Doug Hunderman, M. Div.

I have been pastoring for nearly forty years, in churches from Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Michigan and beyond. In those years I have been involved in a lot of marriage and family counseling. While I am formally retired from the pastorate I am still involved in pastoral counseling. As an adjunct instructor at San Juan College and Fort Lewis College I became involved in student lives and several of them sought me out as a counselor. It gives me a great deal of satisfaction to stand with individuals and families who are learning to advance their growth and discover healing. Every individual I meet, with their unique lives and stories present me with an opportunity to explore another complex universe of realities and possibilities. Each person and their life, seemingly ordinary or deeply wounded, is both precious and sacred.

Professionally I lean toward what is called in the mental health industry third wave Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Third wave CBT is characterized by a flexibility, patience, and an openness to experience, and the importance of relationship that was not generally practiced in earlier expressions of CBT. As a Christian counselor, alongside of the psychological emphasis, I believe two other aspects of reality are essential for comprehensive mental health, that is, the theological and the spiritual. In my counseling I attempt to keep these three factors, the psychological, theological, and spiritual, in some sort of balance, hopefully leading to exciting transformation and healing. This can make counseling complex but very rewarding, and discovering this balance leads many people to live rich and whole lives, finding new possibilities.

I enjoy working with individuals, couples, and families. I have extensive experience in relating to college age young adults. As a pastor I was called to deal with grief recovery situations and end of life issues. I have worked in areas such as leadership development and spiritual development. One area of special concern for me is the reality of suicide and I have received training specifically for suicide intervention. I also enjoy working with people of all faiths or no faith.
Life’s twist and turns, with the unexpected dead ends and regrets have taught their lessons; battling and winning over cancer was one big lesson producing experience for me. But my dear wife has started reminding me that we are getting very close to fifty years together, and together we have four somewhat adult-like children and their wonderful spouses, and eight grandchildren. Those of us living here feel very privileged to be a part of the Four Corners, and Durango specifically, and those of us not living here, well what can I say.

Doug Hunderman
970-764-0083
doug@riversagecounseling.com