CJ Clinkscales

Clinical Psychologist, Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate, Postdoc, The Catalyst Center

Grounding, Attuned, Insightful

CJ’s perspective and practice of therapy is to assist you in not just changing current behavior surrounding issues but in understanding where they stem from, making sense of them, and integrating the past with the present. This can create long-term behavioral and emotional shifts that assist you in leading a more meaningful life. In doing so, he intends to create a space for you to be your most authentic self as you delve into the challenges you might be facing. CJ is thoughtful and sensitive about helping clients process and make sense of traumatic events, yet he is also very approachable and brings buoyancy to immensely difficult situations. He is naturally curious and inspires the same in his clients. Using his strong insight and research-informed training, he customizes care for each individual client based on their unique needs.

CJ works with individuals between the ages of 16 to 70 and couples. He specializes in treating multiple types of trauma, including relational, emotional, sexual, religious, vicarious, and complex trauma. CJ is trained in various talk therapy modalities and is also trained in EMDR (a highly effective trauma treatment), which helps him work collaboratively with his clients to determine the best course forward.

CJ is an LGBTQIA+ affirming therapist. He is specially trained in a number of areas, including working with clients experiencing burnout in medical and mental health professionals, anxiety, depression/mood, personality disorders, relationship issues, eating disorder recovery, complex medical issues, sex and sexuality, existential crises, therapy for therapists, bicultural experiences, sports and performance, men’s issues, ADHD, and grief and loss.

Alongside individual therapy, CJ also provides couples counseling. His specialty areas include attachment patterns and problems, infidelity, polyamory/non-monogamy, Kink/BDSM, LGBTQIA+ issues, and couples intensives. When working with couples, he takes an integrative and comprehensive approach that focuses on you’re the unique relational dynamic of your partnership, allowing for better communication, understanding, and connection.

CJ has specialty training in multiple therapeutic modalities, including EMDR, EMDR Intensives, Psychodynamic, Self-Psychology, Existential, Collaborative Therapeutic Assessment, Sand Tray, TF-CBT, and Substance Use and Attachment.

Hear from CJ

I understand both the world and each of my patients through a developmental, attachment, experience-based, and relationally informed, holistic lens. That lens becomes clearer and more defined through my intentional curiosity and openness to receiving and integrating conscious and unconscious feedback from my clients. I aim for therapy to be an authentic and collaborative space for us to make sense of each client’s issues or struggles. Together, we can begin to understand how and where a particular difficulty comes from while also integrating and creating personalized strategies for each client to utilize to make meaningful, long-term changes. While my therapeutic approach has a relationally psychodynamic framework for conceptualization, my practice is integrative and intentionally personalized for each client.

My therapeutic style is welcoming, grounding, and curious. I aim for therapy to be a collaborative space for authentic exploration, which I approach from an open and curious stance. My clients are the experts of their own experiences, and it is my honor and duty to use my knowledge to assist them in unfolding, understanding, integrating, and blossoming into their authentic, functional selves. To assist my clients in this process, I often utilize personalized metaphors, analogies, reflection, and humor to both support and challenge each client. My therapy style is often described as relieving, exciting, and insightful.

~Dr. CJ Clinkscales

Education

2023 Psy.D. Clinical Psychology, Graduate School of Professional Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO
2021 M.A Clinical Psychology, Graduate School of Professional Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO
2019 M.A. International Disaster Psychology, Graduate School of Professional Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO
2016 B.A. Psychology, Kenyon College, Gambier, OH

Advanced Training

2022 Suicide Assessment Module (SAM)
2022 CPR & First Aid (HeartCode BLS)
2022 Nonviolent Crisis Prevention Intervention
2022 Counseling on Access to Lethal Means
2022 Mandated Reporter Training
2022 ALICE: Active Shooter Response Training
2022 Preventing Discrimination and Harrassment for Health Care
2022 EMDR Training

Research and Publications

August 2022 APA Conference Division 28 (Clinical Discussion Presentation), Principle Investigator: Jennifer Tippett, PsyD, Jolliffe, M., Clinkscales, C., Thomas, J., Lavin, K., & Tippett, J. (2022, January). Best mental health practices in Ketamine and Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. Symposium accepted to American Psychological Association (APA) Convention, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
October 2021 Colorado Behavioral Health & Wellness Summit, Denver, CO, Principle Investigator: Jennifer Tippett, PsyD, Clinkscales, C., Jolliffe, M., Thomas, J., Lavin, K., & Tippett, J. (2021, October). Identifying current practices in Ketamine: an eye toward best practices. [Conference presentation]. The Colorado Behavioral Health and
Wellness Summit, Denver, CO.
May 2022 Denver7 News, Denver, CO, Clinkscales C., (2022, May), The importance of reconnecting in a COVID healing world. Denver7 360, Denver, CO
https://www.denver7.com/news/360/your-opinion/the-importance-of-reconnecting-in-a-covid-healing-
world
September 2021—May 2022 Ardent Grove Foundation, Denver, CO
Clinkscales, CJ (2021, October), The Power of the ADHD Mind. Ardent Grove Foundation.
(As published in: https://ardentgrove.org/blog/f/the-power-of-the-adhd-mind)
Clinkscales, CJ (2021, December), Reconnecting in our COVID-Healing World
(As published in : https://ardentgrove.org/blog/f/reconnecting-in-our-covid-healing-world)
Clinkscales, CJ (2021, December), What is Ambiguous Loss?
(As published in: https://ardentgrove.org/blog/f/what-is-ambiguous-loss)
Clinkscales, CJ (2022, March), The Therapy Container
(As published in: https://ardentgrove.org/blog/f/the-therapy-container)
Clinkscales, CJ (2022, May), How Same Works
(As published in: https://ardentgrove.org/blog/f/how-shame-works)
2020—2022 GSPP, University of Denver, Principle Investigator: Jennifer Tippett, PsyD, Student co-leader of Ketamine research team, Research Topic: Ketamine assisted psychotherapy: An integrated outpatient protocol.
2019 Previous Doctorate Paper, Graduate School of Professional Psychology, University of Denver, Advisor: Nicole Taylor, PhD (advisor resigned from GSPP summer 2022 before research completed), Topic: Meaning-Centered Group Psychotherapy: A Clinical Application for Trauma Survivors: Research is aimed to provide clinically relevant adjustments to the Meaning-Centered Group Psychotherapy manual to the trauma survivor population, specifically related to grief and loss, in order to provide a template for future research and therapeutic implementation of this modality with grief and loss populations.
2017 CIIS PsyD Department, Dissertation Chair: Mira Atlis, PhD, Previous Dissertation Topic: The relationship between attention deficit disorder (ADHD) and emotional intelligence (EI): The ideal EI psychometric testing for adults with ADHD
2014—2016 Kenyon College Psychology Department, Supervisor: Sarah Murnen, PhD: Internet representation of top athletes as powerful: influences of gender and sport, Research Presented as Poster at the Psi Chi Chicago Conference in Chicago, IL in May 2016.
2016 Kenyon College Psychology Department, Supervisor: Tabitha Payne, PhD, Multidimensional state-boredom: A potential comorbid link between depression and ADHD

Presentations

November 2021 Steinhardt School of Culture Education, and Human Development, New York University (NYU), Guest Lecturer for Substance Use Course taught by Laura Thompson, PhD, LPC, CAC1, Gave 1.5 hour-long presentation to MA counseling students regarding the Neuropsychology of Trauma and
Substance Use/Abuse
June 2018 Family Rehabilitation Center, Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wrote and presented the 2017 Annual Review of Family Rehabilitation Center (an international NGO) which was published nationwide in Sri Lanka.
July 2018 Family Rehabilitation Center, Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, Provided four separate culturally informed clinical trainings at a two-day training for lay counselors in the rural town of Trincomalee, Sri Lanka.
o Shame Presentations: How to work with and Create Change with Complex Emotions
o Inflexible Coping Styles: How they Present, where they Might Come from, and How to Work with Them
o Corrective Emotional Experiences
o Trauma and Personal Processing
Independent Research Paper, Sri Lanka, Co-wrote and submitted paper as lead author to APA Journal: Training and Education in Professional Psychology.
An analysis of the structure, goals, and process of clinical supervision: The influence of culture.
April 2021 Counseling and Human Services, Syracuse University, Guest Lecturer for Substance Use Course taught by Laura Thompson, PhD, LPC, CAC1, Gave 1.5 hour-long presentation to MS counseling students regarding Clinical Implications of Trauma and
Substance Use/Abuse
Bright Future Foundation, Eagle County, CO, Co-Facilitated court ordered psychoeducational parenting classes for divorced and divorcing parents in the Eagle County region.
2014—2016 Kenyon Psychology Department, Kenyon College, Principle Investigator: Sarah Murnen, Ph.D., Internet representation of top athletes as powerful: influences of gender and sport, Research Presented as Poster at the Psi Chi Chicago Conference in Chicago, IL in May 2016.

Services

Collaborative Therapeutic Psycholgical Assessment
EMDR (Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
Individual Therapy
Couples Therapy

Specialty Areas

Couples
Eating Disorder Recovery
LGBTQ Affirming Therapy
Trauma and PTSD
College Students and 20-somethings
Sports and Performance