Zoe Lewis has been inspired with her own adventures in the wilderness to see the benefits of immersion in the natural world. Her approach to counseling is to walk side by side and react together in the moment to the environment. Sole Talk Therapy is a privately owned, somatic and behavioral therapy practice in Nederland. Lewis has clientele in Boulder and other locations but is most interested in serving her local mountain community.
The practice can be described as different from other therapeutic approaches due to Lewis’ desire to get outdoors. She uses “somatic and cognitive behavioral therapies, EMDR, and is certified in Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE), Pain Reprocessing Therapy, mindfulness techniques and skill building to help her clients heal from overwhelming symptoms of trauma and anxiety in particular.” Lewis is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (L.C.S.W.).
Other patients that Lewis enjoys working with are pregnant and postpartum women, older adults and survivors of childhood sexual abuse. She has worked specifically with male-identifying survivors who she has found sometimes have difficulty finding support. They may not feel comfortable seeking it, so a safe space to heal is very important for them. Grief counseling and people affected by anxiety and grief over climate change are two other areas where she offers help.
Lewis believes that all the therapists she knows in the Nederland area are wonderful and excellent therapists and that the diversity of approaches is important for clients to find the right niche for themselves. Her experience as a wilderness therapy field guide allowed her to experience the healing to be found in a natural setting. She feels there is something equalizing about “huffing and puffing up the same hills,” reacting together in the moment that is unique from other therapies. Not all of her sessions involve walking or being outside. Sometimes one involved in trauma work does not feel that the outdoors is a safe space. She finds though that many of her clients seem to “move through their issues more easily when moving outdoors.”
Lewis studied English Literature and studio art in college and has business experience with selling her artwork. Her love of the outdoors led her to be a raft guide for a period in her life. She was also a high school teacher for a while. Her own adventures in the wilderness have inspired her in her endeavors as a therapist. Whenever she feels stressed herself, she finds hiking or biking to be the best relief.
The business is growing rapidly, but at present it is a one woman show though she might consider a broader organization in the future. Lewis feels inspired by her work. She says “It is such a privilege to be allowed into people’s lives and to help them with their most personal struggles. It gives me faith in the human race, and in people’s inherent goodness. It is ultimately an incredibly connecting experience. I feel very lucky to be doing this work.”
Sole Talk Therapy is located in Nederland, however, she does not have an office location as her work is outside walk and talk and virtual, so she will meet you at the location of your mutual choosing or online. Her website is soletalktherapy. vistaprintdigital.com. Lewis can be reached at 435-579-3564 or zoelewis@therapysecure.com.
Sponsored by the Town of Nederland, with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.
