ABOUT ERICA WESTPHAL, LMFT, PMH-C
Therapy for women in South Denver Metro and online throughout Colorado and Arizona
Wherever you are right now, I’m glad you’re here.
I work with women who are used to holding it all together — until something changes. A life change. A health diagnosis. A shift they didn’t see coming.
My practice focuses on supporting thoughtful, capable women as they navigate major changes in their lives or health. Whether you're adjusting to motherhood, facing perimenopause, living with cancer, coping with a divorce, or finding your way after another unexpected life transition, therapy offers a place to slow down, make sense of what's changing, and reconnect with yourself.
In our work together, you can exhale. You don't have to be the strong one here. If you're a bit of a mess some days, that's okay. We can start there. We’ll move thoughtfully and collaboratively, taking the time to understand what’s changed and helping you feel like yourself again.
Curious if therapy might help? You are welcome to reach out anytime.
When you’re used to having everyone else’s back—and need someone to have yours.
I believe therapy should fit you — not the other way around.
Therapy with me is warm, collaborative, and real. You don’t have to show up with everything figured out or try to hold it all together here.
This is a space where you can slow down, speak honestly, and feel supported without judgment. This is a place where you can simply show up as you are.
My role is to offer steady support and thoughtful reflection as you begin to make sense of what’s been feeling overwhelming.
You don’t have to explain everything to be understood.
Sometimes it helps to work with someone who understands parts of what you're facing—not just professionally, but personally. It can mean less explaining, less feeling judged or misunderstood, and more space to speak honestly about the parts you don’t always say out loud.
I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and certified in Perinatal Mental Health. I’m also a wife, a mother, and a cancer survivor. Living through my own unexpected challenges has helped me understand that having the right support can make all the difference. That's something I hope to offer every client I work with. While my clinical training is foundational to my work, my lived experience also shapes how I show up in therapy.
For many clients navigating cancer— whether personally or as a caregiver— this means spending less time explaining and more time feeling understood from the very beginning. There’s space here to talk honestly about fear, uncertainty, and the emotional impact that can linger long after active treatment ends, which is often not understood unless they have lived through cancer or the cancer of a close family member.
Specializing in:
Cancer Counseling
Support for patients and caregivers navigating the emotional impact of cancer
Perimenopause and Menopause
Support for women navigating the emotional impact of perimenopause and menopause.
Life Transitions Therapy
Support when something in life shifts, and you find yourself feeling lost, overwhelmed, or unsure what comes next
Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Parenting
Therapy for the emotional changes and identity shifts that can come with pregnancy, postpartum, or parenting
A collaborative and grounded approach
Before starting private practice, I worked in agency and nonprofit settings with clients across the lifespan and from diverse backgrounds. Those experiences reinforced my belief that therapy should be collaborative, practical, and focused, not endless or impersonal.
I don't believe my role is to tell you what to do. My job is to help you better understand what's happening, ask thoughtful questions, and help you respond in ways that reflect the person you want to be.
Therapy with me isn’t about eliminating difficult emotions. It’s about learning how to live with and through difficult things without letting them run the show.
I tend to be the best fit for clients who are open to reflection, curious about understanding themselves more deeply, and willing to actively engage in therapy. I value honesty, reflection, and shared responsibility, and aim to create a space that feels genuine, safe, and human.
While therapy can involve hard conversations, my goal is for you to feel seen, supported, and able to be yourself as we work together.
If you’re wondering what comes next
If this feels like it might be a good fit, you’re welcome to reach out for a consultation.
This is a chance to ask questions, share what’s bringing you here, and see whether working together feels right — without pressure.
You’re welcome to share as much or as little as feels comfortable. We’ll take it from there.
My Background & Training
Education
MS in Marriage and Family Therapy, Arizona State University, 2003
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in Colorado and Arizona
Professional Affiliations
Member of the AAMFT (American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy)
Member of the Rocky Mountain Family Therapy Network
Training
Certified PMH-C (Perinatal Mental Health)
Trained in ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)
Trained in Family Systems, Solution-Focused, and Brief Family Therapy
Experience across diverse counseling settings, including crisis work, early childhood mental health, intensive case management, assisted living, and nursing home settings.
Support as you find your way
At Mindful Pathways Counseling, I provide compassionate, personalized therapy for women navigating some of life's most significant transitions—including cancer, perimenopause and menopause, pregnancy and parenting, and other major life changes. I offer in-person therapy in Castle Rock and throughout the South Denver Metro, as well as online therapy across Colorado and Arizona.