Home / Loveland, CO / Specialized PTSD Treatment
Loveland sits at the heart of a Northern Colorado community that has lived through more than its share of high-impact events in recent years. The 2013 Big Thompson floods rewrote whole stretches of US-34 and left lasting marks on the families who lived through them. The Cameron Peak Fire burned above Loveland in 2020 with smoke that blanketed the Front Range for weeks. Marshall, East Troublesome, and a string of other wildfires have meant that fire season is now a recurring reality, not a once-in-a-lifetime event. On top of that, Loveland is home to a significant veteran population, an active first responder community, and the staff of two major hospitals—UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies and Banner McKee. PTSD shows up across all of these populations, and it deserves specialty care that’s familiar with them.
Our location at 2695 Rocky Mountain Avenue, Suite 260 sits in the Centerra area just off I-25, near Medical Center of the Rockies. Patients coming from Loveland, Fort Collins, Windsor, Berthoud, Johnstown, Greeley, Wellington, and as far as Estes Park can typically reach us without a long drive—and significantly faster than commuting into Denver for specialty care.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition that can develop after a person experiences or witnesses a traumatic event. The triggering event might be a single incident—a serious accident, an assault, a sudden loss, a medical emergency, an evacuation under fire—or it might be repeated exposure to high-stress situations over time, as is common for military members and first responders. PTSD affects the brain’s ability to process memories, regulate emotion, and distinguish past danger from present safety, which is why symptoms can feel so overwhelming and so disconnected from current circumstances.
It is important to recognize that PTSD is not a sign of weakness or something you can simply “get over.” It is a treatable neurobiological condition that responds well to evidence-based care. People with PTSD may relive the trauma through flashbacks or nightmares, avoid reminders of the event, feel constantly on edge, or feel emotionally numb and disconnected from the people they love. None of that means something is wrong with who you are. It means the nervous system learned to keep you alive in a moment of extreme threat and hasn’t yet been given the tools to know it’s safe to stand down.
PTSD symptoms vary widely from person to person, but they typically cluster into four areas:
Intrusive memories. Flashbacks, nightmares, unwanted recurring memories, or strong physical reactions to reminders of the trauma. These can feel like reliving the event, not just remembering it.
Avoidance. Steering clear of places, people, activities, or even conversations that bring up reminders of what happened. This can shrink someone’s life significantly, often without them realizing it. For some Northern Colorado residents this looks like avoiding US-34 through the canyon, refusing to drive certain stretches of I-25, or pulling back from outdoor activity during fire season.
Negative changes in mood and thinking. Persistent guilt or shame, distorted beliefs about oneself or others, emotional numbness, loss of interest in things that used to matter, or feeling disconnected from loved ones.
Heightened arousal. Being easily startled, sleep problems, irritability or outbursts, hypervigilance, difficulty concentrating, or feeling like you can’t relax even in safe environments.
Complex PTSD typically arises from prolonged or repeated trauma—ongoing abuse, captivity, sustained exposure to combat, repeated medical trauma, or childhood adversity. It includes the core symptoms of PTSD but also involves harder-to-shake patterns: difficulty regulating emotion, persistent feelings of shame or guilt, problems trusting others, and a fractured sense of self. Complex PTSD requires a treatment approach that pays attention to relationship and identity, not just symptom reduction.
PTSD also frequently co-occurs with other conditions—depression, anxiety disorders, substance use, chronic pain, OCD, and sleep disorders are all common. When PTSD and another condition show up together, treating only one of them usually doesn’t work; we assess the full picture during your first visit and build an integrated plan that addresses what’s actually present.
Trauma can happen to anyone, but certain patterns show up more often in the communities we serve. Naming them isn’t about defining anyone by their experiences—it’s about reducing the shame that keeps people from asking for help:
Wildfire trauma and evacuation experiences. The Cameron Peak Fire (2020), East Troublesome Fire (2020), Marshall Fire (2021), and a string of smaller incidents have meant that many Northern Colorado residents have lived through evacuation orders, property loss, prolonged smoke exposure, or the fear of watching the foothills burn. Wildfire-related PTSD is real, often underdiagnosed, and frequently dismissed as “just stress about smoke.”
The 2013 floods and ongoing canyon trauma. The Big Thompson Canyon and the US-34 corridor flooded catastrophically in September 2013, killing residents and rebuilding for years afterward. Many of our patients still describe heightened distress during heavy rain or when news coverage of flooding appears, more than a decade later. That’s not weakness; it’s the nervous system doing what it learned to do.
Motor vehicle accidents on I-25 and US-34. I-25 carries high volumes of traffic between Fort Collins and Denver, and US-34 winds through narrow canyon roads to Estes Park and beyond. Serious MVAs are common, MVA-related PTSD is common, and it’s one of the most treatable forms of PTSD when patients get specialty care.
Military service and combat exposure. Northern Colorado has a substantial veteran population, including service members who deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and other operations. Combat-related PTSD, military sexual trauma, and the cumulative effects of multiple deployments all respond to evidence-based care. We accept Champ VA and coordinate with VA Eastern Colorado HCS when patients are also using VA benefits.
First responder and emergency services exposure. Fire, EMS, law enforcement, search and rescue, and dispatch personnel across Larimer and Weld County carry repeated exposure to traumatic incidents. The mountain rescue and wildland firefighting communities in particular face cumulative occupational trauma at a level civilians often underestimate.
Medical trauma. ICU stays, difficult births, cancer treatment, sudden medical emergencies, and pandemic-era healthcare experiences can all leave lasting PTSD. So can being a healthcare worker—nurses, techs, and physicians at UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies, Banner McKee, and the broader Northern Colorado health systems carry their own version of medical trauma.
Assault, abuse, and loss. Survivors of physical or sexual assault, intimate partner violence, childhood abuse, or sudden traumatic loss often live with PTSD for years before getting specialized care. The barrier is rarely the willingness to heal—it’s finding someone who knows how to help.
Our trauma-informed approach is the foundation of everything we do. We build safety and trust from the first session, move at a pace that respects your nervous system, and explain every step clearly so that nothing feels coercive or surprising. Treatment is collaborative—you are always in control of what we work on, when, and how. Choice and consent aren’t checkboxes; they’re how trauma treatment actually works, because the wrong pace can re-create the helplessness the trauma started with.
We work with your timing. Some patients are ready to talk about specific events in early sessions; others need months of stabilization first. Both paths are legitimate, and we don’t push anyone faster than they can sustain.
In-person appointments in Loveland provide a valuable opportunity for direct interaction with experienced clinicians who specialize in trauma care. Whether you are commuting from Fort Collins, Windsor, Greeley, Berthoud, or further out from Estes Park, these sessions allow for thorough assessments, personalized therapy, and real-time adjustments to treatment.
For trauma work in particular, being physically present matters. Clinicians can observe subtle signs of activation that virtual care can miss, support grounding in real time, and provide the kind of steady presence that helps the nervous system settle. We also pace sessions so you leave each appointment feeling more settled, not more activated.
Living on the Front Range creates conditions that can interact with PTSD symptoms in ways patients in other parts of the country don’t experience. We’ve noticed several patterns worth naming, because patients are often relieved to learn they aren’t imagining the connection:
Wildfire smoke season and fire-related activation. From late spring through early fall, smoke days are a recurring feature of Front Range life. For patients whose trauma involved fire, evacuation, or property loss, smoke alone can trigger significant symptom flares—the smell, the sky color, the air quality alerts on the phone. We plan ahead with patients each spring so the tools are in place before the air thickens.
Severe thunderstorms, hail, and tornado activity. The Front Range sits in hail alley, and severe storms are a regular spring and summer feature. For patients whose trauma involved sudden weather events, flooding, or storms during deployment, these can be difficult stretches.
Altitude, sleep, and hyperarousal. Loveland sits at roughly 5,000 feet, and altitude affects sleep architecture even for long-time residents. Poor sleep makes every PTSD symptom worse—nightmares, irritability, hypervigilance, emotional reactivity. Prazosin and sleep-focused treatment matter in this climate, and we consider altitude when adjusting medications.
Winter darkness and seasonal mood interaction. Northern Colorado winters bring short days and long stretches indoors. For patients whose PTSD co-occurs with depression—which is common—the seasonal layer can compound symptoms. We screen for this and adjust treatment accordingly.
Year-round outdoor access for recovery. The upside is that Northern Colorado’s outdoor culture and the proximity of trails, open space, and the foothills support the kind of behavioral activation that’s a real part of PTSD recovery. Walking the Loveland Recreation Trail, getting back onto a favorite trail in the foothills, returning to the things you loved before the trauma—recovery from PTSD involves reclaiming the world, not just reducing symptoms.
Our clinic in Loveland, CO offers a comprehensive range of PTSD treatments designed to work together. We combine evidence-based trauma-focused psychotherapy, medication management, and advanced neuromodulation to provide care that meets you where you are. Our goal is to reduce symptoms, restore functioning, and help you reclaim the parts of your life that PTSD has narrowed.
PTSD treatment is not one-size-fits-all. Some patients respond well to medication alone, others benefit most from trauma-focused therapy, and many find the greatest relief through a combination of approaches—often layered over time as the nervous system stabilizes and deeper work becomes possible.
Several psychotherapies have strong evidence for PTSD, and the right choice depends on the person and the trauma. We offer or coordinate the three most established approaches:
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). A structured, time-limited therapy that helps patients identify and revise the “stuck points” that trauma often leaves behind—beliefs about safety, trust, control, esteem, and intimacy that no longer match present reality. CPT is typically 12 sessions and works well for patients who prefer a more verbal, structured approach.
Prolonged Exposure (PE). A trauma-focused therapy that involves gradually approaching memories, situations, and reminders of the trauma in a safe, controlled way so the nervous system can learn that the threat is past. PE is highly effective and is delivered at a pace you control.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). A therapy that uses bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements) while a patient briefly attends to trauma memories, helping the brain reprocess them so they no longer carry the same emotional charge. EMDR is well-established for PTSD and is often a good fit for patients who find detailed verbal description of trauma too difficult.
The choice between approaches is collaborative. We discuss the options during your evaluation and match the therapy to your goals, your readiness, and the kind of trauma you’re working through.
Medication can play an important role in PTSD treatment, especially when sleep, mood, and hyperarousal symptoms are severe enough to make therapy hard to engage with. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are commonly prescribed for PTSD; sertraline and paroxetine are the two SSRIs with FDA approval specifically for PTSD, though others are also commonly used. These medications can reduce depression, anxiety, irritability, and intrusive symptoms over a course of weeks.
Prazosin deserves special mention. Originally a blood pressure medication, prazosin has been shown to significantly reduce the frequency and intensity of trauma-related nightmares for many patients. For PTSD patients whose nights have become the worst part of their day, prazosin can be transformative—not because it treats the underlying trauma, but because restoring sleep often opens the door to everything else that needs to happen in recovery. We monitor blood pressure carefully when prescribing prazosin and pay close attention to how altitude affects dosing.
Our medication management services in Loveland are led by Dr. Finis Ashton Taylor, DO, a board-certified psychiatrist, alongside Jeremy Gardner, MSN, PMHNP-BC, our board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner. Together they oversee careful monitoring of dosage, side effects, and overall effectiveness. We prioritize safety, especially around sleep medications, blood pressure considerations with prazosin, and any other medications you may already be taking. Regular follow-ups ensure adjustments can be made promptly.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive treatment that uses targeted magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain involved in mood regulation and trauma processing. TMS is FDA-approved for depression and has shown meaningful benefit for PTSD symptoms, particularly when medication and therapy alone have not been sufficient.
TMS sessions are conducted in a comfortable clinical setting, easily accessible from I-25 and the Centerra area. The procedure is typically well-tolerated, requires no sedation or recovery time, and patients can drive themselves home and return to normal activities the same day. Many patients report improvements in sleep, mood, and overall emotional reactivity over a course of treatment.
Ketamine is a newer, fast-acting option for PTSD, particularly for patients with treatment-resistant symptoms or significant depression alongside their PTSD. Unlike traditional antidepressants, which work through serotonin and can take weeks to show effect, ketamine acts on the glutamate system and can produce noticeable symptom relief within hours or days.
Ketamine therapy is delivered under medical supervision in a series of carefully monitored sessions. In Loveland, we integrate ketamine into a broader treatment plan—typically alongside trauma-focused therapy, because the window of reduced symptom intensity that ketamine opens can be a powerful time to do the deeper psychological work that trauma recovery requires. Ketamine is not appropriate for everyone, and we’ll have a clear conversation about whether it’s the right fit during your evaluation.
People whose trauma comes from service to others often face their own set of barriers to care: cultural expectations of toughness, concerns about how treatment will affect a career or security clearance, and the legitimate sense that civilian providers don’t always understand the work. We take all of that seriously.
For veterans, we approach treatment with respect for the culture and complexity of military service. We accept Champ VA and coordinate with VA Eastern Colorado HCS when patients are also using VA benefits. For first responders—Loveland Fire Rescue, Loveland PD, Larimer County Sheriff’s, Thompson Valley EMS, Poudre Valley fire and EMS districts, search and rescue teams—we understand cumulative occupational trauma and the unique challenge of treating PTSD in someone who still has to go back on shift. For wildland firefighters in particular, the cumulative exposure during fire season is a real and often invisible burden. For healthcare workers and medical trauma survivors at UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies, Banner McKee, and elsewhere, we recognize the particular layer of trauma that comes from being both witness and participant in critical moments.
We’re not a VA clinic and not a peer-support program, but we work alongside both, and many of our patients use multiple resources together. What we add is specialty-level psychiatric and trauma care delivered close to home.
Our Loveland clinic is led by a board-certified psychiatrist and a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner, both with training in mood, anxiety, and trauma-related disorders:
Dr. Finis Ashton Taylor, DO — Board-certified Psychiatrist. View profile.
Jeremy Gardner, MSN, PMHNP-BC — Board-certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. View profile.
Our Loveland team takes a trauma-informed, patient-first approach grounded in evidence-based practice: treatment plans built around your specific symptoms and goals, transparent conversations about what each option can and can’t do, and a steady pace that respects your nervous system. With extended hours, same-week appointments, and Champ VA accepted, we’re committed to delivering the same caliber of specialty PTSD care available in any major metro—right here in Northern Colorado.
Starting PTSD treatment can feel daunting, and we know that walking through the door is sometimes the hardest part. Your first visit is designed to be welcoming, thorough, and unhurried. Most first appointments run 60 to 90 minutes—long enough to actually hear your story without rushing through it.
You won’t be asked to describe your trauma in detail at the first visit unless you choose to. We’ll talk about what’s bringing you in, how symptoms are affecting your life, your history, and your goals. The actual trauma work, if and when you decide to do it, happens at a pace and a moment that you and your clinician choose together.
The comprehensive evaluation includes a detailed clinical interview, standardized PTSD assessments, screening for co-occurring conditions (depression, anxiety, substance use, sleep disorders, OCD), and—when appropriate and with your permission—input from family members or other healthcare providers. This process helps identify the full picture of what you’re carrying, which is the only way to build a treatment plan that actually addresses it.
We also explore your history with PTSD, any previous treatments, and the strategies you’ve already been using to cope. That history matters; it tells us what’s been tried, what’s helped, and what to do differently this time.
Following the evaluation, we collaborate with you to create a personalized treatment plan that aligns with your needs and preferences. This plan outlines the recommended therapies, medication options, and any additional supports that may be beneficial. Goals in PTSD treatment often start practical—better sleep, fewer nightmares, less reactivity—and expand from there into the broader work of reclaiming the life you want.
We encourage open communication and ongoing feedback so that treatment stays responsive to your evolving needs. Recovery from PTSD is not linear; we expect that and adjust the plan accordingly.
Our clinic is located at 2695 Rocky Mountain Avenue, Suite 260 in Loveland, CO 80538, in the Centerra area near Medical Center of the Rockies and just off I-25. We serve patients from across Northern Colorado, including Fort Collins, Windsor, Berthoud, Johnstown, Greeley, Estes Park, Wellington, and the surrounding Larimer and Weld County communities.
Yes. Many of our Loveland patients are veterans, active first responders from Loveland Fire Rescue, Loveland Police, Larimer County Sheriff’s, Thompson Valley EMS, and surrounding agencies, and healthcare workers at UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies and Banner McKee. We accept Champ VA and work alongside VA care when patients also use VA benefits. We approach trauma related to service, emergency response, and medical work with respect for the culture and the experiences involved.
Yes, and this is a real and underdiagnosed pattern in Northern Colorado. For patients whose trauma involved fire, evacuation, smoke exposure, or the loss of a home, the annual wildfire smoke season (typically June through October) can trigger significant symptom flares—sleep disruption, hypervigilance, intrusive memories. We plan for this with patients ahead of fire season and adjust treatment as needed during it.
Prazosin is a medication originally developed for blood pressure that has been shown to reduce the frequency and intensity of PTSD-related nightmares. It works by blocking the adrenaline response that often drives trauma nightmares, helping patients sleep more deeply and wake less often. It’s often a key part of medication management for PTSD when sleep disturbance is a major symptom, and we monitor blood pressure carefully when prescribing it.
We offer evidence-based PTSD treatments including trauma-focused psychotherapy (Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, and EMDR), medication management (SSRIs, SNRIs, and prazosin for nightmares), FDA-approved Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), and ketamine therapy for treatment-resistant symptoms.
We are in-network with most major insurance plans including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Champ VA, Optum, United Healthcare, Denver Health Medical, Carelon, and many others. Please contact our Loveland office at 970-363-4807 to verify your specific coverage before your first appointment.
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