Impact Story: Heather Thompson on Veterans and Community Resources
Eager for Change
Back when Heather Thompson was just a young adult, she met someone who would unknowingly change the trajectory of her life.
Walking down the sidewalk in Thompson’s neighborhood was a woman carrying a duffel bag, weeping. “I went over to her, and I said,‘Are you okay? Do you need any help? Is there anything I can do?’ I found out she was escaping a situation of domestic violence,” Thompson said.
After bringing the woman into her home and assessing the situation, she realized that neither of them really knew where to go for help. Thompson said that at the time, the only place she could think of to turn to was her church. “I was hoping that the church would have some sort of access to a women’s shelter, [or] something.”
However, when they arrived, that church in particular did not know of any resources. This greatly disappointed Thompson. She believed that people interacting with the community should have access to resources, and that organizations needed to have some form of communication with each other to help out those in need.
Thus, Thompson’s passion for community resource accessibility was born. This experience has stuck with her throughout her life, but she’s lived through countless more influential moments.
Differing Interests Lead to the Same Place
Thompson’s career began with language. At Baylor University in Texas, she chose to study speech language pathology because of a fascination with cultural traditions and how people communicate with each other.
While at Baylor, Thompson and her husband participated in Air Force ROTC. “We became officers the same day. We stood right next to each other when we commissioned. So, that was very fun,” she said. They both began serving full-time in 2002, shortly after the 9/11 attacks.
After three years in active duty as a Second Lieutenant, Thompson voluntarily moved into the Inactive Ready Reserve when the military reduced their forces in 2005. Since Thompson’s husband was in the flying field as an Air Battle Manager, they decided that he would continue serving while Thompson experienced life as a traveling military spouse.
Thompson then worked as an elementary school teacher in the private sector while continuing her education. In 2015, she enrolled at Denver Seminary, delving into the intersection of mental health and nature.
Thompson’s family traditions often consisted of fishing, camping, and hiking, she mentioned, so the choice of her first class reflected that. “I initially started with an adventure therapy class, because I was really drawn to the outdoors and how people could really heal through being outside in community,” Thompson said.
Adventure therapy is a type of treatment that uses outdoor activities to promote healing. Adventurous experiences that present challenges and push one out of their comfort zone often helps with building resilience and healing other parts of their life.
After completing several courses in that area of a minor concentration, Thompson’s husband was the one to suggest counseling as a career path. “And so I looked into it, and I think he was right, and I kind of hit my stride in clinical counseling,” she said.
Counseling Veterans as a Veteran
Thompson graduated with her masters from Denver Seminary during the height of the pandemic, but in 2021 she happily joined AllHealth Network as a therapist on the Ascent Team. “When the opportunity arose to join AllHealth Network, I was thrilled to join a community-based team,” she said.
AllHealth supported her studies to become a Licensed Addictions Counselor (LAC) when she recognized that her clients needed both mental health and SUD treatment.
Later, AllHealth had an opening in their Castle Rock office for a clinician specializing in therapy with veterans. Meli Reumann, Thompson’s Clinical Director, asked her if she’d like to work there just one day a week. Thompson accepted, and began traveling from Littleton to Castle Rock once a week. Soon, she realized how much she loved working with the veterans and doubled up on her workload with them.
Thompson said that she has had moments of nostalgia working with veterans. “I regularly experience empathy with the veterans who continue to feel a strong sense of civic duty, responsibility, and hopeful expectation for the betterment of the community,” she said. “I have sincere and deep compassion for those who continue to bear the burden of anxiety and sleepless nights about the security of our country.”
Thompson mainly helps veterans work through their PTSD acquired from their time in service. She uses two main treatment modalities: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Internal Family Systems (IFS).
Soldier On
Working with veterans, Thompson sees a lot of stigma – both around substance use and mental health disorders, but also around accessing the care for those struggles. “A lot of the 50 years-and-older crowd will say that they were discouraged from getting mental health services because ‘basically, if you fall down, get up, brush off the dirt, and keep going’,” she said. Veterans often share a “Soldier on forward,” mentality, which really hinders the seeking of mental health treatment.
Thompson mentioned how this affects all veterans, but women are especially affected by sexual trauma from their time in service. Only recently has military leadership acknowledged the effects of mental health and the benefits of therapy and counseling. “It’s really been recently where the military has fostered more willingness to support and pay for mental health services,” she said.
Thompson said if a veteran is hesitant to access mental health resources, it is important to allow them the space to understand it first.
“Therapy is not a place where they’re going to be judged or be put down in any way,” she said. “It’s there to basically get stuff off their chest, unload the metaphorical ‘demons’ that they’re carrying with them, and be able to put some of the weight they’ve been carrying internally—get it out and get it behind them. Therapy can help get rid of nightmares, anger, isolation, and depression, and help folks feel better.”
Thompson has seen a lot of stigma around accessing mental health care, even from veterans’ own families. “Understanding and getting the word out about what therapy really is can help destigmatize it,” she added.
Communities Must Communicate
In order to destigmatize care, people need to know what tools are available. Community collaboration is another one of Thompson’s passions, originating from her early adult experience with the woman escaping domestic violence.
Thompson believes that people should have access to a network of resources when coming to a mental health center. “They’re seeing the word ‘community mental health’ and they’re thinking, ‘If I come into the doors, I’m going to be able to get the resources that I need in some way,’” she said.
She gave an example of someone who seeks care, but needs care for their dog while they’re at rehab. Where can they put their dog? Are they going to have to worry about their pet while they are getting treatment? What resources does this person have access to?
“My passion is to have tools and resources, as much as I can possibly get,” Thompson said. She emphasized the importance of community organizations working together and communicating.
Communication goes a long way externally, but also internally within organizations. Thompson was the 2025 Clinician Award recipient at the COPA Provider Reception, which was one of her proudest accomplishments in her career.
When talking about recognition in the workplace, she said that AllHealth is great at expressing genuine appreciation between supervisors and their staff. “And then being able to quantify it and share that with other people in some way” helps workers feel appreciated.
About AllHealth Network:
AllHealth is a behavioral health network providing counseling, psychiatry, crisis services, and substance use services across the state of Colorado.