Staff

Due to her own experience, Della has a personal understanding of the trauma cycle and how it impacts one’s ability to live an authentic, purposeful life.  Since a young age, she has always had an awareness that someone’s choices are separate from who they are.  Della has found her purpose in being able to sit with individuals as they explore the hidden shadows of themselves, holding up a light, because that’s what was done for her.

After graduating with a BA in accounting from Fort Lewis College in 2007, Della began her career as an independent auditor for an international accounting firm.  From there she spent the next 5 years moving from job to job.  After hitting an emotional, spiritual and physical rock bottom she quit her career in corporate America.  In 2012, she interviewed at Specialized Offender Services, where she started as a part time bookkeeper/office manager working under Charla Thorstad.  In 2018 Della had the opportunity to become part owner.  She utilized this opportunity to align her career with her values and in 2024 she was able to expand those values to a new venture.  TRUE Counseling Services specializes in substance use disorders treatment as a subsidiary under SOS.  Today Della continues to combine her background in accounting and finances with her drive work with those rejected by society, to create spaces of healing and opportunity to choose one’s path.

We all have the capacity to commit harm. The more we deny and refuse to accept that very fact the more likely we are to cause harm whether intentionally or unexpectedly. When someone is harmed, we can’t expect them to take full responsibility in healing themselves on their own. We have to work with the people who caused harm to take accountability for the impact of their actions while also simultaneously work to reduce the chances of inflicting harm again.

When someone is cast out of their community and society after making an astronomically poor decision, it can be difficult for people to seek support and ask for help to break out of the cycle that played a vital role in their decision making. This work is about holding the understanding that anyone is capable of making a poor choice. There’s a social stigma in sexual offending loaded with misconceptions about those who have committed a sexual offense which results in the condemnation and casting out of people. This method only solidifies toxic narratives that perpetuate harm rather than engaging in a dialogue about ways bring in modalities to reduce harm by guiding those who have harmed into a place of healing. It’s the responsibility of those who caused harm to change their behaviors to not harm again which means instead of the narrative that those who caused harm should be cast out, there’s a need to transform and re-create new societal narratives on how to prevent harm from happening. The aim needs to be to build the bridge for people to be courageous enough to transform themselves to attain the life they can be proud of that’s in alignment with their healthy values. I have come to this line of work to disrupt cycles of harm in individual, communal, societal, cultural and systemic levels to promote healing. By disrupting the cycles of harm, a new space is created within that cycle for healing to manifest and transform into new healthy patterns. Within that space there is the empowering ability to create change and growth within all systems who perpetuate cycles of violence. My goal in harm reduction is to guide people who have harmed to a place of deepening their awareness to understand how they got to a place of giving themselves permission to enate forms of violence and how to prevent causing more harm in the present as well as the future.  Upholding Social and Rehabilitative Justice is to look at the social and cultural influences on decision making while also challenging misconceptions which often lead to “othering” people and objectifying another person. Holding a therapeutic brave space that balances accountability with respect, non-shaming, and an understanding that decisions are not made within a vacuum. To heal, people have to be able to return to their most authentic selves which means critically examining their roles in upholding toxic beliefs, the impact their actions have caused, the narratives they have adopted from social, cultural, and systemic levels that are in alignment with their values and which ones are not, and becoming aware of their inner experiences so they can regulate themselves using non-harmful methods. Each person has innate wisdom within themselves for healing and therapy can be used as a guide to strengthen trust for their inner wisdom as they embark on their healing journey.

I have dedicated myself to learning and applying decolonization practices in therapeutic spaces. I strive to create change in therapeutic and systemic spaces by continuing to develop my understanding of social justice, building community, and giving trainings to other mental health professionals to help promote healing at systemic levels. Since my internship in 2016, I have been working with adults of various ages, cultural backgrounds, and genders who committed a sexual offense and are court-ordered to complete therapy. Alongside my therapeutic work, I have taken steps to tackle heteronormativity and white-washed wellness in sexual offense specific treatment by giving presentations to the SOMB including therapists and probation officers on these very topics including how to hold space for LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC population.
As an alternative form to psychotherapy, I also am able to utilize creative processes such as stories, mythology, comic books, manga, and folklore to support the internal processes of others. Through a transpersonal art therapy lens, I understand the importance of various healing rituals that include but are not limited to meditation, guided visualizations, dream exploration, and art-making as an expression for the human experience.

Many individuals in our society seek relief from unmanageable emotions through addictions and other hurtful behaviors, leading them to have criminal justice involvement, homelessness, and mental health challenges. I have chosen to work with them because I believe the problem is not that these people have no feelings but that they feel too much and they don’t know how to handle that. In more than 20 years’ experience in treatment services with several community agencies and hundreds of individuals, the evidence is that this remains true. My goal has been to aid people to change their patterns that inhibit responsible choices. To this end, I committed to offering quality mental health, substance use disorders, and offense-specific treatment for criminal-justice involved persons.  I strive to model acceptance and accountability for individuals as they work in treatment toward personal recovery and enhanced safety in the community.

I have a Master of Arts degree in clinical psychology from the University of Colorado Denver in 2000 and addiction counselor licensure since 2006.  I have been with SOS since 2012, as a therapist and Addictions Program Director. In 2024, State of Colorado licensure in the north Denver metro area was granted to TRUE Counseling Services LLC, an SOS co-owned substance use disorders (SUD) treatment services agency.

Reyna Gutierrez earned her Masters degree in Forensic Psychology and graduated Summa cum laude from Regis University. With over 15 years experience in criminal justice as well as a law school student, she is a dedicated Forensic Psychotherapist and visionary, where she provides a full spectrum of specialized mental health services in both English and Spanish languages, including pre- and post-plea psychosexual and immigration evaluations, offense specific therapeutic sessions, and expert witness testimony. Renowned for her insight, cultural sensitivity, and compassionate approach, Reyna empowers clients to navigate life’s complexities with resilience and confidence, blending clinical expertise with genuine empathy.

As a mother of 5, Melina understands the importance of efficiency, adaptability, resilience, and problem-solving.  Often referred to the as the “Office Swiss Army Knife” Melina’s intelligence and tenacity fosters an environment where SOS has thrived under her 10 years of employment. She has a unique ability to think outside the box for the most seamless solution leading to more efficient processes.  Her high capacity for office operations creates space for SOS therapists to focus on client healing.  Her leadership at Specialized Offender Services, is driven by a commitment to creating a seamless, empowering experience for everyone, ensuring that high-quality mental health services are delivered with compassion, efficiency, and insight.

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” -James Baldwin

Georgie recognizes that human behavior is incredibly complex and understands that good people are capable of making disastrous decisions and inflicting harm onto others. Georgie strives to understand perspectives and behaviors that were not working for each client and aims to help them make positive changes in their lives. She helps them put a stop to cycles of harm by helping them face vulnerability and recognize their capacity for change. Georgie graduated from Regis University in December of 2021 with a Master of Clinical Counseling. Georgie’s associate degree is in Criminal Justice. During those studies, she recognized an interest in mental health and how necessary it is in the Criminal Justice field. Georgie completed both Practicum and Internship with SOS prior to being hired as a therapist. She approaches therapy through an existential and holistic perspective by viewing the client as a whole person, rather than just one area of their life. She aims to help clients find a sense of meaning in life and foster personal responsibility for their decision-making.

Riley believes that everyone deserves to have someone in their corner. She sees the humanity in people and seeks to understand rather than judge. She trusts that with the right kind of support, we are all capable of positive transformation. Operating from an existential philosophical approach, Riley brings curiosity, compassion, and authenticity into her therapy sessions. Riley is currently an SOMB Associate Level Approved Treatment Provider and Evaluator.”

Riley holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from The University of Colorado, Denver and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology and Sociology from The Pennsylvania State University, University Park. Riley completed her internship at SOS and was hired on to continue working with adults who have committed sexual offenses.  Within her years of providing mental health services, Riley has supported adults and adolescents dealing with a range of challenges including eating disorders and body image issues, involvement with the criminal justice system, psychosis, depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, personality disorders, and grief.

Randall’s primary therapeutic interest is a humanistic approach that vigorously re-humanizes marginalized folks, giving them a path towards community, structure, and awareness. He graduated from Naropa University in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in Transpersonal Art Therapy in 2023. He has worked with LGBTQPIA+, developmentally/intellectually disabled, and adolescent individuals, both in-person and remotely. Since 2022 he has been focusing on individuals who have committed sexual offenses in his role as a treatment provider. He specialized in dynamic art therapy practices, bringing sandtray interventions and psychodynamic film analysis to SOS as well as hosting a First Friday’s Community Night with an open art studio and film screenings to make the healing and introspective power of artmaking more accessible to those under supervised release.

Hailing from North Carolina, I’ve lived in eight states including Colorado and visited Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, Belgium, China, and Kenya.  When not wearing a therapist hat, I like visiting the Denver Botanic Gardens, reading novels, drinking tea, and fretting ineffectually over the health of house plants.

Restorative justice provides those stuck perpetuating cycles of abuse and trauma with an opportunity to reconnect to their values and authenticity. Those pushed to the edges of society deserve a second chance, a chance to reconnect with their empathy, recognize their emotions, repair their relationships, and transform their lives. I believe that through providing a non-shaming environment in which clients can challenge old patterns and beliefs, clients can reflect on past behaviors and use their awareness to choose different actions in the future.
Meghan graduated from Naropa University’s Somatic Counseling Program (Dance/Movement Therapy Concentration) in May of 2024. Before graduating, Meghan was a practicum and internship student at SOS. Meghan received her BA in Psychology from Knox College in 2019. In addition to her work at SOS, Meghan has worked with teens and adults in a variety of treatment settings: residential, inpatient, and IOP. Meghan works from a trauma-informed somatic framework, taking inspiration from Jung, Gestalt, and Mary Whitehouse.