Lesly Pogrew-Terrance
Lesly is a seasoned mental health professional and Executive Director of the nonprofit organization Healing from the Heart, based in Denver, Colorado. With over 40 years of experience in trauma therapy, she specializes in working with survivors of complex trauma using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), somatic-informed approaches, and integrative healing modalities. She is also a board-certified expert in traumatic stress and has built her career around supporting high-risk families, adolescents, and adults navigating deep emotional and psychological wounds.
Alongside her clinical work, Lesly served for 14 years as an adjunct instructor at Regis University
, where she taught courses in family therapy, crisis intervention, and human services practicums. She began her professional journey as a massage therapist, where she first encountered the profound connection between the body and stored trauma—an experience that ultimately led her to pursue graduate studies in counseling psychology. She holds a master’s degree in psychology from Regis University and a bachelor’s degree in behavioral sciences from Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Today, Lesly continues to lead Healing from the Heart while supervising clinicians and interns, expanding access to trauma-informed care. Her work is rooted in a deep belief in holistic healing and innovation, blending traditional psychotherapy with emerging and ancestral practices such as somatic therapies, acupuncture collaboration, ceremonial healing, and psychedelic-assisted approaches. She is passionate about moving beyond conventional models of care and creating space for more expansive, body-centered, and culturally informed paths to healing.
• Board Certified in Traumatic Stress
• Advanced Certification in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) 1 and 2
• Regis University- Master's
• Metropolitan State University of Denver- B.A.
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to just taking chances. You know, doing things I never thought I was gonna do - like teaching, I just jumped into that. I talked a principal into letting me teach creative drama to gifted children back in my 20s, and I had no educational background at that time. Throughout my career, I've been willing to take risks and try new things, even when they seemed outside my comfort zone.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is: Don't quit. Don't give up. And we have the ability to heal ourselves. This advice has guided me through 40 years in this field, and it's something I truly believe in - that we all have an innate capacity for healing within us.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say, don't give up. Just keep going. And keep being curious - I think being curious is the most important thing. Learn as much as you can in a million different ways, too. I mean, not just one way. And certainly be a critical thinker. Question authority. I said that in the 60s, too, and it still holds true today.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges in my field right now are, of course, funding for people that don't have money. That's the biggest challenge. And also, at this point in time, people are not feeling like it's gonna get better. They're pretty depressed and very anxious because of the times we're living in and the fact that it doesn't feel like you can get ahead. AI is pretty scary for everybody, too. These are real challenges we're facing in mental health and trauma therapy today.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in my work and personal life are authenticity, honesty, and the willingness to delve deeper - not take everything at face value. I believe in looking beyond surface-level solutions and exploring older ways of healing that have been disregarded. I'm committed to being curious and questioning things, always seeking to understand more deeply rather than accepting conventional wisdom without examination.