Hello! My name is Tanya Hamilton, the owner and clinical supervisor at Agape Counseling service. Growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, I learned the values and struggles of a rural community early on. I was raised by my mother to have a deep Christian faith, which I carry with me to this day.

Though I was raised in a Southern Baptist home, I chose to follow through with the process of being confirmed into the Catholic faith in 1997 and am a practicing Catholic today. I graduated from Liberty University in 2013 with a Master's Degree in Professional Counseling, where their faith-based curriculum helped me learn how to integrate Biblical principles into my understanding of psychology and counseling.

While my faith beliefs guide my own behaviors and attitudes, I respect and appreciate my clients' rights to their own personal and spiritual beliefs. I am comfortable discussing and addressing Christian values and beliefs with clients who prefer their therapy be guided in that way.

Equally, for my clients who have different faith beliefs or no spiritual practices at all, I am skilled in allowing their own unique perspectives and experiences to guide our time together. Regardless of a person's worldview, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or philosophies, all are welcome at Agape.

From Corrections to Community Counseling

I began my counseling career in 2007, working with clients who were incarcerated in the state prison system. That experience solidified a belief that people are more than a sum of their worst choices and all people deserve respect and compassion. Corrections is a significant part of the culture of Canon City, and my time with the CDOC affords me an understanding of the stressors that come along with a career within that system.

I moved on to community mental health treatment in 2016, where I served clients who came in seeking help with a host of issues, including but not limited to substance use, depression, anxiety, and trauma. I began to understand through the work in both corrections and community settings, how impacted many of my clients had been by childhood experiences, neglect, trauma, or abuse.

In 2017, I shifted my focus to working with children and adolescents, first as a therapist and then as a clinical supervisor at a residential treatment center here in Canon City. I continued to focus on trauma-informed treatment practices and understanding the relationship between trauma and mental health. I also continued my work as a victim representative for Bijou Treatment and Training Institute, where I developed a deeper awareness of victim impact and the long-standing mental health issues that victims may endure.

I continued to serve the children in our community as a middle school counselor from 2020 to 2021, when I supported our students as we navigated the challenges of a pandemic, social issues, and more. The time during the pandemic inspired me to pursue the development of Agape Counseling Service in 2021, where I continue to serve our community today.

Creating Agape Counseling

All of these experiences lead me to creating Agape, a place where we can work together toward your positive change, outside of the limitations of a school, residential, or community mental health setting.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the cornerstone of the work I do. Basically, if we can think better, we can feel better, and then we can do better. I also utilize some techniques and interventions from Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Motivational Interviewing. I strive to build a supportive and authentic relationship with my clients. I believe that you are the expert in your own life, and my role is to facilitate change and help you become the best version of yourself.

I understand that beginning therapy is a big step, and I want to make that process as comfortable as possible. You likely have some difficult things to talk about. That doesn't mean that therapy has to be "heavy" every session. I believe in being able to laugh, relax, and be honest with each other.

I truly feel my decades of experience, along with the huge range of patients and many different areas I have worked in, are what sets me apart. When treating you, I can draw from so many different areas of experience to come up with a plan that works best for you. In addition to practical experiences, continuing education is important to my ability to serve you.

Most recently, I have begun the process of training and certification for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy and other therapy techniques, such as Brainspotting and Polyvagal practices to help clients regulate their nervous systems and address the brain and body connection related to trauma.

I look forward to working with you and appreciate your time and consideration.