Cortnie has been with HardBeauty as the resident yoga instructor since its inception. Now she serves as Restore Program Director, Client Liaison, Registered Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher and certified Reiki Practitioner. She will be the first point of contact for many of HardBeauty’s clients and will welcome everyone with open arms and warmth into our family.

Cortnie’s open-hearted and authentic demeanor, along with her intuitive ability, naturally attract her to forming deep and caring relationships. Her heart lies with sharing restorative yoga, where she truly knows “deep work requires deep rest”; and believes that yoga meets you where you are, each and every day. She facilitates with strong energy and passion for the practice, which has supported her own mental health journey.

Along with her innate ability to hold safe space for those in recovery, no matter what it is that you are recovering from, Cortnie is looking forward to growing the Restore program following the principles that guide her and creating a place to feel at peace and at home in our bodies and minds, while feeling alive in our souls. No matter what you need; physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually; “when you quiet the mind and create that safe space, it is then that you are exactly where you need to be”.

With an MBA and an extensive background in Business Management, Sara Summerfield Dempsey brings her passion and determination along with her knowledge and experience of peer recovery support to HardBeauty as Co-Executive Director.

After working in various capacities in business, and after the economic downturn in 2008, Sara returned to her hometown of Huntington, West Virginia and saw the destruction the opioid epidemic had caused. Strong willed, faithful, hardworking people were becoming shells of themselves due to misused opioids prescribed by their doctors. In 2008, Huntington, WV was the overdose capital of the nation. Sara committed herself to assisting in expanding recovery options. She helped hundreds of men and their families recover from their struggles. In doing so, Sara became one of the first to establish a self-supporting, non-medical, peer-to-peer recovery model in the U.S. Later, she shifted her focus to women, modeling the same structure of hope and healing to provide peer resources to them.

At HardBeauty, she will be working alongside the executive team to ensure that the work of the organization is being conducted in a manner that is mission-aligned, strategic, and impactful.

“For me, recovery work is not work. It is a passion. I will create a kind, safe place to be open. I came to recovery from my own losses and struggles and I stayed because of the beauty and thrill of helping people get their lives back.”

Frankie is in recovery from SUD, mental health, and domestic violence. She grew up in an abusive household and then found an abusive partner. Frankie became a HardBeauty client and was offered a job. These past two years she has learned to love herself and heal from that brokenness. She is a credentialed coach with Choices and helps others learn to love themselves and make changes.

I absolutely love being able to give back. I finally get to be the change I wish to see in the world. The change had to start with me, and I have the privilege to help start the change in others.”

For Jean, community-building has been the key to her sustained recovery and she is very involved in the Denver recovery community. This is how she came to be a part of HardBeauty. She joined one of the first Gladiator meetings that Racquel facilitated and immediately felt welcomed and wanted to support Racquel and HardBeauty as much as possible.

Jean writes and edits content for HardBeauty communications materials and assists with Public Relations efforts. In addition, she facilitates her writing workshops – Pen2Paper – through the DYR platform. You might find Jean mingling at a Denver recovery event, or on stage telling a story at a recovery open mic.

Jean lives in Erie with her husband. They are both dog lovers and currently have one lab named Butters (after the South Park character)

There is such an abundance of talent in the recovery community. I love to match people up and introduce them to each other so that we can share our beauty and love and reach as many people as possible.”

Savannah is part of the original team that formed HardBeauty and has been instrumental in growing the organization. She wears many hats including organizational structure, developing processes, writing grants and coaching clients.

Savannah is in recovery from mental health issues related to multiple sexual assaults and traumas. She is a mother to an LGBTQIA teenager and a little boy, as well as the bonus mama to a fantastic young woman. Her long road to recovery began at 15 when she survived a suicide attempt.

Savannah is CCAR and Choices certified in coaching and has a history working in many different professional fields.

As a mother, my mission is to raise whole-hearted humans. As a coach, my purpose is to guide and affirm people through their personal journey to self actualization and acceptance. With HardBeauty, my dream is to be a strong link in an ever-growing chain of people supporting other people along their journey towards realizing their fullest potential”

Nathan comes from an intercultural broken family background where addiction, abuse, and trauma of all manner were the norm. After 15 years of heavy substance use wrestling with big questions, he entered recovery at age 22 despite sexual abuse traumas, multiple suicide attempts, and the deaths of many friends in his presence.

In his 15 years of recovery Nathan’s journey of recovery has taken him to over 20 countries as a personal & organizational leadership coach and development specialist. In the world of peer support he is passionate about walking alongside sexual and spiritual abuse survivors.

Nathan is a life-long learner with multiple degrees and certifications in human sciences and services fields. He is a CCAR and Choices credentialed recovery coach. He is currently working on his M.A. Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a Marriage Family Therapy emphasis at Colorado Christian University.
Nathan loves spending time with his amazing family, and can be found enjoying all manner of outdoor activities, weightlifting, writing, reading, creating art, tattooing, writing, making music, and podcasting.

Nothing is so lost to be beyond hope; change is always possible”

Having experienced violence and trauma in her own life, and overcoming the adverse effects that came with it, Tiffany works with others who are in recovery from abuse, neglect, trauma and addiction. She comes to HardBeauty with over six years of Victim Advocacy experience supporting victims of Human Trafficking and helping people with housing and rental assistance. She has experience in various facets of advocacy having worked as a trainer, a legal administrator, and other positions. As a result, she has a “big picture” understanding of the systemic issues these people face, and is well-equipped to advise her clients through the system.

Tiffany has lived in Colorado Springs for 20 years, and has formed relationships with the recovery community and the community in general. She has a BA in Communication and Psychology from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.
Tiffany is a Nationally Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist, walking along side those in recovery at the intersection of Intimate Partner and Family Violence and mental health challenges. She is passionate about helping these people, and loves her work in this field.

Danielle Kelly has spent 18 years working in the human services field in various positions,
including as a Case Manager, a Crisis Mediator for the Denver Police Department, and as
a Resident Services Director. Her experience as a liaison and advocate has informed her
understanding that all human beings experience trauma and/or severe life stressors at
some point in their lives.
As a Black woman who has overcome many life obstacles, she
has a great passion for helping people through transitions and adversity. Danielle’s
devotion to helping others can be traced back to middle school, where she began serving
as a peer mentor for her classmates. Early in her professional career, while working as a
counselor at Excelsior Youth Center, Danielle discovered her love for expressive art
therapy modalities and implemented programming to provide teens with tools to express
themselves productively and cope with life’s challenges.
Danielle graduated with a
Bachelor of Science in Human Services with an emphasis in Counseling and Mental
Health from Metropolitan University in Denver, Colorado. Danielle enjoys practicing music
and yoga for healing. She is a fashion guru who enjoys making others laugh and
completing custom DIY art projects.

Mandy has lived in Pueblo, Colorado since 1976. Having experienced anxiety, depression, ADHD, substance misuse, domestic violence and suicide attempts, she is in recovery from a number of mental health challenges as well as trauma. After trying many different paths of recovery, her success came by finding a community of people like her who had achieved and built a life in recovery.
In 2015, her two daughters encouraged her to apply for a position as a Peer Supporter at a Crisis center. Despite her hesitation about holding this position, she became passionate about the work. Now, she is here at HardBeauty, nationally certified through Mental Health America as a Peer Support Specialist, and state-certified through COPA.

If you change the way you look at things- the things you look at change.

Allie, a Denver resident and Colorado native, is a single mother to her 19-year-old
daughter and a caregiver to her elderly father. She received a Bachelor of Arts from
Metro State University in behavioral science and an early childhood education teaching
degree and certificate She received a CNA from Emily Griffith and has worked as a
caretaker for 30 years.

Allie tried for 17 years to get sober. and nothing was working until a friend suggested
she reach out to HardBeauty and find a coach. Now, she’s been in recovery for almost
three years. Over time, she has worked with several coaches and clinicians and has
participated in virtually all of the Discover Your Recovery workshops. Allie got her
Choices credentialing in peer recovery coaching and has joined the HardBeauty team
as a coach.

I’m excited to learn and grow in this space and serve as a peer recovery coach to help
other people thrive in their recovery and build community.”

Krista was born to parents who both struggled immensely with addiction and mental health. Her father was incarcerated when she was an infant and spent 15 years in prison. She was raised by her paternal grandmother, enduring emotional and physical abuse and neglect throughout her childhood. In middle school, Krista experienced a traumatic school shooting. She struggled in her teen years with mental health and spent time in youth detention and several residential treatment centers. In 2013, Krista lost her mother to addiction.

Today Krista lives in Arvada, Colorado, is a mother to three young children and is in recovery from self-harm, Borderline Personality Disorder, and cocaine and alcohol use. She has been working as a peer specialist for 6 years, is a Colorado Peer and Family Specialist, and a National Certified Peer Specialist. Most recently, Krista joined HardBeauty as a Peer Recovery Coach. Krista works in the recovery field to bring hope to those in darkness, and be a source of compassion to those who need it most.

I hope that you can see it, the world needs people like you. You’re here to make a difference. Go on and make a change” – StickFigure

Jamie was introduced to drugs and alcohol at a very young age and by the age of 18 she was a mother suffering from severe mental health issues with drug and alcohol addiction. She married her now husband – then an alcoholic – and they had three more children. Struggling financially, their marriage failing and on the verge of losing their four kids, they had to get clean and sober. So they did.

For the last eight years, Jamie has been creating a new life for herself and her family. She has gotten her mental health under control and remained sober. She and her husband healed their broken marriage, she repaired her relationships with her children, and, with therapy, has worked through her trauma.

Jamie is active in the recovery community. AA was her road to recovery, her husband is a member of the Sober Souls MC, and she volunteers with the Hornbuckle Foundation. When she was introduced to HardBeauty a few years ago, Racquel inspired her to pursue work as a peer recovery coach. As a coach, Jamie wants to spread hope that recovery is possible with hard work and dedication.

Born and raised in Summit County, Jamie is a Colorado native currently living in Arvada. Colorado is where her heart is, and she intends to stay here forever.

Everything will be ok in the end. If it’s not ok then it’s not the end.” -John Lennon

Amy has a Bachelors in Fine Arts in Dance from The University of Colorado in Boulder where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She also has a Program Certificate from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London in modern and contemporary dance. Amy has completed multiple yoga teacher trainings including a 200 hour teaching certification.

Upon working with a Dance/Theater based non- profit for nearly 15 years, Amy had the opportunity to teach trauma informed dance classes to provide a modality for personal and community healing all over the US. She is in Long term recovery from alcohol and substance abuse. Her passion for coaching was sparked when she took the HardBeauty/ Choices Peer Recovery Coaching training in January 2023.

Amy teaches yoga in the Denver community where she resides. She is driven by the desire to help clients seek freedom and cultivate joy. She believes there is an inner goofball in us all just waiting to shine through. Coaching affords her the opportunity to build collaborative relationships that empower the individual.

Gail comes to HardBeauty deeply rooted in community. She has lived in Littleton, Colorado for 54 years.
Gail is the mother to five adult children, two of whom are adopted. She has been a foster parent for 35 years and has fostered just under 200 children. For the past 15 years, she has specialized in fostering at-risk teenage boys. Many of the families that Gail has worked with have struggled with substance misuse and recovery. Gail is passionate about recovery, breaking the cycle of addiction and creating growth and everlasting change. She is an advocate and walks alongside families with a non-judgmental, empathetic heart. Her goal is to prevent disruption of the family structure while ensuring that families can lead full, rich lives together.
Gail has maneuvered through the joy and loss of a 32-year marriage, the near loss of her son in a car accident caused by alcohol use, and the death of her brother to overdose.
She is passionate about empowering women to internalize true self-worth, integrity, and joy. Gail believes women need to recognize and maintain their value as they age and transition through life’s journey, and she works with women to support these efforts.
Gail is CCAR certified, Choices certified as a Recovery coach, and Arise comprehensive intervention trained.

Gail loves spending time with her ever growing family, live music, nature, sun, water and sand.

Lisa experienced a childhood full of trauma, substance abuse, and mental health disorders and has spent the past 10 years rewriting her life into one that is happy, healthy, and secure. She was a homeless, unaccompanied youth in her adolescence and is now a Youth Transitional Coach certified through the Youth Coaching Institute. She also has a Peer Coaching certificate through CHOICES.

Lisa chose a life free of substance misuse after losing her father to HIV related illnesses in 2020 and has now built a grief group to help others navigate and heal through their grief journey. Lisa is passionate about Harm Reduction and when she doesn’t have her coach hat on, she works at a Sober Bar in Colorado Springs.

Michelle’s childhood was filled with trauma, abuse, neglect, alcohol, and drug addicted parents. She began abusing drugs and alcohol at the early age of 12 years old, struggling into her adult years to live a life of recovery with successes and downfalls.

Full recovery started after Michelle asked herself honestly if she wanted to live or die. Recognizing at that moment her life would end without significant change, she chose to live. She now embraces each day with honesty, gratitude, compassion, and the willingness to continue to learn and grow in recovery.

As a peer recovery coach, Michelle can help others by walking alongside them with support and love.

The ability to live life on life’s terms one day at a time is a gift; we NEVER have to do it alone!”

Amy brings a wealth of recovery experience to the coaching world being in recovery from substance misuse, mental health, chronic pain and illness. She has been in recovery from SUD since 2016. Amy is proud of her Texas roots, but fell in love with small-town Colorado life in 2005 and has called it home since. As a devoted mom of five, she has been homeschooling for three years. Amy is committed to living her recovery out loud to show other women and moms that there is a way out.

Amy got connected to HardBeauty through an overdose awareness event held in Castle Rock, CO. It was the first recovery-oriented event she’d known Castle Rock to offer, and having lost her little sister to overdose, Amy had to be a part of it. She received her CCAR coaching credential and joined the HardBeauty team.

What we do here at HardBeauty is truly unique. Each of us has the freedom to bring our own focus and area of expertise to our coaching. For me, that is working with others who have chronic pain.”

Jose grew up surrounded by violence and tragic losses. In his own family, he suffered a great deal of emotional pain from the absence of his father and grandfather. To heal his pain, he turned to drugs and alcohol. When his mother suggested he become a recovery coach, he enrolled to get certified and after the first class put down the substances and he has been clean ever since.

I believe in second chances. A chance to break free from the pain to feel whole or unbroken. A chance to feel okay and empowered. The ability to move forward with confidence.”

With a long line of addicts with severe mental disorders on one side and alcoholism on the other, Prescillia grew up watching addiction take its toll on her family. She lost her mother to addiction and her brother to suicide. When drug use led to her children being taken away, she signed up for coaching and got clean. She is sober now, has her children with her and is thriving professionally and personally.
Prescillia works primarily with parents with substance use disorders and/or have lost their children to custody or DCF/CPS cases because of their active addiction and/ Or mental health issues. She also specializes in working with people interested in MAT (medically assisted therapy).

We are not meant to do this alone. I want to give back; to use my experience to support others who are struggling with similar things with care and compassion. I am here to empower people to be their own heroes.”

Callie’s recovery journey began with her dad’s horse accident which resulted in a traumatic brain injury, she began her journey of uncovering wounds and digging deep inside. Callie had her own medical challenges to face being an incomplete quadriplegic with Cerebral Palsy. Overcoming adversity and persevering has rewarded Callie with tremendous insight, empathy and a professional career as a peer recovery coach.

Callie is accredited through the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and when she encountered barriers to working independently as a life coach, she found HardBeauty and recovery coaching. Callie was inspired to enter this line of work after her aunt and uncle lost their battles with substance use disorder and watching other family & friends struggle, so Callie felt right at home here at HardBeauty. She continues to pursue her education and is now working towards her Peer and Family Support Specialist Certification.

I became a coach in order to bless, serve, and empower those in recovery to realize their true authentic selves and unlock their true divine nature.”

Jeremy comes to recovery coaching with a story of surviving and overcoming very difficult circumstances. Abused as a child, he turned to drugs and alcohol. He committed a crime and ended up spending 15 years of a 16-year sentence in prison where he didn’t learn anything about trauma or substance abuse. So, when he was released, his heroin addiction left him homeless and estranged from family.

He watched people die around him from addiction while his own world fell apart until someone came to his aid and convinced him that his life was worth living. He checked into detox and has been clean and sober ever since.

Now, Jeremy has multiple years in recovery, he is married and a present father to his kids. He is CCAR certified and Choices certified as a recovery coach and feels blessed to be in a position to help other people who share his unfortunate circumstances.

I am a recovery Specialist because I want everyone to have a chance at life and because unfortunately there are so many that never will.”

Kimberly entered into recovery at 33 after hitting bottom. Initially her only goal was to simply stop drinking and using, but she ended up thriving in a life centered around her higher power, fellowship, and service.

Born in New York City and growing up in an addict/alcoholic environment, the only way she knew how to cope with life was using people, alcohol, drugs, and food. Recovery has given Kimberly freedom, serenity, and the ability to live life on life’s terms.

Kimberly felt a call to help others by becoming a recovery coach, receiving her CCAR coach credential. She got connected to HardBeauty after a recovery “sister” referred her to a coach, while simultaneously receiving a recommendation from her kid’s piano teacher. In addition to her CCAR credential, Kimberly is pursuing a certificate in Youth Intervention Coaching from YCI.

I am so excited to walk along people who are in recovery and support them in finding the joy in life that I did in recovery.”

Tim Kitchens is a Regis University graduate, achieving a Master’s in Counseling in 2020, where he was the only recipient of the Excellence in Practice Award that year. Tim is a dual licensed counselor: LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor), meaning Tim is licensed to offer mental health therapy in the state of CO; and LAC (Licensed Addiction Counselor), meaning Tim is licensed to treat substance use disorders in the state. Tim has been working in the addiction field for over 9.5 years, with work stemming from community volunteerism to inpatient hospitals to outpatient treatment centers. As an avid learner who continually researches trending topics, Tim has dedicated himself to ongoing training in the psychological field, from work within specific populations (i.e. adolescents, substance use) to theoretical/ modality approaches (i.e., existentialism, dialectical behavioral therapy, trauma-informed/-focused/-responsive care).

Tim is active in his advocacy work in the substance use field through sitting on the NAADAC-affiliate board for Colorado, CAAP. He has been a member of this board for 5 years now, where he currently serves as the secretary and heads the prevention committee. Tim dedicates himself to a service-oriented mindset and feels his work with HardBeauty continues to offer him the ability to be a responsible community member.

Caitlyn Dorsey is a Certified Addiction Specialist, a Neuro-Linguistic Practitioner, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services and Mental Health Counseling, and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy.

She has worked previously in residential addiction treatment facilities, domestic violence shelters, involuntary psychiatric units, community correction facilities, with victims of sexual assault, and more.

Caitlyn merges traditional counseling techniques with holistic modalities to assist her clients in facilitating lasting changes and authentic healing. She joined the team at Hard Beauty Foundation to give back to her community and to help individuals feel empowered, joyful, and free through a team of support!
In her free time, she enjoys volunteering, spending time with her family, and riding horses.

I truly believe every single person has something unique to share with the world and deserves to live a life they absolutely love.”

Danielle has a wide range of experience working in the social services field. She will complete a Master of Arts in Counseling from Regis University in Denver, Colorado, in May 2023. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, FL, in psychology with a concentration in child advocacy. In addition to her work at HardBeauty, Dani is the founder and CEO of Imagine Me. She uses social media and marketing partnerships and hosts a podcast to help her listeners increase self-efficacy and improve low self-image.

Danielle is in recovery from mental health issues and trauma. After discharging from her last treatment center, she decided to approach her wellness holistically and overhauled her spiritual, mental, and physical health. She comes to HardBeauty with this perspective of treating the entire person and individualizing people’s experiences in recovery.

A self-proclaimed bibliophile and cinephile, she loves traveling, art, history, and culture and is confident she would win a trivia game show. Dani lives in Colorado Springs with her husband, three children, two dogs, and two cats.

I’m walking in my divine purpose as a wounded healer. Peace Fam.”

As a daughter whose parents struggled with addiction, recovery has been a vital part of Mackenzie’s life for 14 years. For the last 5 years, she has experienced the joy of having two parents in recovery and gets to see that overflow into others! Mackenzie has been working in the background of HardBeauty since its creation. She’s had few roles including events committee chair and boutique manager.
Mackenzie is now the Executive Assistant to her mother & CEO, Racquel Garcia. Supporting the leadership team and coaches of HardBeauty has allowed her to watch HardBeauty blossom into what it is today!

Don’t waste the time you have waiting for time to pass”

-Finneas

She comes to HardBeauty after working as the Social Services Supervisor at the Salvation Army for five years.

Tammy got sober in 2011 after social services was threatening to take her two kids away from her. She had turned to substances to ease the pain and trauma of being abused. Now, she works as both a coach and a navigator for people in recovery. Tammy is an avid motorcyclist and enjoys sobriety events (if they involve motorcycle rides, even better), church, road trips, new adventures and new foods.

Tammy’s faith is very important to her and she serves as a Ministry Leader and CO State Representative for Celebrate Recovery Inside, a faith-based recovery program, in charge of launching meetings in jails, institutions, rehabilitation centers and prisons.

Everyone deserves healing, serenity and most importantly restored hope no matter their struggles, recovery area and their belief systems. I love walking with those in all stages of recovery, guiding and supporting them to find a new way to life. Creating new methods to assist the most people.”

Indigo has long had career aspirations to become an advocate for social justice and a support for people who are recovering. They graduated with a double major in Psychology and Criminal Justice from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs with the intention of working towards supporting people who have been part of an unjust system. At HeardBeauty, they are able to use their knowledge to match people with the resources that will welcome and support them and meet their needs.

Indigo is in recovery from depression, anxiety, disordered eating, and gender dysphoria. It has been a journey combating dysphoria in addition to facing stigmas and negativity. They want to use their own experience to help others whose experiences are similar.
Doing both – navigation and recovery coaching – gives Indigo a chance to use her own skills and knowledge to help people directly while also being able to refer people to the resources that HardBeauty has vetted and feels confident working with.

I am passionate about art. I use it to heal, and I will use it with my clients to heal. Life is beautiful once we live our authentic selves.”

Sabryna Nussbaum was a HardBeauty client before becoming a Recovery Coach. In recovery herself from family-based trauma, the loss of her mother, self-harm and depression, she has come out the other side. With the help of her coach and the HardBeauty community, Sabryna is well on her way to building a beautiful, joyous and meaningful life.
Sabryna grew up in Monument, Colorado and currently lives in Colorado Springs. She is a certified CCAR Recovery Coach, and has completed a Choices certification. She is certified to work with youth through the Youth Coaching Institute.
Sabryna is in the unique position to work with youth and young adults, helping them recover and build a new life that they love.

Working with youth is my passion because I’m one of them! I feel honored to be in this position, and I will work hard to make sure young people are finding their way in HardBeauty and in the world.”