Dedicated to bringing an anti-oppressive and radical loving-justice approach To Therapy
for marginalized people working toward individual and collective healing
You can live a more authentic life of connection.
Trusting others and being vulnerable in connection can be difficult, especially when past experiences have provided us with many reasons not to. Setting boundaries and speaking our needs can be painful when experience tells us having boundaries and needs might make people leave. The therapeutic relationship can be a safer and more consistent place to engage with relational trauma healing that can support us in taking that relational healing to our loved ones and communities.
I’m Parker Schneider, MA, LPC, a somatic trauma therapist in Colorado.
I feel very honored that you are spending your time learning about me and my work. Reaching out to start therapy can be scary; I know I have fear come up around the idea of being vulnerable with new people. I am a huge fan of encouraging folks to celebrate themselves when they have done a hard thing, even if it might seem small. If it feels doable, maybe tell yourself “good job” for getting this far.
I specialize In…
What it’s Like to Work with Me…
I am friendly, playful, authentic, and absolutely human. I am warm and caring; you might be surprised at the amount of tenderness I bring to saying hard things and challenging things that need challenging.
Why I’m Here…
I am a queer and trans therapist who grew up in rural Missouri in a conservative working-poor family. I am a proud first-generation college student. I came to Colorado with the intention of going to graduate school and then returning to Missouri afterward. The freedoms and belonging I found in Colorado were not experiences I was willing to give up. There has been more room to learn how to be big in the world, rather than remaining small for the comfort of others and the safety of my person.
I am very dedicated to learning all that I can to be a better human in the world. I have experienced (too) many health care professionals, educators, employers and more be incredibly harmful in how they interact with me, and I have often felt anger at the amount of time spent educating others (especially when I am paying them) on how to treat me as a human deserving of respect and kindness. When I think about who and how I want to be in the world, both personally and professionally, I know those types of harmful and violent acts are not part of that picture. So, I spend a great deal of time unlearning. I spend a great deal of time listening with the hopes of new learning. I will never be done listening, re-learning and working to change how I move through the world.
I am fiercely committed to leaving the world better than I found it.
I realize that sounds like a lofty goal. But I believe each of us has the capacity to change the world, even if just one person at a time. And I believe that we do that through connection, authenticity, radical and compassionate honesty, community and love. I believe social justice is heart work and none of us will be free until we show up to the conversation ready to get real and uncomfortable while also remaining open-hearted.
People often ask me why I do the work that I do…
When asked about the work I do, I often tell people that I wish the kind of work I do wasn’t necessary. I would love it if drastic changes occurred in an instant and I had to look for a new job because there was no longer a need for work like mine. And the reality is that most people have had highly traumatic experiences and need the kind of support I offer. And many people from marginalized communities struggle to find a therapist who does that work in a less harmful way. I do the work I do because not a lot of people can do this work, yet there is so much need. I do the work I do because, while systems, institutions and individuals continue as they are, people will continue to experience violence and harm. I do the work I do because this is part of being a better human in the world.
And how I do the work that I do…
The magic. This is what I call the power I feel in the air when I see a client find their voice. This is what I call the sunshine beaming from my chest when my clients notice their own shifts and healing. The magic is the feeling in my bones that tells me I am supposed to be in this with my clients and bear witness to the beauty they create out of darkness and nothingness. I feel privileged and honored to do this work with those who have trusted me with their stories and their becoming. You are magic.
Training & Experience
Education & Licensure
Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Transpersonal Wilderness Therapy
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Colorado
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, minors in Women’s Studies, Sociology, Education
Training & Certifications
Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy Comprehensive Training
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Wilderness First Responder (WFR)
Professional Associations
Colorado Trans & Nonbinary Therapist Network
American Counseling Association
Association of Experiential Education
Colorado Counseling Association
Thinking about connecting with me?
I offer a free initial consultation so we can connect and get a better sense of each other. You will have the opportunity to ask questions about me and what I bring to my work, as well as share about what you are hoping to focus on in therapy. I encourage you to read more about me and review the other pages of my site prior to reaching out for a consultation. Additionally, connecting with other therapists for consults can help you determine who might be the best fit to do the work you are hoping to engage with now. The work you are doing is important and you deserve to have the support of someone you trust and feel is competent.