More About Us

Paul was born and raised in the beautiful state of Colorado. He went to college in California at CAL Poly Pomona, majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Being a person in recovery and always finding fulfillment in helping others succeed, Paul co-founded a treatment center in California with 4 other partners. Paul came back to Colorado to continue his journey in the field of addiction, and to share his vision for Healing Pines Recovery.

“Colorado is such a magical place for me, its natural beauty and peace lend itself for the perfect environment to connect with yourself and others. Healing Pines is different, it’s real, you can feel it. What you see is what you get here. This is a safe place to dig deep and be vulnerable, to re-discover yourself, what the world has to offer and what you have to offer the world.”

Michael is a Licensed Professional Counselor and has felt lead to be in this role since the age of 15. He is passionate about coaching and helping others becoming their very best. Michael grew up in Northern California and has lived in Colorado for close to a decade. He completed his undergraduate degree in Psychology at Liberty University and received his Maters in Counseling from Colorado Christian University. Michael has a heart for helping the addiction population and their families to find freedom and lasting recovery to positively affect people’s legacies. Michael has experience in individual, group, marriage, and family Counseling.

Michael uses CBT/DBT/Person Centered/Solution Focused and Emotionally Focused Therapies. He enjoys staying active and supporting Colorado Sports Teams (especially the Broncos), movies, Church, playing drums and spending time with his wife and children. Michael brings a non-judgmental and relaxed approach to Healing Pines clients and staff.

Mike is a Licensed Addiction Counselor and has been in the addiction field for 8 years. He grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He completed his undergraduate degree in Secondary Education/Social Sciences from the University of Southern Colorado and received his Masters of Addiction Counseling from Grand Canyon University. Mike has a passion for helping those addicted to substances. He has experience in individual and group counseling previously working with formerly incarcerated individuals helping them to rebuild their lives through recovery.

Mike uses CBT/DBT/ACT/ Person Centered/Solution Focused and Strength Based Therapies. He enjoys spending time with family, fly fishing, and watching sports. Mike believes anyone can recover from addiction and lead a happy productive life

Dr. Canfield grew up in Southern California and graduated Cum Laude with his bachelor’s degree in psychology.  He attended medical school at Western University of Health Sciences in California before moving to Colorado to complete his psychiatry residency at the University of Colorado where he served as chief resident.  He completed additional training in psychoanalysis at the University of Colorado.  He has worked in forensic psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, and physician mental health.  He strives to stay current with evidence based treatments in psychiatry.  When not working, Dr. Canfield is spending time with his wife and three boys.    

Mike was born in Massachusetts and grew up in Colorado. His family fostered hundreds of kids with special needs over a 20-year period.   Mike has worked at Aurora Mental Health with children who have emotional and behavioral challenges. He has a strong understanding of the recovery process and how it is unique to each individual. Mike is passionate about making strong connections with the guys at Healing Pines. He enjoys providing a welcoming and safe environment and believes in open communication. Mike’s interests include fly fishing, traveling, and watching ice hockey – especially the Colorado Avalanche!

I am 29 years old, and grew up and lived in Littleton Colorado my whole life.  Growing up near the rocky mountains, I have always enjoyed fishing, camping, and hiking with my family.  My favorite sport to play and watch is hockey.  I have played Inline hockey since I was 8 years old, and I have and always will be a huge Colorado Avalanche fan.   I live with my family, and they have always been a huge part of my life.  I look forward to the career I have started here at Healing Pines.  I am passionate about making connections and helping the people here at healing pines on their road to recovery.

Mona Merrick , the owner of Body Balance Coaching, helps her clients achieve their wellness goals through exercise and nutrition coaching.  As a Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach, Mona partners with clients to promote lasting healthy lifestyle changes that align with their values.   She is also trained in reading functional lab tests to help identify which organ systems are imbalanced.  Combining lab data and client driven assessments and agendas, she is able to utilize techniques that keep clients moving toward their health goals, increase their self-care and be more in-tune with their body’s messages, to enhance their overall well-being.   

In addition to nutrition guidance, Mona is a certified Pilates, Barre and Yoga Instructor.  These methodologies engage the entire body and improves flexibility, strength and balance while being easy on the joints.  It helps improve sports performance and everyday activities.   Just like Mona’s nutrition classes, she works with the client’s individual needs and objectives to optimize their performance and achieve their fitness goals. 

Mona combines the benefits of her two areas of expertise to provide a truly balanced approach to nourishing the body and soul, which provide lasting healthy results. Her goal is to create a completely personalized roadmap to health that suits her client’s unique body, lifestyle, preferences and goals.  

Natalie is an Art Therapist and Addiction Specialist with a demonstrated history in the substance use disorder field for over 10 years. Natalie graduated from Regis University with Masters in Health Psychology and Therapeutic Arts. Natalie’s therapeutic approach integrates Creative Art Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Trauma Responsive Therapy skills in hands-on exercises with art materials as a means to process and heal the underlying aspects of addiction.

Cristi was born in the Midwest, moved to her “dream” place to live, Denver, CO, where she met, married, and raised a family with her husband Mark Leafstedt, PE.  Cristi began her professional career in secondary and post- secondary education. 

She expanded her career with her work in the securities industry using her Series 6 and 7 securities licenses; obtaining her Masters in Human Communication and Consulting; spending several exciting years partnering in mediation and consulting company; and ultimately achieving a position that allowed her to combine all her prior experience by co-owning with her husband for 22 years an Engineering Consulting Company.

Mike is a Licensed Addiction Counselor with a passion for science and evidence-based practice. As an undergraduate Mike participated in the McNair Scholars program where he partnered with a highly published scientist to create an original project seeking to understand the intersection of trauma types and interpersonal behaviors. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Minor in Latino Studies, Mike went on to study at Cal State San Bernardino for a Master of Science in Clinical Counseling Psychology. Under the supervision of Dr. Christina Hassija, Mike learned the intricacies of trauma-focused therapy including Prolonged Exposure for PTSD and went on to co-author an encyclopedia chapter on trauma-focused treatments with his said mentor. After graduation, Mike worked in the addictions field applying trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) within various treatment settings including government mental health clinics, residential units, and outpatient non-profits. Mike has also completed post graduate training in addictions and obtained multiple certificates in various CBT modalities.

Despite the scholarly and clinical resume, Mike truly appreciates the process of change and seeks to find joy in the work of therapy. He believes that therapists are present to serve the milieu and that a custom approach to recovery is paramount. He takes personal stories of trauma, grief, and general loss seriously while finding humility in being a part of another’s recovery journey.