Therapist. Yoga Instructor. Educator. Survivor.

Hello Beautiful Soul,

My name is Shelley Nielsen and I am the founder and owner of Thriving: Yoga & Therapy. I believe we have everything we need to heal inside each one of us. I believe we all have the inherent strength and ability to thrive and will do so if given the right venue and treatment. The times when stress and traumas overwhelm us, we can forget our strengths, skills, and insight.  We all deserve to have support so we can cultivate a safe and trusting space to reconnect with that innate inner wisdom and healing power. I seek to support individuals who have become overwhelmed in life and want to learn how to get unstuck, heal past pain, and embody their purpose so they can live an authentic, thriving life. Because of my life experiences, education, and training, I can hold space and help you navigate the dark and murky challenges, as well as celebrate the shifts and successes of your healing.

The first 13 years of my career were spent on rivers as a raft guide and in the mountains as a snowboard instructor.  I had the opportunity to help others play, develop new skills, and get safely from one point to the other while breathing in the visceral beauty around them. My years in the wilderness and my many outdoor adventures taught me about teamwork, resilience, and the uniqueness of human spirit. It also showed me the power the outdoors can play in healing. It led me to a defining moment in my life, the decision to work in a healing capacity and help others.

One of the ways I support healing is through a body-centered approach.  Through the years I have discovered and learned to appreciate the important connection of the heart, body and mind.  Using this connection through body-centered techniques allows “whole person” healing and will let mind, heart, body, and soul all thrive together.

I am passionate about providing body-centered therapy (individual and group) and trauma informed yoga classes (group and private) to individuals who are challenged with mental health issues ranging from depression, anxiety, abuse, grief and loss to PTSD. 

I received my B.A. in Psychology from Fort Lewis College I then completed my Masters in Social Work through the University Of Denver. I hold active Licensed Clinical Social Worker licenses in both Colorado and New Mexico.

My previous experience includes crisis & outpatient mental health, private practice, college, medical facility, and adult detention center settings.  Additionally I have experience in wilderness settings providing individual, couples, and group therapy.  I have also served as a program coordinator, trainer, supervisor, facilitator, wellness coordinator and educator in numerous settings and fields.

With love,

Shelley

Yoga & Yoga Nidra

Being an avid yoga participant since 1999, I have experienced and seen firsthand the immediate and lasting impact it has on one’s body (ability to release stress & tension; stretch and tone), mind (calm restless thoughts; cultivate mental clarity and confidence) and spirit (honor inner wisdom and increase self-acceptance; invite deeper peace and ease). I completed my initial 100hr certification thru Zenality yoga. I later went on to complete my 200hr training and certification under the auspices of Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. I completed Zabie Yamasaki’s Transcending Trauma Through Yoga Trauma Informed Yoga Training.

I believe Yoga provides a safe and accessible way for individuals to explore their healing from within, and uncovers layers of pain to get to the core of who they have always been. It offers one a beautiful form of expression that moves beyond trying to find the words to articulate how they feel. These inward experiences of healing on the yoga mat can elicit positive outcomes and tangible skills that some trauma survivors and others may have been working on for years in therapy to achieve.

I also have my level 1 & level 2 certification in Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra {r}. Yoga Nidra is a form of guided mindfulness meditation that connects you with every level of being including your physical, energetic, mental, emotional and spiritual layers (called five koshas). Through use of breath awareness, body scanning, healing music and imagery, Yoga Nidra invites you to become aware of each layer without needing to change or fix anything. The practice supports you feeling empowered and whole just as you are. For trauma survivors it can support moving out of ‘fight or flight’ responses and turning on the ‘relaxation response’ – the body’s natural healing state.Yoga Nidra can be used by everyone regardless of age, physical ability, religion or belief. All that is required is to lie down and listen. The practice you are being offered is based on Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra (registered trademark) which was created by Jennifer Reis (www.JenniferReisYoga.com).

When I am not supporting healing in others, you can find me playing in the outdoors with my dogs and working on deepening my own self-care. I am an enthusiastic mountain biker, hiker, and standup paddle boarder who enjoys playing on trails and rivers in the four corners area with my partner and friends.

"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing
and rightdoing there is a field.
I'll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass
the world is too full to talk about."

- Rumi