Catherine Tenedios Hayes is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in Colorado with over 20 years of clinical experience working with children, adults, couples, and families. She holds a master’s degree in Developmental Psychology from the University of Oregon and a Post-Master’s Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy from the Denver Family Institute.
Catherine works with clients seeking deeper insight and healing: relationship concerns, communication difficulties, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, ADHD, behavioral issues, the persistent voice of the inner critic and more. She welcomes people of all gender identities, sexual orientations, expressions, religions, ethnicities, and lifestyles—believing that therapy should be a space of inclusion, respect, and belonging.
Approach to Therapy
Catherine’s approach blends science and soul—drawing from developmental psychology, attachment theory, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Cognitive Behavioral Theory (CBT), the work of John and Julie Gottman and other integrative, trauma-informed frameworks. Her work is grounded in compassion, curiosity, and collaboration. She views therapy as a shared journey towards awareness, resilience, and self-compassion—providing a place for you to pause, breathe, and connect with your inner strength.
Growth, she believes, is nonlinear: sometimes a step forward, sometimes a pause, sometimes a gentle return to what needs tending. There is no pressure for big “aha” moments—just a steady, supported unfolding.
Her therapeutic style is rooted in connection and respectful directness. While she listens deeply and validates your experiences, she is willing to offer reflections as a way for you to consider new perspectives as well as a gentle challenge when
helpful. She weaves in mindfulness, experiential exercises, metaphors, psychoeducation, skill building, and even humor when the moment calls for lightness. Through this process, clarity often emerges, old patterns begin to soften, and more authentic ways of relating—to yourself and others—can take root.
A Personal Note
Catherine’s longtime mentor once described her as a “wagon-pulling, heart-song listener, and community builder.”
She embodies this spirit in her professional life and beyond.
“I love all things connecting—connecting to self, others, community, and nature. When I’m not in session, you’ll often find me volunteering at my kid’s school, organizing neighborhood food truck nights, adding new books to our little free library, attending my podcast club, playing volleyball, digging in the dirt or diving into a creative project at various levels of completion. I’m a lifelong learner, avid reader, and listener of podcasts. I am captivated by self-growth, inspirational sports stories, history, humor/comedians, and human resilience. A common thought for me is, ‘I want to do that… I bet there’s a video on it!’—whether it’s knitting, painting kitchen tiles, installing a ceiling fan or building a trellis for tomatoes.
Most of all, I love being in nature, spending time with my husband and our two adventurous daughters, and curling up next to our 13-year-old cat like dog.”