Dan Lundy, LPC, has been serving clients for more than 25 years. Learn about his background below; for information on his therapeutic approach, visit Dan’s My Approach page.
My Background: How I Became A Mental Health Counselor
By Dan Lundy, Lead Therapist And Founder, The Southern Colorado Hope For Healing Institute
Humble Beginnings
I grew up on the East Coast as part of a large family. Our father, a U.S. Navy veteran, instilled in us a strong work ethic, the importance of teamwork, and duty to one’s community. Our mother likewise taught us to value the wellbeing of our family, friends, and neighbors as much as our own. My siblings and I were taught that, while we were important, we were not more important than anyone else.
So, despite not having much money, we never felt sorry for ourselves. As captain of my high school basketball team, I couldn’t afford new sneakers. The hand-me-down sneakers I had were too big, but rather than complain, I simply lined them with cardboard. My first car was also second-hand, having originally been owned by two of my brothers, but that didn’t bother me.
The strong sense of community and desire to serve others that I developed in childhood led me to pursue a career in teaching. I earned a Bachelor’s in education and started work as an English teacher and basketball coach.
Searching For Meaning
As a coach, I was more concerned with whether my students/athletes were having fun and learning basketball skills than with how many points they scored or games they won. I recognized how participation in sports could bring out the best in them and help them develop self-confidence. This “life lessons”-oriented approach, I hoped, would impact their lives for the long haul.
Despite how much I enjoyed coaching, I was struggling to pay my bills on a part-time teaching salary. So I traveled to San Francisco in search of a more lucrative career. For years, I focused on my own wants and desires, such as making money, creating new adventures, and experiencing new cultures.
It wasn’t until my mother died in 1990 that I started to question the direction my life was taking. As I considered her legacy, I also wondered about my own. “What will be on my tombstone when I die?” I asked myself. In those days I had made many selfish decisions. But it’s funny how death can make one re-evaluate priorities in life.
I knew I wanted to serve my community, but going back to teaching didn’t feel like the right direction. When I saw a television advertisement soliciting volunteers for a local shelter, I felt compelled to call.
From Volunteer To Licensed Therapist
As a volunteer at the shelter, I led therapy groups for battered women. Later, when I was asked to lead perpetrator therapy groups, I agreed. Hearing the heartbreaking stories of violence from these women and men was difficult work, but every time I doubted whether I could continue, someone would tell me what a profoundly positive impact I was having on their life.
In what felt like divine intervention, new career opportunities and sources of encouragement continued to appear whenever I needed them most. One thing led to another, and I eventually became a licensed professional counselor. My practice, which has grown over the past 25 years into The Colorado Hope for Healing Institute, has allowed me to live the life I was meant to live.
The inspiring stories and tearful thank-you’s I’ve received from my clients over the years mean more to me than anything else. But the legacy I’ll leave behind matters to me, too. At one point in my life, my tombstone easily could have read: “He took more than he gave.” Now, I hope the people whose lives I’ve touched might describe me like this: “He cared enough to help me make a change.”
The Southern Colorado Hope for Healing Institute serves adults and children coping with trauma, depression, anxiety, and compassion fatigue in Pueblo and Colorado Springs. We also offer performance therapy for professional and aspiring athletes of all ages. For a free, 15-minute consultation or to schedule your first appointment, call us at 1-719-271-6677.