Colorado Brain Injury Therapy
Rebuilding Identity. Restoring Hope. Redefining Recovery
Call or email Colorado Brain Injury Therapy and schedule a free 15 minute consultation now 720.812.8493
Welcome to Colorado Brain Injury Therapy — a specialized psychotherapy practice dedicated exclusively to the emotional and identity-based recovery of individuals living with brain injury.
A stroke, concussion, or traumatic brain injury can feel like losing part of yourself. The changes are not only physical. Survivors often experience identity disruption, executive dysfunction, depression, anxiety, substance use risk, relationship strain, and profound loneliness. Many describe feeling like they are no longer the person they once were.
At Colorado Brain Injury Therapy, we focus directly on that shift.
Our work is grounded in a structured, neuro-informed approach to identity reconstruction after brain injury. Treatment is designed to help survivors:
- Understand neurological changes without internalized shame
- Process grief related to lost roles and abilities
- Rebuild agency within cognitive and emotional limits
- Stabilize mood and reduce relapse risk
- Restore meaning, connection, and role continuity
We recognize that navigating life after brain injury can feel isolating. You do not have to do it alone. Our practice exists to provide specialized mental health care that understands both the neurological and emotional realities of recovery.
Services are available via secure video and telephone. In-home visits may be arranged when technology access is limited.
Insurance Accepted:
- Medicaid
- Medicare
Areas of Focus:
- Identity disruption after TBI or stroke
- Depression and anxiety secondary to brain injury
- Trauma and PTSD
- Substance use risk following neurological injury
- Executive dysfunction and reintegration challenges
- Concussion recovery support
If you or a loved one has been impacted by a brain injury, we invite you to schedule a free 15-minute consultation to determine whether this specialized approach is the right fit.
Lucia Valdez, LCSW
Lucia Valdez is the Founder of Colorado Brain Injury Therapy, a specialized psychotherapy practice dedicated exclusively to the emotional and identity-based recovery of individuals living with brain injury and stroke.
Her commitment to this work began with a personal family experience of traumatic brain injury — an experience that revealed how often the psychological and identity impacts of brain injury are overlooked once medical stabilization ends.
Lucia earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder, with a focus on recovery of function following brain injury. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Denver, specializing in Family Systems Practice. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), a Certified Brain Injury Specialist (CBIS), and serves as an affiliate professor in the social work program at Metropolitan State University of Denver .
With over 20 years of experience across the full continuum of brain injury care — including rehabilitation, outpatient treatment, and community reintegration — Lucia has seen that the most significant struggles often emerge after formal rehabilitation ends. Survivors frequently face identity disruption, executive dysfunction, relationship strain, depression, substance use risk, and loss of role or purpose.
In response to this gap, Lucia developed a structured, neuro-informed approach to psychotherapy focused on identity reconstruction after brain injury. Her work integrates neurological realities with trauma-informed care, attachment dynamics, and executive-function support to help survivors rebuild agency, meaning, and stability.
Colorado Brain Injury Therapy exists to provide rigorous, specialized mental health care for survivors and families navigating life after neurological injury. The goal is not simply symptom relief, but restoration of dignity, coherence, and a renewed sense of self.
Cait Ward, LSW
Cait Ward, LSW
Verified by Psychology Today
Cait is passionate about working with those impacted by traumatic brain injury on individual, group, and community levels. Cait earned her Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) from the University of Denver and is currently a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) in the state of Colorado.
Cait’s dedication to this work was founded by her journey navigating life with a TBI after a college athletic injury. Aided by her lived experience and previous work with brain injury survivors, Cait believes that therapeutic care is an essential but often overlooked piece of the rehabilitation puzzle. Cait employs a patient-centered approach to counseling and works with clients to address the grief, loss of identity, medical fatigue, negative thought patterns, and many other complexities that often coincide with brain injury.
Brain Injury Blog
Insights and encouragement from Colorado Brain Injury Therapy
“I Don’t Feel Like Myself Anymore” — Identity Reconstruction After Brain Injury
One of the most painful statements I hear from brain injury survivors is not about pain. It’s this: “I don’t feel like myself anymore.” After a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or stroke, changes in stamina, processing speed, and sensory tolerance are expected. But what often goes unaddressed is something deeper: The disruption of identity. Brain[...]
Why do I feel depressed after a stroke?
Many people are surprised by how depressed they feel after a stroke, especially if their physical recovery is going “well.” At Colorado Brain Injury Therapy, we hear this question often — and the answer is both neurological and human. A stroke changes the brain itself. Areas responsible for mood regulation, motivation, emotional processing, and[...]
Be the Brain Brakes: Caring for a Loved One After Brain Injury
When a brain injury happens, it doesn’t just affect the survivor — it reshapes the lives of everyone around them. Families and care partners are often in the line of fire, experiencing the brunt of anger, frustration, and grief. This can feel overwhelming and deeply unfair, especially when you’re doing your best to help.[...]
