Therapists in 98104

Welcome! Reaching out for help can feel difficult. The stress of everyday life- work, school, family, finances, relationships, etc. can feel difficult to manage. I find it is important to build a strong therapeutic relationship built upon trust, empathy, and compassion. I am here to offer an inclusive, non-judgmental, safe space where you feel comfortable to explore areas of your life that feel complex or troubling.

All humans have the capacity for hope, healing, and happiness. I have devoted my life to being a therapist that will provide a safe space for clients to venture through this process with unconditional authenticity and support. As a therapist I commit to providing you with the individual, personalized healing space that you deserve.

Beginning therapy takes a great deal of strength and commitment. My goal as your therapist is to offer support on your journey to wellness. I enjoy working with clients facing life transitions and feelings of anxiety or depression. You may feel stuck and need support in order to foster positive change in your life. Together, we will establish a safe and professional therapeutic partnership. We will collaborate to explore your unique identity, concerns, and goals. Your goals may vary, but ultimately you want to explore yourself and grow as you learn to navigate the ups and downs of life in a way that best meets your individual needs.

My patients are usually hard working adults who have run into some tough times or are experiencing difficult emotional issues such as anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and addictions. I focus on using a strengths-based and harm reduction approach, which views each person as an individual with unique strengths and challenges. Using this approach values the person and facilitates a customized treatment plan for the individual. My role is not to judge you or your behaviors, but to act as an independent consultant for improving your mental well-being and quality of life.

For 25 years I worked with over 16,000 suicidal patients on the mental health unit of St. Francis Hospital with my office partner, Psychiatrist Dr. Sunida Bintasan, From observing their common patterns, I created an educational program (for persons with issues of deep despair, hopelessness, depression, feeling "LOST" & "TRAPPED" & "STUCK", and often with recurrent suicidal thinking) called Contextual-Conceptual Therapy (CCT). Combining expressive arts techniques, education, and therapy using "maps, models, & metaphors", it helps clients discover the roots of their deep despair, feeling trapped & lost, and/or suicidal thinking.

I view therapy as an opportunity to recognize the strengths of each person, the uniqueness of each story, and to find ways to use those strengths to create change and growth. I enjoy having the chance to walk alongside people through all types of challenges and triumphs as a willing listener who can provide empathy, a non-judgmental view on current and past experiences, and support to work towards meeting goals.

First, I want to thank you for taking a brave, loving next step toward growth and healing. I’m a queer therapist working with individuals and couples, wanting to meet you where you are, knowing that therapy is an investment and not always for everyone. Too many of us can get stuck depending on the provisions of an individualized and unjust mental healthcare system that often leaves us needing more care, paying more money, and lacking trust to meet our needs and forge supportive relationships. I take it seriously that you're here, in the middle of whatever you are going through, looking for support, so let's start there.

You're struggling with past traumas. Maybe you don't even realize that a lot of your frustration, anxiety and depression and current struggles are linked to past traumas. It can be overwhelming dealing with intense emotions and identify the why behind it to change your life. I would love to work with you and address some of the emotions and struggles that you have been dealing with. Have there been some past events in your life that have fundamentally changed you as a person?

Biweekly on Mondays at noon available; I possess the versatility to work with individuals of all ages and a wide spectrum of diagnoses, I work with teens and adults who are struggling with depression, stress, anxiety, burnout, childhood trauma, and who may just need an unbiased ear to listen. My understanding of the complexities of life, combined with my expertise in clinical social work, positions me as a valuable resource for those navigating the challenges of adulthood.

Everyone experiences anxiety, depression, and loss at sometime in their life. Often events and people happen in our lives that cause distress. No one deserves to be in pain and no one should have to endure when there is the possibility to reduce the pain. My goal is to help my clients find relief through self exploration and a desire to want to feel better. My job is to walk with my clients in their path to mindfulness. My goal is to provide a safe space for emotions to be expressed and validated without judgment. Together we will identify patterns and triggers, and create skills to reduce future emotional distress.

I believe we humans all have inherent goodness, beauty, and resiliency to us. Unfortunately life leaves none of us unscathed whether it be from harmful systems, family of origin dynamics, life circumstances, toxic relationships, traumatic events, or even our own self sabotaging behaviors. Regardless of how it happens, we can find ourselves feeling stuck or in pieces. While there are many wonderful healing practices out there, I believe that therapy is a great way to start understanding how we got to where we are and to begin to grow in new directions, with the hope of living a more vibrant, grounded, and creative life.

I believe that all humans deserve to live a life that gives them personal fulfillment, peace, and more joy than hardship. I can help you work through life transitions, trauma, and all of the fear, anxiety, depression, and big emotions that come with them. I tend towards practices of mindfulness, grounding, acceptance, and nature- focused therapies, but my background is in biology, so I also tend to be pragmatic, evidence-focused, and like to help you understand the "why" of the practice as you take it on.

Therapy is where you come to reflect on life decisions and experiences and I am here for you through those moments. I would describe a session as being insightful and meaningful even if it is in subtle ways. We may spend some time talking about your daily life, or big things; some days it may feel like a big breakthrough happened and others, a casual conversation. All the things brought up are important to allow you and I to build a therapeutic relationship and to feel comfortable. Everything that you talk about contributes to your growth, even if it is not tangible yet.

I draw on several approaches for treatment including EMDR, mindfulness-based CBT, and traditional talk therapy, tailoring my practice toward the needs of each person. I use a humanistic attachment lens informed by interpersonal neurobiology. I primarily work with people who have complex intersections of identity and those who have experienced trauma. The trauma may surface through symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, or difficulty managing relationships. I work with a lot of individuals who have experienced complex trauma, developmental trauma, a single traumatic event, emotional neglect, and physical neglect.

I am grateful to a be a part of someones journey to positive change. I specialize in working with issues of anxiety, depression, life changes, trauma, grief and loss, job stress, and relationship issues. My ideal client is someone who is willing to work on themselves, challenge themselves, and put themselves first.

Do you wish to develop a deeper relationship and connection with your body, breath, and your emotions? I can be a guide and support in your development. Whether you are struggling with fear, loss, grief, anger, trauma, relationship or other issues, a good portion of our exploration together will be internally focused on your felt experience. Deep wisdom and resources reside within you, and we follow together your curiosity about your own experiences. With a conscious presence, usually a slower pace than we are accustomed to, we can begin to explore and understand the meaning of these experiences.

I've been a therapist for over 35 years, generating great confidence in my expertise. My style is personal and interactive and I love meeting with people. I draw from contemplative and cognitive-behavioral theories, utilizing Internal Family Systems theory as the primary fuel for healing and restoration. I respect the role of spirituality in a person's life, and honor all religious traditions. I help my clients explore their current struggles through the lens of trauma, honoring the delicate balance between nature and nurture. My goal is to help an individual find peace through embracing their authentic Self.

Are you looking for someone to actively listen to you, acknowledge your needs, & value your perspectives? I am committed to providing a safe place for individuals who have felt unheard, unseen, or undervalued in their life by helping them find meaning, purpose, & balance. My approach is holistic, strength-based, solution, & goal oriented. I have experience working with individuals from a variety of backgrounds.

UPDATE: I have room for 2-3 new clients that can pay out of pocket (I hate writing this, but it's the reality for therapists in the world of managed care).However, I am also diversifying my career and and am open to many clients as a trauma writing mentor/editor and more. Writing through healing is at least of equal value to psychotherapy. If you are interested in these services, visit me at www.elihastings.com) - I would be so delighted to work in tandem with other therapists, so please do consider if your clients might benefit!