About Emily MacNiven, LPC, LSC
It’s time to stop the stress of being a teacher from stealing the joy in your life.
You remember a time when overwhelm, exhaustion and burnout weren’t the norm...but those days feel like a distant memory. Don’t you wish you had the tools to change that?
You’ve come to the right place.
please Hear me when I say:
Being here doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you’re strong.
I want you to know that I help teachers just like you: teachers who have it within them to come back to a place of center and calm, even though the storm continues to swirl around them; teachers who just need the right support coupled with new strategies to break free from chronic stress, anxiety & burnout.
I help my clients find balance, contentment & hope by equipping them with the tools they need to respond to the stressful demands of being a teacher without losing themselves in the process.
How I work
At the core of my approach to therapy is a belief that when it feels like the system is broken, you don’t have to feel broken by it.
Hope & healing are possible.
I get it because, over the past 20+ years, I've walked a similar path. I’ve served as a teacher, school counselor, and principal while developing myself as a therapist. During this journey, I've witnessed the challenges within the education system and recognized a significant gap in the mental health space – the need for services tailored exclusively to educators. This realization led me to found The Red Door, a mental health practice built by an educator exclusively for educators.
I firmly believe that to bring about the changes and healing necessary in our schools, we must prioritize the well-being of our teachers, first. Hope and healing are not only possible but essential for you to continue making a meaningful difference and contributing to the changes you envision. After all, that's likely one of the reasons you entered this profession.
When we work together, you won't just receive therapy from a trained professional, you'll have someone who genuinely understands your experiences and challenges, listens to you with warmth and without judgment, and places your needs at the forefront. My mission is to help you learn to do the same – to prioritize your well-being, find hope, and heal so you can keep making the positive impact you set out to achieve while loving your life in the process.
Therapy with me is…
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I understand that you, as a teacher, are a unique and multifaceted individual, and the sources of your stress, anxiety, and burnout are shaped by your distinct experiences and challenges. It's important to recognize that while systemic issues often contribute to these feelings among teachers, your personal experiences and triggers may differ from those of others. This is why a personalized approach to therapy is crucial for you. Tailoring therapy to your specific needs and circumstances allows us to address the factors that are specifically affecting you, leading to more effective and targeted solutions. By respecting your individuality and acknowledging your unique journey, we can offer more meaningful and impactful support, ultimately helping you find relief from the burdens of stress, anxiety, and burnout.
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I believe in a holistic approach to therapy, especially when working with teachers. It's essential to view you as a complete person, not just in your role as a teacher but in all aspects of your life. Teaching is a significant part of your identity, but it doesn't define you entirely.
As a teacher, you bring your unique life experiences, personal challenges, and aspirations into the classroom. Your well-being and happiness are influenced by a complex interplay of factors, including relationships, personal interests, health, and self-care. To effectively address stress, anxiety, and burnout, it's vital to take into account the whole picture of your life.
By embracing a holistic perspective, we can explore how the various aspects of your life interconnect and influence your overall well-being. This approach allows us to identify and address not only the specific stressors related to teaching but also the factors that affect your life outside the classroom. It's about helping you find balance, satisfaction, and resilience not just as a teacher but as a complete person. This holistic perspective ensures that our therapy is tailored to your unique circumstances, fostering well-rounded growth and well-being.
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When we work together, I want you to know that I will strive to ensure my therapy approach is finely tuned to address the intricate intersection of stress, anxiety, and burnout in your life as a teacher. I understand that these challenges are complex and influenced by various factors. Our collaboration will not only help you process and understand these factors but also equip you with practical and applicable skills that you can immediately put to use in a wide range of settings. This approach makes therapy more relevant and directly applicable to your life.
Additionally my approach combines the best of both worlds – our live sessions provide real-time support, guidance, and personalized strategies, while you’ll have access to reinforcing skills lessons that empower you to integrate these strategies into your daily life throughout the week. This blended approach to therapy ensures that you have the tools and knowledge to tackle challenges as they arise, whether in the classroom or in your personal life. By learning and practicing these skills, you'll be empowered to manage stress, anxiety, and burnout effectively, making therapy highly relevant to your unique circumstances and enhancing your overall well-being.
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Through our journey together we will draw on a powerful and proven approach called Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), which is like a trusted guide for handling the tough stuff like stress, anxiety, and burnout.
Our destination? Psychological Flexibility. It's all about finding that sense of inner calm and balance, even when life throws its curveballs your way. It's about having the tools to respond to challenges in a constructive and composed manner.
But here's the best part – I won't just hand you a manual to read on your own. We're in this together, side by side. We'll explore and apply the six core processes of ACT as we navigate through the hurdles you're facing. Together, we'll make these processes a part of your toolkit, so you can use them not only during our sessions but in various aspects of your life. This isn't just about getting through therapy; it's about giving you a lasting set of skills to tackle stress, anxiety, and burnout well beyond our time together.
My Training
& Education
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Doctoral Candidate, Learning & Organizational Change, Baylor University
Master of Education, Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, The University of Texas Arlington
Master of Arts, School Counseling, The University of Northern Colorado
Bachelor of Arts, Elementary Education/Bilingual-Bicultural Education & Spanish, The University of Northern Colorado
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CO Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) LPC.0019496
CO Licensed School Counselor
(LSC) 24418278
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Advanced training in Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Advanced training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Advanced training in Mindfulness & Stress Management Techniques
Advanced training in Career Counseling
Motivational Interviewing Certification
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Certification
Internal Family Systems, IFS Institute Level 1 Certification
Hope for the Wounded, Trauma-Informed Care Certification
Cognitive Coaching Certification