Jill Wheeler
MA, LPC, LMHC, RYT-500
LET’S TAKE A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE…
I grew up on the east coast of the United States, most of my childhood homeschooled, splitting the year between Connecticut, Florida and the Bahamian Islands. We wintered on a boat cruising along the coast of southern Florida, the Florida keys and the Bahamas. Our summers were spent on the coastal waters of New England’s most charming islands and shores, Nantucket, Block Island, Watch Hill and Cuttyhunk were family favorites. This beautiful life “aboard” instilled a deep respect and love for wild places. We were often anchored off coasts, surrounded by the smells and sounds of coastal wildlife, immersed in the swells and motion of the ocean.
I spent two years in Waterville, Maine at Colby College studying psychology, climbing mountains and leading outdoor orientation trips, then transferred to Prescott College in Prescott, Arizona to finish my B.A. in Psychology, with an emphasis in Wilderness Therapy and Movement Arts. Leaving New England was the scariest, bravest thing I had done. I craved the wild expanse of the west and was determined to rock climb, which I spent 15 years devoted to, personally and professionally. Following my undergraduate education, I moved to the other coast, Santa Cruz, California, to pursue a career as a behavior therapist with children diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum. I was grateful to work under some of the most esteemed and highly regarded Autism and Applied Behavioral Analysts in the world at the time. Throughout my twenties, I was able to balance my Behavior Therapy career with summers in the wilderness, leading high-impact, leadership programs for Colorado Outward Bound School, the Athenian School and Women’s Wilderness Institute before furthering my academic pursuits at the University of Denver, graduating with a Masters of Arts in Counseling Psychology in 2001.
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Since 2001, I have worked as a caseworker and intensive family therapist for Adams County Government, led specialized treatment-focused outdoor courses for Colorado Outward Bound School, founded an integrative wellness/fitness/leadership and empowerment program, Wellfit Girls and continue to provide transformative leadership and personal coaching for individuals, couples, families and small organizations.
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My Connection With Nature
Growing up deeply connected to the rhythm of nature’s ebbs and flows, calm and fury, I learned that even the scariest storms do pass, as do those sunny, delicious, salty air moments with melting sticky ice cream down my hand. I wanted those hot summer nights to last a lifetime and some of those long ocean passages with rough seas to cease churning my insides out. Life will always give us moments to endure and memories to treasure.
The resilient seeds to overcome life’s tragic beauty reside in all of us. Grief over loss of the beautiful things we cannot hold onto forever is a pain we can all relate to. Longing for the bliss of our best days to last is universal. My work is designed to help you resolve grief and loss, accept life as it is, ourselves as we are, while working to instill active hope and sustainable practices that invite peace, acceptance and harmony.
I believe we are creative beings by nature. Creativity inherently resides in each of us, emerging from our truest selves and intuition. Creativity is the foundation of resilience and recovery.
We can do hard things.
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Consider me a friend and guide to your intuitive, creative and resilient self. I will help you cultivate a meaningful vision for your life.
We will work together, empowering your self-expression, allowing for profound transformation, peace and love in all areas of your life.
I am passionate about you taking a leadership role in healing your life and the relationships that mean the most to you.
Happiness may feel elusive and freedom far away, but there is hope. I am here to walk the path alongside you; to help you heal past wounds and trauma, resolve disappointment and honor grief, allowing joy, peace, balance and empowered choice to fulfill you.
Our time together will be both a conversation for change and a celebration of your truest, most authentic self.
My Expertise
Leadership consultant, yoga instructor, writer, adventurer and athlete who specializes in creating transformational and empowerment experiences for individuals, groups and communities.
I have worked as a licensed professional counselor and mental health specialist with individuals, couples, families experiencing a range of psycho-social issues, including a range of mental health diagnoses, interpersonal communication challenges, grief, loss and illness.
As an adventure guide and outdoor educator, I have led individuals, special interest groups and corporate clients on high impact, life-changing adventures. Whether working in the office, online or outdoors, I help people climb high in all areas of their lives, overcoming mountains of uncertainty and navigating floods of emotion. I draw on the wisdom of nature’s resilience to help clients connect to their innate ability to weather storms and cultivate seeds though life’s seasons of despair and challenge.
MY COMMITMENT TO YOU
I believe all worthy journeys behold a fair share of good times and challenging obstacles. I am here to support the highs, lows and everything in between. Whether you are mourning a loss or contemplating a big, new beginning, I look forward to guiding, nurturing and supporting you.
I will meet you where you are, respecting you as the greatest source of insight and knowledge of your life. I also believe there are few true stories and some of the things we've been telling ourselves are straight up lies. I am here to help you rewrite negative scripts that have prevented you from living your fullest, most authentic and joyous life. I don't believe we "find" peace or happiness; I believe we create it.
I support you creating an empowering vision for your life; by helping you align goals with your values, have courageous conversations, take healthy risks and practice self-love and wellness. Let our sessions be a space where you fill up, become inspired, motivated and nourished.
