Eric Blommel

Greetings!

My name is Eric. I originally come from the Chicago area but I moved to Denver back in 1993. I currently reside in Englewood. I share custody of a smart, brave, beautiful and silly little girl. That’s right, it turns out that therapists are human too and get to learn about family dynamics firsthand, not just from books! I enjoy bicycling, television, reading (audiobooks a lot these days), and movies, and am a fairly serious geek culture nerd. You may have seen me lurking at one or more conventions, like StarFest, MileHiCon or ComiCon. I got my bachelor’s degree in philosophy, so I like to keep up on that area in reading and discussion groups as well. I some time in the computer field in the past, so I know my way around them a little bit.

I obtained my Master’s Degree in Counseling from the University of Colorado Denver, with a specialization in Couple and Family Therapy. I also earned Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) status. I am a Marriage and Family Therapist Candidate with the State of Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (MFTC.0013704). I did two internships, one at Noeticus Counseling Center and Training Institute, and the other at CeDAR – Center for Dependency, Addiction, and Rehabilitation, a part of the University of Colorado Hospital system.

At Noeticus, I learned a great deal about trauma and its treatment, including receiving training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). I also took an additional, intensive Level 1 training course in a somatic processing modality called Trauma Dynamics.

At CeDAR, I had an opportunity to work closely with families recovering from addiction and substance use disorders, where one or more members are in recovery. I worked both in the family program and directly with clients. In the family program, we spent a week educating families about addiction, recovery, and family dynamics. By the way, I highly recommend this program for anyone – ask me for details. In my direct client work, I had the opportunity to meet with partners, couples, and families, to explore their particular story and challenges. I really developed a love of working with families in recovery during this experience, where I was able to apply what I learned about Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and was only frustrated that our time together was often too short to really be able to dig into some deeper issues or resolve past traumas. So here I am in private practice, where that option is open.

As a fellow human being, I admit that my own family has faced a lot of traumas, and that is why I developed an interest in the field. I also felt helped and supported considerably by counseling and therapy in my life and having walked the journey myself with the help and guidance of another, I feel it is my duty and privilege to do the same for others. I hope to have the honor of joining you on your journey!

Identity and Differences
I do not mind sharing that I identify as a white, male, cis-gendered, heterosexual person, and I aspire to earn and maintain the status of ally to women and the LGBTQ++ community. I love working with LGBTQ++ couples and partners! I also consider myself sex-positive, kink-friendly, and polyamory-informed. To be clear in case this raises any questions, I am committed to the ethical standards of my profession, which specify that sexual relationships with current or former clients are off limits and never appropriate.

Throughout my training and professional experience, I continue to enjoy the honor and privilege of working with people from all walks of life. I strive to learn about each person from the expert, and that is you. While I also try to do my homework to educate myself as much as I can about the basics on all different types of persons and identities, so that I hopefully don’t make too many obvious mistakes or step on your toes, I also know that my knowledge is necessarily incomplete and prone to error – especially if we have never met. Therefore, rather than assuming I know you or what it is like to be you, I do my best to maintain an attitude of openness and willingness to learn; I am curious to know from you what it is like to be you. Please feel free to correct me if I slip up, or expand upon details important to you that I may accidentally gloss over. I look forward to learning all about you!