Grief isn’t just about death.
It’s also about life.
Grief is a natural response to any significant change or loss of identity.
Welcome!
I am Amanda Rens-Moon, MS, LPCC, and I am so glad you’re here. I specialize in working with older adults, family caregivers, and individuals experiencing grief or at the end of life.
Starting therapy requires immense courage, as it involves facing our deepest fears and vulnerabilities to make change, heal, and grow. I am honored to be part of your journey.
Many believe grief occurs only when a loved one dies, but it is actually a feeling of loss that permeates many transitions and encompasses all types of change (even joyful changes). Most suffering ties itself to the losses we are aware of and the ones we keep hidden from everyone, including ourselves. We can grieve for a person, a past, a situation, or an unrealized future.
Grief is a signpost of what we value, what we hope, and what we fear losing. Grief physically changes our brains, settles into our bodies, and can make us question ourselves, our values, and our beliefs. Grief never goes away, but it does change. It can be reworked. Like sea glass, time and therapeutic processing can reshape grief. It can wear down the sharp edges that cut at inconvenient, unexpected times. It smooths our gritty surfaces, giving us new lenses to view our loss and our life. It can elicit compassion and empathy, allowing us to connect with others in more complex, healthier ways. It can help us understand ourselves and our relationships better.
This is Good Grief.
Much like embarking on the journey of healing, the lodgepole pinecone appears unremarkable. It doesn't have flashy embellishments or decorative spaces seen in other species. It appears smooth, unripe, and almost misshapen.
That is because it is waiting…
It is not waiting for the simple joys of springtime like its neighbors in the forest. It waits for the transformative effects of the wildfire.
This resilient pinecone only opens when the heat of fire melts its sticky pine resin. Only through devastation does the lodgepole pinecone release its seeds to create a new life.
Much like this pinecone, while we are often overwhelmed by the devastation of grief and loss, it can also be transformative. There are seeds of strength inside us ready to grow when the fires of change come. As you tend to your pain without avoiding it, stifling it, or repeating ineffective relationship patterns, you create a safe, fertile environment for these seeds to take root.
Open.
Heal.
Grow.
Why I’m Here
As with any journey fraught with darkness, it is easier traveling with a companion. It helps to have a guide, someone familiar with the terrain, the pitfalls, and previously unexplored depths. I utilize a trauma-informed, existential approach to therapy. We’ll explore your nervous system’s influence on your symptoms, brain science, attachment theory, and how grief shows up in your body. I also draw from Jungian archetypes, mythology, and The Hero's Journey to explore the stories we tell about ourselves and our pain.
I feel that depression, anxiety, and grief are part of our journey on our quest for meaning. While we won’t start with tough questions about the meaning of life, we will consider your values and how they influence your mental health. As your guide, I cannot walk the path for you, but I can fill your pack with tools (and snacks), knowledge, and support. I can provide a map and offer a flashlight. I can walk with you as you explore and rewrite your story.
Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate
As your guide, I rely on my education, training, and experience to provide a safe and therapeutic space to process trauma, explore thoughts and patterns, and address painful symptoms.
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate (LPCC) in the State of Colorado. This means I have completed the educational and regulatory requirements to provide individual and group therapy in Colorado under the supervision of a more experienced clinician. My supervisor supports me through case oversight, ethical dilemmas, and reporting requirements, as I earn 2000 hours (and 2 years) of required experience to become fully licensed.
I have a Master’s of Science (MS) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Walden University (a CACREP-accredited program), and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English Literature from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
End-of-Life Doula
Additionally, since 2019, I have been an End-of-Life Doula, and I have earned the National End-of-Life Doula Association (NEDA) Proficiency Micro-credential. While this experience is not required for grief and loss counseling, I do feel it provides a more holistic and robust understanding of the end-of-life experience.
Vintage
I also have 15 years of experience working with older adults. For 11 of those years, I have been employed by Vintage, the Area Agency on Aging for Eagle, Grand, Jackson, Pitkin, Routt, and Summit Counties. In this role, I have gained expertise in area resources to age well in Colorado. I can provide some free counseling, options counseling, and group therapy services to individuals over age 60 or caregivers in the above counties. Please let me know if you think you may meet these requirements.
Personalized Therapy Services
Clinical Treatment and Support for:
Anxiety
Depression
Adjustment Disorder
Prolonged Grief Disorder
Trauma-related Symptoms
Acute Stress
End-of-Life
Familial and Relational Conflict
Phase of Life Transitions
Caregiver Stress & Anticipatory Grief
Ambiguous Loss
Disenfranchised Grief (death by suicide, homicide, or substance use)
Cumulative & Complicated Grief
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Available in-person in Silverthorne or through telehealth
30 minute Consultation Session (Free)
One-on-one counseling targeted to your unique needs, goals, individualized progress.
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Available in-person in Silverthorne or through telehealth
Location-based expertise on aging, area-resources, and advance care planning (Medical Power of Attorney, Advance Directives, 5 Wishes, Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment {MOST} forms, Living Will.)
Legacy projects, Life Review, and Ethical Wills.
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Available in-person in Silverthorne or through telehealth
Grief and Loss Support
Virtual Caregiver Group (Colorado only)
Reluctant Caregiver Group (Individuals in challenging or abusive relationships providing care).
County-specific group caregiver and grief groups served by Vintage
Please contact Amanda for financial assistance through Vintage for individuals aged 60 or older and Caregivers living in Eagle, Grand, Jackson, Pitkin, Routt, and Summit.
Please contact Amanda for sliding-scale assistance or payment plan. Grief and loss is hard enough…
Ready to Talk?
I am always ready to listen!
Send an email, call, or use the form below. We’ll figure out the best path forward for your unique journey!
Have Questions or Ready to Connect?
Send us a quick message and let’s figure things out together—no pressure.