to continuously sabotage my future was compounded with years of substance abuse. Expand Mentoring took me on after other mentors found me very difficult to work with. I grew to have a tremendous amount of respect for my mentor because she exemplified patience & understanding as well as refusing to let me fall short/manipulate my way out of responsibilities. She contributed in the success that I am currently experiencing (I'm holding a part-time job, taking college classes & have developed a better relationship with my family – I never thought this was possible). Without having someone believe in my potential & guide me along, I would still be very lost today.

Brett

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