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Holly Priscu, JD, LCPC, CMHPP, CFMHE/CFP, CCTP-II
Holly is a Montana native and the founder of Mountain Heart Counseling, formerly known as Spanish Peaks Mental Health. She worked briefly as an attorney before switching careers to help people in a more meaningful way by becoming a licensed counselor. After achieving her goal of working with incarcerated persons in correctional settings, Holly created Mountain Heart Counseling, where she specializes in working with those struggling with the effects of complex trauma and stress.
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Holly is a Certified Mental Health Professional Person in the state of Montana and has experience providing expert testimony for involuntary commitment cases. She is also a Certified Forensic Mental Health Evaluator and Certified Forensic Psychometrist with the National Board of Forensic Examiners and is able to provide psychological testing and mental health evaluations.
As a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, Holly has completed multiple trainings to better understand the science behind trauma and complex post traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), and how it can be diagnosed and treated. She is trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and EMDR (Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Therapy and is currently working towards EMDRIA (EMDR International Association) certification and is passionate about helping individuals heal and develop resilience following traumatic experiences.
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Holly enjoys spending her free time with her family and pup Dobby. She loves to balance her relaxing homebody time with outdoor adventures, particularly scuba diving trips around the world. Whether it's exploring the depths of the ocean or enjoying cozy evenings at home, Holly finds joy in both tranquility and adventure.
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Experience the healing power of trauma-based therapy from the comfort of your own home.
Mountain Heart Counseling works with individuals experiencing symptoms related to PTSD, complex trauma, borderline personality disorder, anxiety, dissociation, and more.
Holly Priscu's Experience:
Holly's experience consists of working with clients ages four to 74 years-of-age, including families, couples, and groups. She has extensive experience with individuals experiencing issues including PTSD, mood disorders, personality disorders, schizophrenia/psychosis, dissociation, substance use, OCD, and more. Holly has completed multicultural competence training and has enjoyed working with members of the LGBTQIQA+ community and individuals of different ethnicities and cultures. Holly specializes in diagnosing and treating Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (cPTSD).
Mountain Heart Counseling Specialties Include:
Treatment Approach
DBT is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy based in mindfulness that focuses on helping people tolerate distress, process difficult emotions, and increase interpersonal effectiveness skills. DBT recognizes there is a difference between pain and suffering, and teaches you "how to be okay when life is not okay." Originally founded by psychologist Marsha Linehan in the 1980's to treat borderline personality disorder, studies show DBT is also successful in treating depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and more.
EMDR is a psychotherapy that facilitates the processing of traumatic experiences. It is widely recognized as one of the most effective treatments for trauma-related disorders, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression. EMDR be conducted remotely via telehealth, providing patients with a convenient and accessible option for receiving treatment from the comfort of their own homes. Using bilateral stimulation, typically in the form of eye-movements, EMDR helps individuals reprocess traumatic memories and move towards healing and recovery.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy that focuses on helping people change the relationship they have with their thoughts and emotions instead of trying to directly change them. You are not your thoughts or your emotions - they are part of you, but do not have to define you or how you live your life. Instead, ACT encourages living a life in accordance with one's values instead of getting stuck in what ACT expert Russ Harris calls "the happiness trap" in which we think, "if only ______, then I'll be happy.
