Here in the Peak to Peak mountain community, we value self-reliance. We chop our own wood and forage for our own mushrooms. We count the miles we’ve hiked, not the miles on our cars. We live and breathe by the land and weather that surrounds us. When our head needs clearing we call a trusted friend or set out alone to ski, camp, knit, hike, read, fish, chop, quilt, or climb.
But sometimes this isn’t enough. We find our woodsheds full, our bookshelves exhausted, and our friends too busy to climb with us. This is the moment to contact Peak to Peak Counseling.
Peak to Peak Counseling is dedicated to honoring every person’s life and history, genetic and cultural inheritance, physical, emotional, and spiritual experience in a carefully cultivated environment optimized for health, healing, and wellness.
At Peak to Peak’s office, you’ll find an environment specifically designed to promote health and healing.
We are currently offering both Telehealth and In-Person psychotherapy sessions, depending on client needs. Call for more information to see which fits best for you!
Peak to Peak Counseling is located west of the traffic circle in Nederland. We are directly west of Nederland Community Presbyterian Church and east of the Nederland Community Library, on the north side of the street. Free parking is available in the Peak to Peak Counseling parking lot or on the street. Map is here.
Peak to Peak Counseling is partially powered by solar energy and uses eco-friendly products when possible.
Peak to Peak Counseling is partially powered by solar energy and uses eco-friendly products when possible.
At Peak to Peak’s office you’ll find an environment specifically designed to promote health and healing.
We are currently offering both Telehealth and In-Person psychotherapy sessions, depending on client needs. Call for more information to see which fits best for you!
Peak to Peak Counseling is located west of the traffic circle in Nederland. We are directly west of Nederland Community Presbyterian Church and east of the Nederland Community Library, on the north side of the street. Free parking is available in the Peak to Peak Counseling parking lot or on the street. Map is here.
Peak to Peak is a family business owned and managed by married-couple Amy Skinner and Richard Brandon, residents of Gilpin County. Amy and Richard supervise a staff of counseling and social work student interns and are grateful to live and work in this beautiful mountain community!
As an organization we highly value community participation and currently volunteer with the Peak to Peak Housing & Human Services Alliance, Peak to Peak Prevention Coalition and Communities that Care. Additionally, we created and manage the Mountain Health Collaborative, a group of healthcare professionals that volunteer during local disasters. Finally, we volunteer with the Medical Reserve Corp and Mile High Red Cross.
Peak to Peak Counseling is a family business owned and managed by married-couple Amy Skinner and Richard Brandon.
A Gilpin County resident since 2001, Amy Skinner opened Peak to Peak Counseling in 2008 to put her heart and energy into serving the mental health needs of the community in Nederland, Gilpin, and the surrounding mountain areas along the Peak to Peak Highway. In the local area, Amy has served and consulted in different capacities, including being a past board member of both TEENS, Inc. and Nederland Area Seniors, Inc. In the Denver-metro area, Amy has worked in the human services field for over 25 years developing and implementing psycho-education curriculums for non-profits and businesses. Additionally, Amy has been a Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) Licensed Professional Board (LPC) Board member since 2020, helping the state of Colorado keep counseling clients safe and professional counselors accountable.
However, Amy’s passion for personal growth and commitment to change (on both the individual and community levels) began years prior, during her work in Denver, Boulder, and Mexico.
Her past work includes mediating between diverse cultural and socioeconomic groups, providing emotional support for children in an orphanage, developing and implementing wrap-around services for victims of crimes, and providing case management for single mothers.
Amy enjoys photography, running, travel, reading mysteries, hiking, playing the piano, snowboarding on a fresh powder day, or enjoying a trip to the theater in Denver.
Education Information:
MA in Counseling Psychology from Naropa University in Boulder; BA in English and Women’s Studies, cum laude, from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Licensure Information:
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC #6118) in the state of Colorado; National Certified Counselor (NCC #290030) through the National Board for Certified Counselors; Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS #01953) through the Center for Credentialing and Education; Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (RPT #S1823) through the National Association of Play Therapy.
Peak to Peak Counseling is a family business owned and managed by married-couple Amy Skinner and Richard Brandon.
A Gilpin County resident since 2001, Amy Skinner opened Peak to Peak Counseling in 2008 to put her heart and energy into serving the mental health needs of the community in Nederland, Gilpin, and the surrounding mountain areas along the Peak to Peak Highway. In the local area, Amy has served and consulted in different capacities, including being a past board member of both TEENS, Inc. and Nederland Area Seniors, Inc.
However, Amy’s passion for personal growth and commitment to change (on both the individual and community levels) began years prior, during her work in Denver, Boulder, and Mexico.
Her past work includes mediating between diverse cultural and socioeconomic groups, providing emotional support for children in an orphanage, developing and implementing warp-around services for victims of crimes, and providing case management for single mothers.
Amy enjoys photography, running, travel, reading mysteries, hiking, playing the piano, snowboarding on a fresh powder day, or enjoying a trip to the theater in Denver.
MA in Counseling Psychology from Naropa University in Boulder; BA in English and Women’s Studies, cum laude, from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Licensure Information:
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC #6118) in the state of Colorado; National Certified Counselor (NCC #290030) through the National Board for Certified Counselors; Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS #01953) through the Center for Credentialing and Education; Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (RPT #S1823) through the National Association of Play Therapy.
After vacationing and living in Colorado on and off since childhood, Richard made Gilpin County his home in 2016. At Peak to Peak Counseling, he puts his three decades of work experience in customer service to good use.
Richard’s volunteer work with programs such as CROP Hunger Walk and Meals on Wheels opened his eyes to the complexities of living with limited resources as well as the difficulty involved in effectively addressing systemic social challenges such as substance abuse and poverty.
Richard’s midwestern roots and what he learned volunteering left him with a strong commitment to serving his community and working toward social justice.
Whether greeting guests in hotel management, feeding hungry college students, balancing the books, or creating decadent desserts as a pastry chef, Richard has always appreciated balancing his detail-driven business skills with a passion for helping people feel safe and cared for.
When he’s not at work, Richard enjoys hiking, traveling, honing his skiing skills, singing in choirs, playing the piano, participating in spiritual groups, and experiencing the beautiful art and culture available to residents of Colorado’s mountain region.
New students on their way. Check back soon for updates!
I was born and raised in Boulder, Colorado as the youngest of 4. My parents loved traveling, hiking, eating good food, and talking. In my youth, I traveled with my parents and siblings a lot. I visited Egypt, Israel, and Greece. However, most of my traveling was within the United States. I have had the privilege to visit 49 of the 50 states, only missing Alaska.
As far as scholastics, I began at University Hill Elementary, a bilingual (Spanish and English) school in Boulder. I then went to middle school at Horizons K-8, and Fairview High School before going to Colorado State University for college. When graduating high school I knew that I wanted to do something with people as my profession; I wanted to help people. My mother helped me decide on social work as a major and I am pleased to have earned my Bachelors of Social Work at CSU. I finished undergraduate in 2022, and after a year off am now in my Masters of Social Work at The Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver. I find that personally I am always changing as my situation is always changing. When in school my studiousness and sociability shined. While working at Centennial Peaks Hospital my coping, de escalation, and empathic skills took my attention and effort. During my work at Action Behavior Center I implemented applied behavior analysis therapy for children, which helped me practice clear communication and boundary setting.
I like to bike, listen to music, draw, play Dungeons and Dragons (Pathfinder), and play video games. I love birds and watching them and currently have seen 134 different species of birds in North America. I look forward to listening to you, asking good questions, and helping you find your insights. 
I am a Colorado native and have been a Nederland local for over a decade. I graduated from Colorado State University with my bachelor’s in Human Development and Family Studies and have worked in helping fields ever since. Throughout my 20’s I worked with adolescents in the foster care system, adults in the criminal justice system, and adults with developmental disabilities.
I have always had a passion for the intelligence of nature and plants and became a clinical herbalist and nutritionist through the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism. I also followed my passion for embodied movement and received my yoga instructor certification through Laughing Lotus in San Francisco. After finding personal support through somatic therapy I wanted to be able to offer the same guidance to others and became a Certified Trauma Integration coach and currently work as a chronic pain coach using Pain Reprocessing Therapy through Lin Health. This work weaves mindfulness, somatic practices, and thought reframing to support the nervous system and create new neural pathways away from the trauma and pain response.
Though the road is long and winding I am joyfully pursuing my Masters in Counseling from Adams State University. I am a holistic practitioner and believe that true healing occurs when all of our parts–body, mind, and spirit are nurtured. To heal the world we must be brave enough to begin to heal ourselves.
