Meet Us
The Louisville Family Center was founded in March of 2017 with the intention of creating a space for families and individuals to connect more deeply with themselves and each other. We enjoy being a part of downtown Louisville, as it allows us to connect with the community in various ways.
Christy Lochary and Michele Beach are the founders of the Louisville Family Center. We began working together in 2008 as teachers, which was the start of a collaboration and friendship that has supported us through many important stages in our lives. See below for more information about each therapist, and also be sure to check out our Community Partners page for additional on-site and community practitioners.
CHRISTY LOCHARY
I have been working with families and children since 2008. I began my career as a teacher at The Patchwork school, in Louisville Colorado. During this time, I found that I had a passion for connecting with families and sharing the joys and challenges they faced. I also began to understand that play can be a powerful expression of a child's inner experience. My time as a teacher motivated me to complete a Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Regis University in 2015.
I am now a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Synergetic Play Therapist, Level 1 Certified Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist, and the Clinical Supervisor for the staff at the Louisville Family Center. Additionally, I am a Certified Social Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG) Facilitator, and I co-facilitate support groups for caregivers of Gifted and 2e (twice exceptional) children.
I love working with children with a variety of backgrounds including giftedness, ADHD, transition sensitivities, tantrums and anxiety. I hold a strong value in continuing my education, particularly concerning issues that affect children and their families. I employ research-based, relationship-centered play therapy modalities, and I consider myself a neurodiversity affirming therapist.
I believe therapy is most impactful when children feel free to be themselves and show up exactly as they are. When children feel safe they are able to connect with the challenges they face and explore new ways of being. In this process, I work with families to find ways that work best for them to connect with their children and the challenges at hand.
In addition to being a therapist I am also a wife and mother. I enjoy spending time with my little family and understand first hand the joys and struggles families encounter in life. Becoming a parent has stretched me in ways no amount of training or education could prepare me for. I found that while I had a lot of first hand experience being with children, I did not have first hand experience actually being a mother! It is a role I had to grow into, and will continue to evolve for the rest of my life. As I take this journey into parenthood I find myself getting more and more curious about what is coming up for me in relationship to my child and my husband. And that curiosity often takes me in directions I was not planning on going. I am so grateful for them in my life!
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connection love
connection love
MICHELE BEACH
When I became a mother, many years ago, I had no idea I was beginning a journey to the center of myself. I had always excelled in school, graduating in 2000 from Stanford University with a Bachelors in Computer Science. I had no doubt I could study all of the books, remember some tips from my babysitting days and ace parenting with flying colors. And yet I found myself at times sitting there on the floor crying right alongside my two-year-old, not able to understand what I was doing “wrong.” I found myself blaming him and shaming myself.
Shortly thereafter I went back to school, because I wanted to learn more about children and emotions. I got my Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from CU Denver in 2007. The following August, I co-founded The Patchwork School, which began as a small preschool in my basement with just ten children. We moved the school to Louisville where we quickly found we had many parents seeking something similar for their young children and themselves, a learning environment that also makes space for feelings. Supporting parents, staff and students these past fourteen years, I have been fortunate to work with hundreds of families here in Louisville. I have also researched Social/Emotional well-being on my own and through workshops and conferences in New York, Portland, Finland, Puerto Rico, Vancouver, and here in Colorado.
At the Louisville Family Center, I have been practicing since 2017, and am currently a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate (LPCC), with a Master's Degree in Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling from Naropa University. My approach to therapy includes conflict transformation through Non-Violent Communication, mindfulness and present-focused techniques, motivational interviewing to promote solutions, body awareness, inner parts work, family systems dynamics, and most of all is client-centered. My intention is to meet you exactly where you are at in each and every session. My areas of interest and experience lie particularly with counseling adults, couples and families who are struggling with anxiety, depression, overwhelm, trauma, career and other transitions or grief. I also have experience with children with special needs, gifted children and adopted children, as well as working with families and couples dealing with conflict and divorce.
As for myself, my oldest son is now sixteen years old, I have two additional children, and I no longer believe there is a "right" way to parent. However I do know that with support it is possible to reconnect to the joy of parenting and the precious experience of being a family. When not in the office, I particularly enjoy gardening, taking the kids swimming or camping, cooking, reading and hanging out with our little black cat.
CLIENT LOVE 
CLIENT LOVE
heart centered therapy for people of all ages
JULIA MESSING
What makes us the unique individuals we are? What does it mean to be alive? As a kid, I often found myself wrapped up in this kind of wondering. I spent many quiet hours contemplating meaning and nourishing my curiosity about people & the natural world.
After completing my Bachelor’s in Psychology, I began working in the finance sector in Boston. After some time, I found a desire to experience a more fulfilling life, so I journeyed abroad to gain culturally diverse experience and connect with students as a teacher. These years introduced me to experiential teachings in mindfulness and body awareness, which allowed me to slow down enough to listen to myself, an ability I hadn’t tapped into since I was young.
Coming back to the US, I found the lovely Patchwork School and then attended Naropa University, where I completed my Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, specializing in Mindfulness-based and Transpersonal Psychotherapy. While health looks different for each person, I believe having a caring and supportive therapist to assist is often a key ingredient. In my practice I bring non-judgement, compassion and humor to every session. As a Licensed Professional Counselor at the Louisville Family Center, I support individuals and couples looking to understand themselves more deeply and live with vibrancy. I specifically enjoy helping people work through addictions, transitions, anxiety, and depression. Outside of therapy, my time is spent creating art, cooking lovely meals with friends, and spending time with my partner and cats.
CLIENT LOVE
heart centered therapy for people of all ages
SARAH HRAHA
Hi there I am Sam (she/her)! I was born and raised in the east coast and have an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Salisbury University. After completing that degree I moved abroad and worked on a research project regarding child behavior. I completed my yoga teacher training and began searching for a way to combine my passions, strengths, and worldview with my career. I then found myself in Boulder starting a Masters degree at Naropa University in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with an emphasis on Mindfulness Based Transpersonal Counseling. I was drawn to Naropa because of the emphasis on a holistic approach and connection of mind body and spirit within the individual, which is the same reason I gravitated to Louisville Family Center!
I have an open-minded, eclectic, and nurturing approach to working with clients. I work with children in a compassionate, patient, and mindful way, giving them the space and tools they need to express themselves and make sense of the ever-changing world around them. I find myself drawing from Gestalt Theory, Synergetic Play Therapy, a Mindfulness Perspective, and a Strengths Based Approach.
I completed my practicum at The Patchwork School and am eager to do my internship at LFC! In my free time I enjoy trail running, doing yoga, playing in the mountains, crafting and creating, and running around with my dog Sunny!
attention connection love
connection love
JUDITH MANDEL
I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and have a keen love of Midwestern autumns. I found myself drawn to both coasts, attending college in Washington, DC and then living in the Bay Area for nearly a decade. During this time, I pursued a career in specialty coffee, as both a quality control manager and coffee buyer. This allowed me to explore my deep appreciation for sensory experiences, as well as travel to magnificent parts of the world where beautiful coffee is grown by exceptional people.
Always rooted in connection to people and community, I began to imagine a new professional path, leading me to become a Marriage/Couple and Family Therapist. In 2020, my husband and I relocated to Colorado in search of new experiences and connection to nature, and are slowly making it our home. In May 2023, I graduated from Antioch University New England with a master’s degree in Couple and Family Therapy. I am an Emotionally Focused trained therapist and am pursuing the final stages toward certification in Emotionally Focused Therapy. I am most at peace in the kitchen and love the balance of art and science that cooking and baking provide. In my spare time, you can find me exploring the mountains and trying my aspirational hand at gardening. I am a product of therapy. A client since the age of seven, the therapeutic connection is a relationship I treasure. As a child, I remember feeling uniquely noticed and heard in this space. I quickly realized how fortunate I have been to have access to therapy and how meaningful it would be to provide the same security and support I was given. I believe in the power of relationship, both in connection and in healing, and am dedicated to supporting relationships of all constellations- romantic, familial, and friendships in deepening and healing side by side. As we explore your story together, I will bring compassion, curiosity, respect, and encourage a laugh or two along the way.
heart centered therapy for people of all ages
KIM ADAM
Hello. I am Kim (she/her). I am passionate about creativity, play, and imagination, and how, through the expressive arts, they inform identity and promote healing in a non-defensive manner for all ages and stages of development. The expressive arts have helped me process my own challenges and I am excited to share how this modality can help others.
As the mother of two neuro-divergent children, whom are now young adults, and one that has battled chronic illness, I have witnessed and appreciate the gifts and challenges that being neuro-divergent can produce. I have celebrated the victories and lost sleep over the challenges.
My parental journey introduced me to arts education, leading me to work with children and adolescents since 2009 in association with a public charter school located in southern CA. I developed my arts education program around the principles of art therapy, helping learners, including neuro-divergent learners, develop social and emotional skills and understanding, with an emphasis on identity development. My passion for working with teens struggling to understand their own identity and their place in their communities as they transition into early adulthood led me to pursue a Master of Arts Degree in clinical mental health counseling with a concentration in transpersonal counseling psychology and art therapy from Naropa University. During the last 18-months of my education at Naropa, I worked with children, adolescents, and adults of all ages working through transitional issues related to grief and loss, chronic illness, and trauma. I am currently working toward my full licensure as an LPCC and ATR-P.
My therapeutic approach is eclectic, depending on each individual’s needs, and I always lead with a person-centered and heart-centered approach. I believe each of us, given the proper conditions including a safe environment, unconditional positive regard, and empathy, possess innate growth tendencies. Understanding who we are and what feeds our soul promotes healing and well-being.
Beyond my work at Louisville Family Center, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I feed my soul by traveling with my husband and experiencing the world beyond our bubble, taking in other cultures and ways of being. I also spend as much time on the water as I can racing my sailboat across the country, a sport and passion my father introduced me to as a young child off the east coast of New England.
heart centered therapy for people of all ages
KATIE GENETTI
I spent 2015-2023 studying transpersonal art therapy at Naropa University, completing both my bachelor’s and master’s there. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate (LPCC), utilizing the theoretical modalities of Art Therapy and Synergetic Play Therapy in my work.
Growing up I was always identified as an artist and caregiver, so when I became aware of art therapy as a career I felt inspired by and aligned with it. The transpersonal aspect of my education at Naropa is mainly what drew me to it because I hold the belief that all life is interconnected, therefore clinicians benefit from witnessing clients’ wisdom emerge just as much as clients benefit from witnessing themselves.
Art is an immensely powerful way for people to witness their own brilliance, even and especially for people who do not think they are “good” at art. Facilitating art processes for clients and myself is something I hold carefully as a privilege.
During my internship for school I got to practice combining a synergetic play therapy approach with art therapy while working with children and was amazed at what I saw each week. Through art and play, preconscious wisdom speaks volumes in symbols and metaphors, transforming reality to feel more resonant and manageable. It is an honor to watch children grapple with major traumas in the safety of a playroom, making meaning of their experiences and connecting with themselves in ways often beyond words.
Outside of work I enjoy learning about Traditional Chinese Medicine, creating personal art, bird watching, hiking, watching movies, and eating good food with loved ones.
attention connection love
connection love
SAM TAYLOR
Hi there I am Sam (she/her)! I was born and raised in the east coast and have an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Salisbury University. After completing that degree I moved abroad and worked on a research project regarding child behavior. I completed my yoga teacher training and began searching for a way to combine my passions, strengths, and worldview with my career. I then found myself in Boulder starting a Masters degree at Naropa University in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with an emphasis on Mindfulness Based Transpersonal Counseling. I was drawn to Naropa because of the emphasis on a holistic approach and connection of mind body and spirit within the individual, which is the same reason I gravitated to Louisville Family Center!
I have an open-minded, eclectic, and nurturing approach to working with clients. I work with children in a compassionate, patient, and mindful way, giving them the space and tools they need to express themselves and make sense of the ever-changing world around them. I find myself drawing from Gestalt Theory, Synergetic Play Therapy, a Mindfulness Perspective, and a Strengths Based Approach.
I completed my practicum at The Patchwork School and am eager to do my internship at LFC! In my free time I enjoy trail running, doing yoga, playing in the mountains, crafting and creating, and running around with my dog Sunny!
