
Strong Hope Counseling Center (SHCC) is a hub for helping professionals, as well as other populations who deal with Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, as well as other common life balance issues.
SHCC provides both individual and couples counseling for adults to facilitate a deeper understanding of how to create a more sustainable way of interacting with the world. We believe our best work is done in helping others live sustainable lives so they can continue to pursue their own passions without sacrificing their mental well-being and relationships.
We employ counselors with a heart for working with helping populations. Along with carefully choosing counselors with a passion for this work, we facilitate further training to make sure they are highly trained to provide the highest quality of care through further certifications and continuing education.
Meet the Team

Dena Mannello
Hello! My name is Dena Mannello and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). I graduated in 2015 with my Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy. I am passionate about helping individuals as well as couples create balance when they struggle to do so for themselves. I approach this through creating and maintaining healthy communication and boundary setting in order to help them regain and foster connection.
While working in the mental health field, I found a heart for other helping populations that also deal with a high degree of Compassion Fatigue and Burnout. I began to go deeper with my studies, and received my Certified First Responder Counselor (CFRC) certification in 2021, as well as my Certified Compassion Fatigue Professional (CCFP) certification in 2022.
I work from a systems perspective as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I view people from the context of how they are integrated in their network. It is my goal to help people to understand how they can access the healthiest versions of themselves so that they can continue to do their own good work both vocationally as well as within their family systems.

Jackie O’Donohue
Hello! My name is Jackie Tuohy and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). I graduated in 2022 with my Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Bethel University. I work collaboratively with clients to address issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, low self-esteem, compassion fatigue & burnout. I believe healing happens in relationships and I enjoy getting to know clients while building trusting relationships with them.
My goal is to help clients identify and overcome the issues that are preventing them from feeling whole and healthy in all areas of their lives.Typically, I use a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness-Based techniques in sessions. I work to help clients understand and put a name to their emotional experiences while helping them find ways to feel calm, safe, and grounded in their own bodies. My approach to counseling is warm and empathetic, yet direct. I also enjoy incorporating humor for levity in sessions.

Lauren Bergstrom
Hello! I am so happy you are here! If you are reading this, you have taken the first step toward growth and healing. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate (LPCC) from the University of Northern Colorado where I studied Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
I am passionate about helping others improve their mental health, make positive changes in their lives, and find purpose and meaning in their life. I truly believe that therapy can be transformative and help you understand yourself better and become the best version of yourself.
Some areas of focus that I serve but am not limited to are anxiety, life transitions, burnout, self-esteem, spirituality, interpersonal issues, career counseling, and grief. I have an integrative approach to counseling, therefore I center therapy around my clients to best suit their needs by meeting them where they are at. My goal is to walk with you through your challenges, help you discover more about yourself, and support you in becoming the most authentic, happy, and healthy version of yourself!
Kiera Blackford
Hello! My name is Kiera Blackford and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate(LPCC). I work with individuals, couples, and families to create a collaborative and supportive environment. I approach healing with empathy and non-judgment to allow individual clients to explore their boundaries and communication styles and find restoration from issues such as depression, anxiety, trauma, and loss. My goal is to support couples in exploring their concerns, expressing their emotions, and learning to find intimacy and connection. I work from a systems lens perspective, allowing our journey together to be holistic and authentic. I approach counseling with warmth, humor, and distinctiveness with techniques from the Gottman Method, Mindfulness, and Person-Centered Therapy. I hope to help you find yourself and build meaningful relationships.

Scott Slayback
Hi! Have you ever wondered if you can truly change? I have. That’s why I’m in this profession—to facilitate change and healing. Change begins by exploring the areas where we feel stuck and need healing. This process happens when we trust a guide to help us navigate our inner world. Only when we identify the wounds, perspectives, and beliefs that hold us back can we start to break free and embrace more hopeful ways of living and being.
Why should you trust me? There is a sacred trust that must be established to do this work. This trust is granted by you and earned by me. I have worked and led in the helping profession for 30 years, supporting people through challenges such as abuse, grief, marriage issues, conflict, addiction, and more.
I approach counseling with a supportive, non-judgmental stance, aiming for each client to feel that I am both with them and for them. I hope that you can trust me as your advocate, while also knowing that I will be completely honest with you.

Mackenzie Gilliland
Hi! My name is Mackenzie Gilliland and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate (LPCC) in Colorado. I graduated in 2020 with my Master’s Degree in Art Therapy from The University of Louisville. I also hold an art therapy license and drug and alcohol license in Kentucky. I am fully trained in EMDR Therapy. I enjoy working with adults who are struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, and addiction. I have experience working in community mental health with all ages and struggles, as well as outpatient substance abuse treatment for individuals with addictions and their families.
Through art therapy, EMDR Therapy to reprocess traumatic events, and other traditional psychotherapy approaches, such as Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, I aim to help clients through difficult times and transitions. My goal in the therapy room is to show up as myself to support the clients authentic self in setting, working towards, and meeting goals. It is important to me to build a genuine relationship with the client to then use gentle challenging with the goal of developing self-compassion and supporting behavior change.

Jadilyn Pugh
Welcome! My name is Jadilyn Pugh and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor Intern (LPCI) pursuing a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Like you, I have encountered many challenges and joys as I have traveled through life. Some of my joys include family, friends, nature and movement. I love to dance, ski, hike and paddleboard -especially when it is sunny. Not all days are full of sun and joy, but I have a strong belief in our innate ability to heal and find direction. I see counseling as a collaborative endeavor where I provide a safe and caring space with no pressure for you to be anyone but you. I have supported individuals with anxiety, depression, grief, marital problems, suicidal ideation, substance use disorder, LGBTQIA+ related trauma, developmental trauma, ADHD, Autism, hoarding, bipolar disorder, and eating disorders. Working from a client-centered perspective, I pull from emotionally focused therapy and strength-based approaches as well as mindfulness and CBT. I would feel it a privilege to walk beside you in your journey and look forward to meeting you.

Dana Jones
Hello! My name is Dana Jones, and I am a Licensed Professional Counseling Intern pursuing my Clinical Mental Health Counseling master’s degree at the University of Northern Colorado. I enjoy working with a diverse range of clients, and some areas I have experience working in are depression, anxiety, addiction, stress management, and trauma. I view counseling from a Person-Centered approach, where the client is the expert in their life, and collaboration between the client and counselor is essential for growth and therapeutic change. Additionally, my therapeutic style also incorporates a strengths-based perspective, where addressing presenting concerns is balanced with promoting resiliency and empowerment for my clients.
What will it be like working together? I aspire to create a non-judgmental, compassionate, and genuine therapeutic environment. I understand that every person is different, and there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to counseling. This means we will work together to discover what therapeutic methods are beneficial to your treatment progress. Finally, I view healing as a nonlinear process, where some days might be more difficult than others, and my goal is to assist you through both life’s challenges and celebrations.

Cam Demkowicz
Hi there, I’m Cam, a Marriage and Family Therapy Candidate (MFTC) specializing in working with both individuals and couples. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Human Services and Psychology from Purdue University, as well as a master’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies, with a focus on Marriage and Family Therapy, from Colorado State University.
As a trauma informed systemic therapist, I view the human experience as fundamentally relational—whether in our relationship with ourselves, others, or the systems we navigate. I see the therapeutic relationship to be one to facilitate transformational inner and relational work. My clinical background, trained as a generalist, has allowed me to work with a diverse range of individuals, couples, and families of all ages, each facing unique life circumstances.In my work as a clinician, I see myself not as the expert, but as a co-guide on your journey. It’s a privilege to meet my clients where they are, walking alongside them as they explore themselves more deeply.
I believe that meaningful change is possible when we connect with the influences that have shaped us. I approach each person and relationship as uniquely beautiful, offering a strengths-based perspective while helping you identify areas in your life you’d like to change and supporting your goals along the way. I use a gentle, direct, and warm approach to uncover these internal narratives, and I draw on techniques from Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Narrative Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, the Gottman Method, and Mindfulness-based approaches.