Team

Mark received his undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, master’s degree from Naropa University, in Boulder, Colorado, and brings 10+ years of clinical experience applying mindfulness-based interventions to those suffering from substance use and dual-diagnosis disorders.

Mark’s mindfulness-based perspective on treatment for substance use disorders is informed by the many Buddhist meditation retreats that he has participated in over the years, as well as by his daily meditation practice. Working in this way with his own emotional experience has allowed Mark more ability to look closely at himself in a kind, non-judgmental way to find the opportunity for growth in his pain, a practice he brings to his work with clients.

Over the course of his career working with clients to recover in residential, outpatient, and community mental health settings, Mark has seen first-hand the benefits that consistent application of mindfulness-based practices can have on people’s ability to recover. These include a greater ability to tolerate and cope in healthier ways with cravings, an increased capacity to accept oneself free from guilt and shame, as well as greater emotional and relational flexibility.

Mark is also trained in eye-movement and desensitization reprogramming (EMDR), DBT, and Motivational Interviewing facets of which he incorporates in various ways during both individual and group treatment.

In his free time, Mark enjoys spending time with his wife, son, and daughter exploring nature through hiking, camping, and paddle boarding all over the beautiful state of Colorado. Mark also enjoys watching the Minnesota Vikings and Twins, and listening to music, in whatever free-time he has leftover.

Rachael (she/her) has been in the mental health field in Colorado for over twelve years. With a Bachelor’s Degree from University of Colorado and a Master’s Degree in Contemplative Counseling Psychology from Naropa University, Rachael has worked as a bilingual (Spanish/English) psychotherapist in various settings in Boulder and beyond, including community mental health, public schools, women’s healthcare, and private practice.

Rachael is formally trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Trauma-Focused Art Therapy, Trauma-Focused CBT, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). She is also a certified acudetox provider and level II Reiki practitioner. She maintains a personal daily meditation practice and feels passionate about the value of living a mindful life. 

From her clinical background, Rachael strives to bring mindfulness, trauma – informed competence, and a holistic view of healing into her work. She has a passion for bringing support and connection to the greater community, heading up outreach efforts at Flatirons Recovery and also sitting on the board of the Colorado Professional Liaison Association (CO-PLA). 

Rachael’s passions include writing, yoga, travel, and any and all outdoor pursuits, including paddleboarding, hiking, and camping. When she is not working, she is most likely on an adventure with her husband and two children.

Felicity holds a Masters degree in Social Work from Colorado State University – Pueblo. As Clinical Director at Flatirons Recovery, Felicity brings extensive experience in addiction and mental health treatment, utilizing a comprehensive approach to support individuals, families and communities through recovery. Her leadership focuses on tailoring evidence-based treatments to meet the unique needs of each client. Her training background includes Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Mindfulness-Based Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, and Group and Family Therapy. 

Kate Ziesenheim is the psychiatric Physician Associate at Flatirons Recovery. She coordinates client medical care with the clinical team, assessing each client shortly after their arrival at Flatirons Recovery, and managing their medical needs for the duration of their treatment stay.
Kate completed her medical training in Physician Assistant Studies at Pacific University, in Portland, Oregon. She currently works at Wise Psychiatry, practicing outpatient psychiatry and addiction medicine, in addition to her work at Flatirons. She has an integrative and holistic and approach, which incorporates the whole body, lifestyle, and root causes of symptoms. Prior to becoming a PA, she had over 10 years of experience in the mental health and addiction field doing program management, crisis intervention, case management, intake coordination, supportive counseling, and homeless outreach.

Over the course of her career, Kate has developed a passion for supporting individuals with substance use issues on their journey to recovery. Her passion stems from personally experiencing the joys of recovery and the knowledge that her clients can experience this joy too.
Outside of work, Kate loves getting into the mountains to ski, mountain bike, trail run, and backpack. She is also an avid practitioner of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness.

Mycroft strongly believes in a collaborative treatment model of care which places you and your family at the center of the health journey. His journey towards medicine began during his undergraduate career at Virginia Tech where he studied biology and psychology. There, Mycroft received a scholarship which allowed him to travel internationally for a year. Mycroft was able to study eastern medicine in China, which continues to influence how he practice today. In Nepal, he worked with individuals and communities to help address public health issues. Instead of assuming that he knew what the community needed, Mycroft asked them. He then targeted his efforts towards what they felt was most important. This too reflects in his practice today as he understand that you and your family’s motivations towards wellness may differ from his own and it is his priority to understand those motivations.

These experiences, among others, encouraged Mycroft to go into medicine and in 2011 he graduated with his MD from University of Colorado. He continued to complete an adult psychiatric residency program as well as one year of a child and adolescent fellowship. Since graduation, Mycroft has spent time specializing in eating disorders, sever, and enduring mental illness, harm reduction, child and adolescent, geriatric psychiatry and ECT therapy.

Mycroft is an advocate for the healing power of nature so when not at work you can find him playing in the beautiful mountains of Colorado.

Sam (She/They) earned an undergraduate degree in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2020, followed by a Masters in Creative Art Therapy from Hofstra University. They began their career working with terminally ill children with mental disabilities, including those bedridden. In this role, Sam facilitated art-based groups aimed at healing and discovery, and ran a summer camp to offer these children a chance to experience normalcy and joy. She also worked with individual clients and their families to create end of life art and memory projects, as well as learning and understanding how to deal with grief and loss. 

Sam then transitioned to working with the geriatric population, specifically suffering from Dementia and Alzheimers. During this time, they gained valuable insights into various cultures and the experience of aging. Sam designed and conducted art therapy sessions tailored to clients’ goals, and worked one on one to enhance memory and cognitive skills. This role was deeply fulfilling and remains close to her heart. 

Before working here at Flatirons, Sam was a Program Therapist II in eating recovery for adolescents and adults. During her time there, she ran CBT, DBT, ACT, Art Therapy, Open Process, and Nutrition groups, and closely observed and documented meals and snacks, gaining an understanding of the critical role nutrition plays in mental health. 

Since joining our team, Sam has excelled in leading Art Therapy, Nutrition, and Open Process groups for our PHP and Evening IOP clients. She has developed a curriculum tailored to the unique challenges of addiction recovery and focus on issues such as attachment style, building self-love, family systems, boundary setting and clarification, stress management, emotion regulation, and interpersonal skills. Additionally, Sam also enjoys educating clients about somatic awareness and the importance of nurturing our inner child. 

In her free time, Sam enjoys drawing, hiking, and snuggling her two cats. Having lived in Colorado since 2022, she appreciates the region’s wildlife and landscape and incorporates her belief in the positive impact of nature on mental health into her therapeutic practice.

Justin studied philosophy and religion at the University of Iowa, receiving his BA. He recently graduated from Naropa University with an MA from its Mindfulness based Transpersonal Psychology Counseling program. While there, he did additional research in complex trauma, spiritual emergence, and art therapy.
Justin has a long term interest in the fields of recovery, healing and psychological development. He is also interested in mindfulness and the relationship between psychological and spiritual growth. He has been a long time student of the Diamond Approach, a path that integrates psychology and spirituality.

Justin has experience with different therapeutic modalities including gestalt, internal family systems, bioenergetics and art therapy. He has also studied technical modalities that can facilitate mindfulness like tdcs and binaural stimulation. In his free time, Justin enjoys gardening, writing, reading, doing art and cold plunges in the Boulder Creek.

Jaroed is a house manager at Flatirons Recovery’s structured recovery residence. He is completing his first year of working in the treatment industry, after having been through the treatment process as a client.
Working as a house manager at Flatirons Recovery, Jaroed is part of the recovery housing team that introduces and supports 12-step participation with clients. He also organizes attendance at 12-step meetings, day-to-day operations for clients when they are in housing, and supports them in the beginning of their recovery journey, in part by sharing his personal recovery experiences.

“My main goal when the clients come in,” he says, “is to show them that they can live a happy and fulfilling life sober. I try to inspire hope, because I know what it feels like to be hopeless.”

Jaroed spends his free time with his wife, daughter, and pets. He also enjoy disc golf, music, art, and exploring new interests.

Jaroed prioritizes his recovery by staying active in the 12-step community and working on his personal growth one day at a time.

McKenzie, also known as (Mac), has worked in trauma/addiction recovery from ages 5 all the way up to 80. She has worked as a behavioral coach, behavioral tech, admissions coordinator, case manager and now a lead house manager. Her job duties as a lead house manager include: managing the women’s house by making sure the clients needs are met and the house is a peaceful home for them to recover in, build relationships with each client and share her experience, strength and hope,  provide resources to better their recovery journey, manage house managers on duty and provide support to each clients circumstance. She has been in this field for close to 3 years now and aspires to go back to school and continue her education in this field because she truly has a passion for impacting lives and being a part of people getting their life back after rock bottom. She expresses, “my mission is to individualize the resources and support given to each client to make sure their recovery is as personalized as possible. To me, it’s important to share my experience, strength and hope because if my story can impact just one life, I’ve done my job.” Outside of work, McKenzie (Mac) enjoys being outside, working on art work, dancing, traveling and spending quality time with her people/animals. 

Jess is a clinical intern for Flatirons Recovery Center. She is finishing the final year of her master’s degree in Mindful Transpersonal Counseling from Naropa University. Her undergraduate work included a BFA in painting and sculpture which implemented therapeutic art approaches for integrating shadow parts of the self, and she further studied with an associate’s degree in high-altitude sustainable farming. Historically, Jess has always carried passion for healing the earth and its inhabitants through embodied awareness, compassion, and kindness.Jess is a trauma-informed somatic and energetic therapist as well, holding certifications in TRE (Trauma/Tension Release Exercises), Usui Holy Fire and Karuna Reiki practices, and precision neuro-muscular massage. Her personal growth prompted studies in breathwork, yoga, and guided meditation work, and she brings these elements into her therapeutic landscape. She values the powerful messenger which speaks through the body, and actively collaborates with mindful presence and compassionate awareness for a person-centered approach to psychotherapy. This style of therapeutic connection highlights inherent intuitive strength and resilience, promoting overall health and peace.Jess places value on varying therapeutic frameworks, and is open to developing an approach which can evolve based on dynamic, ever-changing life goals.

Don’s love for sharing new experiences and personal exploration with others led him to work in nearly every role in what he calls the ‘industry of people’. His own path of recovery took him from coast to coast across the US, from facilitating groups and ropes courses, running outdoor education classes, climbing mountains and exploring wilderness areas with others, to running an aftercare program for young adults. He’s a huge advocate of trying new things, getting out of your comfort zone, and having new experiences!

Don’s passion for helping others and navigating the often difficult decisions to make big changes in one’s life like sobriety, helps him connect with clients and families as they move towards getting support. Don is a father of two and spends most of his free time on his wife’s ‘honey-do’ lists, running or biking, and watching way too much sci-fi TV.

Cameron brings a unique blend of experience, passion, and empathy to Flatirons Recovery. Born and raised in Wyoming, Cameron has always cherished the great outdoors, enjoying activities such as camping, snowboarding, and kayaking.

With over 30 years of professional experience, Cameron spent 13 years as a professional musician, performing and instructing, before transitioning into a 17-year career in data analytics consulting. More recently, he made the intentional choice to pursue a career in addiction therapy, driven by a deep desire to help others overcome the burdens of addiction and to help reduce the stigma surrounding it.

Cameron has completed all coursework necessary to become a Certified Addictions Technician (CAT1) and is now on the path to official certification. Cameron’s unique career journey, life experience, and diverse background give him a unique perspective, and he’s committed to creating a supportive, welcoming space for every client at Flatirons Recovery.

Ashton Nassimbene-Kontz is a Colorado native from the Denver metro area, currently pursuing an Associate’s degree in Business Administration and Management. With two years of experience in the security and supply industries: He brings a unique perspective to business and innovation.

Driven by a passion for sustainability, Ashton is developing a high-tech self-sustaining greenhouse, aspiring to turn this project into a future career. He believes that combining cutting-edge technology with eco-friendly practices can revolutionize the way we approach agriculture and our future. 

Having grown up in a substance abuse home, Ashton is committed to making a positive impact in the community. He draws on personal experiences to inspire others and is determined to advocate for those in similar situations. With a strong belief that education and innovation can drive meaningful change, Ashton is excited to create a better future through his work.

Heather has over a decade of experience in mental health and substance abuse. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Sociology from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and her Colorado Peer and Family Specialist Certification. She also holds a CCAR certification. Recently, she has completed her facilitator training for CRAFT (Community Reinforcement Approach to Family Training), which works exclusively with family members who are struggling and in need of additional recovery support. Heather and her husband recently moved from the city to a beautiful 5-acre farm with three children and two dogs. They have since acquired fifteen hens, four goats, and two mini pigs. Life is an adventure, and she enjoys helping others find their next adventure. Read more about her coaching practice at illuminatepeercoaching.com

Bio coming soon!