Welcome
Are you going through an important life transition and feeling stuck and unmotivated? Perhaps you have been feeling depressed, anxious, lonely, or struggling to heal from trauma or loss you have experienced. Maybe your romantic relationship is lacking communication, mutual respect, intimacy and friendship. If you have decided to seek counseling for yourself or your relationship, you have already taken the first brave step towards living a more fulfilling and healthy life.
Therapist Educational Background and Experience
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I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Washington in 2005, and a Master of Arts in Existential-Phenomenological Therapeutic Psychology from Seattle University in 2009. I hold a Mental Health Counselor License in the State of Washington (#LH60451668) and have over fifteen years of direct clinical experience including supervision, continuing education and training on a variety of relevant therapeutic topics. I have worked in residential and outpatient community mental health settings, with individuals, couples, families and groups. I honor all aspects of my clients' life experience and background including race, culture, gender and sexual identity, religious viewpoints and socioeconomic status.
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Therapeutic Philosophy
At one time or another, you may ask yourself these questions: "Who am I? What should I be doing? Where am I going in life?" Because the world around us is constantly changing, the way you answer these questions for yourself can often be at odds with your current circumstances, leaving you feeling anxious, powerless, guilty, or depressed. One of the things we can explore in therapy is your ability to adapt to life's constant changes; learning to bend but not break under the challenges life may bring.
Individuals: My therapeutic background is Humanistic, Relational Psychodynamic, Trauma-Focused, and Mindfulness based, allowing me to apply an integrative and flexible approach in order to meet your unique needs. I strive to create an empathic and non-judgmental environment in which you can explore what it means to be yourself, within the context of your experiences, values, relationships and worldviews. Through thoughtful dialogue and a collaborative therapeutic relationship, I work with you to better understand your assumptions and patterns, which leads to you making more confident choices and living in a way that is mindful and true to your authentic self.
Couples: Influenced by the Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy, I work with couples who have found themselves distant and disconnected from one another, stuck in a painful pattern of conflict, struggling to heal from betrayal, or wanting to strengthen their friendship, intimacy and resilience. Regardless of your existing or desired relationship configuration, this is a safe place for you.
Therapists: I am a Washington State Approved Clinical Supervisor and enjoy providing supervision and consultation to therapists on the road to licensure and beyond. I approach supervision in a strengths based, collaborative way. My goal is to share feedback, offer a new perspective, help you find clarity on clinical issues where you may feel stuck, and to help you grow as a professional through supporting the development of your therapeutic orientation, style, professional identity.
Areas of Interest, Training and Professional Affiliation
Existential-Phenomenological Psychology
Relational Psychotherapy
Gottman Method Couples Therapy
Emotionally Focused Therapy
Complex Integration of Multiple Brain Systems (CIMBS™)
Compassionate Listening Project
NW Alliance for Psychoanalytic Study
Seattle Counselors Association
