You know how when things are moving too fast and you reach for the "chill" button and it's nowhere in sight? Or, perhaps you're feeling so shut down that you can't find some "giddy up and go" if your life depended on it? Don't give up! I'm here to help. Here's a curious thing...ever notice how body stuff is so front-and-central in twigging to signs of stress? And, how often we shove these signals away as annoyances and "park them at the curb". For the most part, we typically run away from seemingly negative physical symptoms, deferring to the "whys" or thoughts about what's happening. The good news is that when you discover the "wisdom" of nagging body sensations, ease out of stuck emotional states, and shift away from relentless negative self-talk, you've turned a major corner into feeling better on so many levels. I welcome the opportunity to help you learn how to go deeper within yourself and experience mind-body-spirit healing. Give me a call today!

Are you confused, frustrated and angry? Have you invested a lot into your relationship but your partner always makes you feel "not good enough"? Are you treated like a second class citizen in your own house? Slowly even you believe that something is wrong with you? The more unfair it gets, the more you try to prove how good you are. Now you have reached the point to where you do even more for your significant other. What's wrong with that picture? Doesn't it feel like a trap? It might be and it is called Emotional Manipulation. On the surface it might sound loving and caring, but in reality it is designed to induce guilt, shame or anxiety. Without recognition, anyone would do whatever it takes to avoid those painful, negative feelings. The manipulator only needs to give "hints" or "directions" what you are expected to do and you instinctively jump to do it. It?s logical. Gradually, the manipulator controls more and more parts of your life. The emotional toll is devastating: the relationship is highly pressurized. Your Self-Esteem is deep down from the constant negative judgments. You are full of doubts about yourself and about the motives of your partner. You feel no matter what you do, you cannot change the situation. I see why you feel that way: someone else controls your emotions and behavior. Additionally, you are right when you think you cannot change the manipulator. Although there is a slim chance for change: you can change your responses to the manipulative attempts. By so doing, it changes the whole pattern. There is help and there is hope! I can help you to unveil the manipulative process, to respond differently and to override manipulation. You can restore your confidence and improve your Self-Esteem. You can create a fairer, more respectful, more balanced relationship. Please check my website for details, and don't be shy to give me a call. Free Initial Consultation I am preferred provider at First Choice Health Aetna United Behavioral Health Group Health Regence Other Insurance Companies might pay partial fee as "Out of Network Provider". Please ask your policy!

Do you wonder if you and your partner are growing apart? Do you keep having the same argument, without anything changing? Do you feel like giving up? Sometimes the feelings that bring couples together get lost in the struggles of everyday life. Learn how to resolve conflicts and share feelings without arguing. Use conflict to create deeper intimacy instead of distance. I work with relationship issues almost exclusively in my practice whether it is with couples or an individual who is seeking to improve his or her relationship skills. Counseling helps couples learn to grow together instead of drifting apart. I work with couples and individuals to help them grow together and stay together. I would like to help you and your partner have a loving relationship.

Our families are our first social environment and, consequently, are powerful in how they shape our behavior. There is nothing like a romantic relationship to put us in touch with the attachment wounds, negative patterns, or roles with which we grew up. In fact, Imago theory posits that we will actually choose a mate that is exquisitely designed to push our buttons! The idea, of course, is to propel us to grow and change. Often, however, I find that this is the gridlock in which couples find themselves when they present to therapy. My expertise comes into play in holding the space for clients to examine themselves and their relationships in such a way as to enlarge their view and their capacity for change. My experience, education, and intuition allow me a razor sharp focus to see and interrupt negative patterns of interaction and collaboratively move them in a more healthful direction.

I believe that the struggles that bring you to therapy are often symptoms of deeper unsettledness. Thus to address the current symptoms of your distress we may need to look beneath the surface and reflect on your life up to this point. That data is then used to enhance your awareness and to help you deliberately and consciously choose who you want to be and how you would like to move forward. I believe that your past relational experiences are immeasurably influential upon the development of your beliefs, ideas, thoughts, and choices. Based on this premise, we will explore the intricacies of these relationships and their influence on your specific struggles in an effort to identify, understand and address the sources of these struggles. We will explore how your way of relating contributes to the nature of your relationships, with the hope of cultivating awareness, compassion, and volition. By seeking and attending to the source of your distress we will address the symptoms as well as the roots. Our relationship is the primary context for change. My role as a therapist is to create a safe space for you to discover and live out your truest self. We will work together to identify barriers that may stem from past experiences or limiting beliefs that keep you from relating most authentically with others. And we will work together to develop strategies and tools that may help you along the way toward greater authenticity and contentment.

I am a psychotherapist in the Ballard area. I work primarily with adults in individual therapy. My approach is based on relational therapy and attachment-based, psychodynamic, and trauma-informed theories. You may long to be accepted as you are—fully, without judgment or restriction—and to feel truly seen, heard, and understood. Maybe you’ve noticed old relational patterns, shaped in childhood, repeating in your adult life, leaving you feeling disconnected, anxious, or stuck. You may want healing from wounds formed in past relationships and a new way of relating to yourself and others. You want to feel more genuine, confident, and free to live the life you truly desire. I hold a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. My approach is grounded in Relational therapy and supported by psychodynamic, attachment-based, and trauma-informed theories. If our wounds are formed in relationships, they can be healed within them. Together, we’ll explore your story with compassion, uncover patterns, and begin healing what has kept you from the life you want. I provide telehealth sessions only.

Are you feeling that things are bleak and hopeless? Are you struggling with the reminders of difficult experiences in your past? Or maybe you are living with a chronic illness that has lowered your quality of life. We all feel the pull not only to survive but to thrive in our lives. Depression, anxiety, trauma, illness, and pain can limit our ability to reach our goals or even make it difficult to get through the day. These limitations are not a personal failing. Sometimes, it takes a trained professional to help us overcome or manage these personal challenges. Together, I believe we can work towards making positive changes in your life, relationships, and self.

My goal is to help you find meaning in both your suffering and success. I am well-rounded, non-judgmental, empathetic and analytical and can draw from a number of therapy models depending on your particular need. I'm solution focused and rely heavily on asking the right questions, offering observations and informed hypotheses as well as active interventions. I offer resources that can be leveraged outside therapy to help you better understand yourself and improve your situation. I also offer E.M.D.R. as one of my practice modalities, I'm very trauma informed and attachment theory informed. I go the extra mile to help my clients achieve positive outcomes whether they are faced with an acute mental health challenge or are seeking personal and professional growth.

I believe therapy works best when we look beyond the individual and explore the relationships, experiences, and patterns that shape who you are. As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and sex therapist, I bring a relational and systemic approach to helping individuals, couples, and families build healthier connections with themselves and each other. Whether we’re working through relationship challenges, intimacy and sexuality, communication, life transitions, or personal growth, I offer a warm, collaborative, and judgment-free space where you can be honest, curious, and fully yourself.

My clinical approach is driven by my belief that people have the right to be themselves and lead fulfilling lives according to their values and culture. People know best what works for them and have the innate power to discover solutions for themselves. I also possess a strong faith in the ability and resiliency of people to make the necessary changes to flourish in their lives. Since therapy involves a major commitment of self, time, money, and energy, individuals should be very thoughtful about the therapist they select. I encourage people to make sure they feel comfortable with me and my approach in order to begin therapy. Throughout our time together, I will elicit feedback on how the therapeutic process is working for you. Therapy starts with an examination and evaluation of the presenting concern. I then work with clients to establish their personal goals. Therapeutic change occurs by helping people express and own their painful emotions and experiences within the safety of a therapeutic relationship. A safe therapeutic relationship also provides a non-judgmental environment where people are safe to express their deepest thoughts and emotions. I help people better understand their feelings, thoughts, interpersonal patterns, values as well as the past familial roots of their current difficulties. In addition, I actively seek out the fundamental strengths in each individual. I also address the impact of internalized oppression on our daily lives. As an African American woman, I understand the harm societys preconceived ideas can have on the individual spirit. I strive to ensure all therapy is culturally appropriate. I believe these factors help people move beyond their current challenges and experience hope, healing and growth. The ultimate goal of therapy is to remove the barriers which are preventing you from living your best life. My style is to take an emphatic, active, honest, non-judgmental, and direct approach. I am here to help people flourish, take action on the things which are important for you, move in a direction that is valuable and worthy, identify values and experience a powerful sense of strength and vitality.

I believe in the power of therapy for everyone. We all need a safe place to vent, feel validated in our experiences, and process the difficult parts of life. Humor and hope are two key elements of my work with clients. I have been working as a counselor for over 10 years, and I have found that through humor, collaboration, and understanding, we can make incredible leaps toward healing and becoming our best selves. I look forward to guiding you along this journey. I began my work with clients with substance use concerns, implementing a harm reduction approach. I have since focused on working with adolescents and adults with depression, anxiety, and life adjustments to reduce symptoms, and to help you find purpose and healing. I use evidence-based treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), relational therapy, and motivational interviewing. I look forward to meeting with you and beginning to work together to support your goals, provide space to process life’s small and large hurdles, and celebrate the wins.