Therapists in Poulsbo, WA

My passion is to help all parents create an environment where their kids, whether adopted or biological, with developmental trauma can thrive. I have many years of experience working with traumatized kids and providing support for the parents that love them. I look forward to developing a trusting relationship where we can work together to draw on your own skills, strengths, and abilities to overcome life’s challenges.

What if you could make your life the way you want it to be? Would you like to overcome loneliness, self-doubt, anxiety, fear of failure, hopelessness, relationship difficulties? Many times our discontent in the present is tethered to traumatic events in our past. If you suffered trauma as a child or as an adult, chances are you have adapted and survived but you may not be currently thriving. The deeper the wounding, the more profound the negative impacts can be in your present life. The miracle of therapy offers you the power to rewrite your past and reprogram your future.

Even though it may not seem like it, often times our symptoms are messengers from a deep part of our own psyche, sent to inform us that we need to find new ways of relating to ourselves and those around us in order to reach our next level of growth. My philosophy is one of wholeness; our bodies, emotions, thoughts, and background work in unison to inform our present experience. It is my goal to help you find more flexibility within your experience, so that you can move towards the life that you truly want to be living.

I specialize in working with individuals who struggle with depression, anxiety, adjustment difficulties, as well as those who have experienced trauma in their lives. I have worked with clients of all ages with a variety of issues and needs. There are times we need extra support and counsel in order to bring about healing and change. This process of healing could include challenging harmful thoughts and behaviors, addressing self-worth, learning to navigate through difficulties, and gaining insight for lasting change.

Providing quality, compassionate and confidential psychotherapeutic services for over 20 years. With a specialty in young children with developmental, emotional & behavior challenges, I also have extensive experience working with parents, individuals & families. You may be a parent concerned about your child, a family/couple with relationship challenges, or an individual in transition. We partner together in a process of exploration, discovery & solutions that support personal growth. I strive to provide the highest standards of professional practice - personable, respectful, non-judgmental & strength-based.

As a client-centered professional, I recognize the strength necessary for an individual to take the first step through the counselor's open door. Through trusting and empathetic positive relationship building, I join my clients in the exploration of a healthier, self-accepting perspective in addressing the challenging components of their life experience. All areas of my practice focus upon acceptance and healthy management of personal questions through the discovery of an enhanced understanding, within a positive environment, which utilizes personal strengths to contribute to a happier, self satisfying life experience. Come take this walk with me...

In my practice, I blend NARM with other mindfulness-based methods to help clients gently access and heal unresolved issues in order to decrease unnecessary suffering in their lives. My practice is ideal for clients who are curious about expanding their capacity for intimacy in their relationships and creating greater joy and satisfaction in their lives. I enjoy working with clients who are curious about and engaged in their own healing process, and who are committed to compassion and nonviolence in their relationships with others and with themselves. I welcome adults, adolescents, couples, and clients from the LGBTQI+ community.

The emotional wounds caused by trauma, or by not getting our needs met when we are young, left untreated, continue to cost us dearly. They underlie our feelings of depression, anxiety, insecurity, and rage; our unhealthy patterns including addictions, eating disorders and insomnia; and the toxic, repetitive dynamics that keep playing out in our closest relationships, despite our best intentions. These wounds also compromise our motivation to move forward in our lives, and our ability to focus our attention, to make healthy decisions and to respond appropriately to what's happening around us.

Life presents many challenges. Our 23 licensed clinical psychologists, social workers, marriage & family therapists and mental health counselors at Peninsula Psychological Center, Inc., P.S. are ready to assist you. We work with people from age 3-90, with experienced therapists in our multispecialty center, helping our clients and their families to clarify their specific concerns and to achieve their goals in therapy. We often help people with depression, anxiety, ADHD, PTSD, panic, grief, insomnia & relationship problems. Individual therapy, family therapy, couples therapy, and psychological assessment services are available.

Life can be hard! Having someone who listens and cares during a difficult time can make all the difference. My commitment to you is to build a strong relationship while offering the tools needed to meet your individual or family goals. I offer a client-centered, solution-focused approach to help guide you and support your needs. With strategies and approaches appropriate for all ages, I offer a non judgmental and safe environment, to help you/or your family achieve your goals. It would be an honor to be a support on your way to a healthy and rewarding journey!

I am interested in the meanings that you make from your life experiences and the influence that these have on your perspectives of yourself, your relationships, and your future. I find that viewing problems as separate from personhood helps to lessen feelings of guilt and shame so that we can work together in a collaborative environment. My training in family systems theory informs my view of people in the context of their relationships, environment, and culture. I consider it a privilege to work with people to bring about the changes they desire in their lives and relationships.

I see psychotherapy as a way to more fully empower and express one’s self in the world, whether as a child, teen, or adult, and, in the process, heal the various “symptoms” that stand in the way. It’s my belief and experience that that sense of self is, by nature, strong, clear, and caring, and yet can become problematic, in feelings and behavior, through the difficult experiences that life can bring. I see my role as helping to bring forth the experience of this successful and caring self, and, specifically to assist the client to heal the problematic traumas, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, that interfere with this.

On Maternity Leave Until Fall 2024 - Life is most fulfilling when we know and honor our true selves, and learn to live authentically from that place. Challenging life events, like grief, childhood trauma, divorce, career changes, parenthood, and even everyday stressors may leave you feeling lost over time. As a psychotherapist, it is my job to help you learn the tools you need to navigate these stressors and begin building the life you really want.