I believe that we are all made for relationship with one another. Relationships are where we learn about love, comfort, hope, courage, joy, and empathy. They are also where we unfortunately learn about betrayal, fear, rejection, abandonment, abuse, and pain. These experiences and connections with others shape us into who we are. They are also the place where real change and healing can happen. I hope to come alongside you as an empathetic and trustworthy listener to help you make sense of unhealthy patterns that have kept you stuck and to provide real hope, growth, and change in the context of healthy relationship.

We offer a full spectrum of parenting and family support for all types of families. We believe that healthy families create strong communities and with the right support, families, children and their communities can thrive. Parenting and marriage doesn’t come with an instruction book, but our experienced and professional, outcomes-based support professionals can be by your side to meet you right where you are at on your journey. We have a diverse, but small group of licensed mental health professionals and family support specialists to help you every step of the way.

I work with adults, couples, and families who are facing a wide range of issues, such as depression, trauma, anxiety, grief, relationship difficulty and the effects of major life transitions. I have worked in the field of mental health for 40 years. My counseling approach focuses on assisting clients to develop healthy relationships, to work through individual and intergenerational trauma, to understand unknown aspects of the self, and to help discover one's originality and creativity. I work with clients to develop greater insight, self-understanding, and healing, leading to a deeper sense of authenticity, meaning, and awareness.

Using the best available science combined with a warm, friendly approach, I provide a safe, supportive space with warmth, understanding, encouragement, and gentle challenging to facilitate your growth. I will tailor evidence-based treatment to your unique needs so you can thrive in the life you want. Together, we will explore the origins of your patterns of thinking as well as the functions that these patterns serve, gain insight into your barriers to change, identify your strengths and practice new habits in order to help you live a healthy satisfying life.

Dr. Melody Rhode is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Professional Consultant, and Life Coach. She works with individuals, couples, family systems, and leaders in business and public life. She employs interpersonal outcome-oriented strategic therapy to facilitate relational change and personal growth. Her practice is private, and oriented to a clientele typically reluctant to seek psychological help. Concentrating on relatively capable individuals, couples, and family members, Dr. Rhode works with transitions, midlife choices, entitlement vocational re-direction, unexpected trauma, and unprocessed grief. She has unique expertise in treating personality disorders (narcissism), and integrating psychology and spiritual wisdom towards changes that heal.

Families are constantly growing and evolving. You've seen it as parents: once you think you have something figured out, your child goes and changes it up and the cycle begins again. During this process it's common for families to get stuck. You've run out of ideas or are too emotionally drained to find a solution. I'm here to help guide your family through those sticky times. I work with children, adolescents, adults and families. I specialize in anxiety, depression, social concerns, family issues, sensory integration and emotional regulation. I will provide gentle encouragement to assist in your process towards change

Welcome and thank you for your interest in my services. I work with clients who need assistance with issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, relationships, life transitions, psychospiritual issues, and other mental and emotional challenges. I believe that we all have the capacity to heal and need encouragement on the path to healing and wholeness. My therapeutic modalities include: expressive art, storytelling, dream analysis, and facilitating a person's spiritual growth. I aim to provide holistic, creative, culturally relevant services for people from all backgrounds.

My strength is in making you feel supported and accepted, by using a person-centered, collaborative approach to help you find a way forward out of habitual but ineffective ways of coping with life events. Coping with inevitable life change can be painful and difficult, resulting in anxiety, depression and other forms of distress. My specialty is facilitating and guiding the process of developing an understanding of the varied life influences that have brought you to this point and to help you change habitual but unsatisfactory patterns of behavior.

I see the therapeutic process as a partnership that allows us to work together. We examine the "treatment menu" and identify what fits best: Detox, in-patient, out-patient, individual counseling, mindfulness and meditation, dance, exercise, nutrition, a spiritual path and support groups like 12-Step, SMART recovery and Refuge Recovery. Addiction (or compulsion) is challenging, baffling, frustrating and a powerful teacher. To be free from craving allows such emotions as peace of mind and contentment to arise - I consider it a honor to help my clients step onto the path to recovery.

My focus and passion is sexual health and I work with people of all ages. Sexuality is an important source of identity, connection and pleasure, but I also recognize the ways in which shame, trauma, and limited/unhelpful learning about sex contributes to a lot of common sexual problems and conflict in relationships. I support clients with a variety of goals including improving your sex life, dealing with sexual pain, working through sexual “dysfunctions,” exploring sexual preferences, and dealing with out-of-control sexual behavior. I also work with parents, teens and families on issues related to sexuality.

Outwardly you look like you have it all together; but on the inside, you are riddled with self-doubt, fear or overwhelming sadness. This companion of stress/anxiety/sadness has been affecting many parts of life. You wonder, "Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?" Nothing you have done to calm your mind is working and you’re barely holding it together. You can’t continue the way you are now. You want to find a way out of the anxiety and depression that steals your joy and interferes with your ability to be the best version of yourself.

My therapeutic approach is best described as eclectic--a unique and constantly shifting balance among the various humanistic schools. Therapy involves multiple levels of interrelated change: emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual. In order to be effective it must revolve around client needs and desires; decisions about counseling goals and practices are therefore developed jointly. I greatly enjoy helping others as they grow, change and heal-both internally and in relation to the people and institutions which fill their lives. I welcome challenge, value collaborative relationships with clients, peers, and community alike, and I maintain a firm belief in the resiliency of all.

I offer a warm, nonjudgmental environment, specializing in adult individual counseling, and couples counseling. We all experience times where we get stuck, when we experience crisis, when we need help. I seek to collaborate with my clients in exploring what has happened in their life and how it affects what is currently happening; and together discover possible paths to greater self-awareness, and increased capacity to love, to work, and to live with wellness and fullness.

With your partner: Do you feel alone in your relationship? Are you recovering from infidelity or broken trust? Do you want to communicate in a way that pulls for your partner's understanding and connection? For yourself: Do you want to resolve your internal conflicts? Do you want to learn self-compassion and feel at peace with yourself? Do you want to break negative patterns in your relationships? I'm here to help. I'm a Certified EFT Couples Therapist and Gottman Method Couples Therapist practicing in-person and online in Bellingham.

I have been in private practice since 2004 and work with individuals, couples and groups dealing with a wide variety of issues. I recognize that each client is unique and strive to create an individual plan of therapy tailored to each person's specific needs. This often includes dealing with what isn't working in their life, whether it's depression, traumatic past experiences or relational difficulties, also recognizing the aspects of their life that may be working well and finding ways to build on those strengths.

My clients often begin therapy due to anxious and/or depressive symptoms emerging from more complex concerns that challenge their pursuits of meaningful living. They may have difficulties managing stress related to their relationships, work or study, and/or identity. Some struggle with the loss of someone or something important to them. Others may feel rudderless, uncertain about how to steer their life in a more fulfilling direction. In all cases I aim to provide a warm, nonjudgmental, and authentic relationship that encourages growth through the exploration of each client's sense of who they are and who they want to become.

**Not Accepting New Patients** I meet with individuals, couples, and families to connect with body, spirit, and mind, to heal from past injuries, and explore how habits from injuries limit freedom, self-acceptance, and fulfillment. Helping you reconnect with your purpose in life, rekindle your playfulness and passion, and invite moments of harmony and peace. I welcome people in a non-judgemental and supportive environment to heal and grow through depression, trauma, anxiety, and addictions.

I believe in you. I provide individual, couples, family counseling. Therapy can help you and your loved ones grow beyond challenges. I am excited to problem solve with you, to facilitate healing, and to help you create a hopeful construct for the future. I know you can flourish and I hope to be a part of that process. I work exclusively on Saturdays. I offer appointments early in the morning to the late evening. Take the first step today and visit my website couplefamilytherapy.com **PLEASE E-MAIL TO ASK FOR APPOINTMENTS: allison.lmft@gmail.com

COVID-19 Update: I specialize in online video-based therapy which is covered by most insurance and allows you to be seen from your home and/or other private spaces. Through this modality, I provide evidence-based treatments for anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and relationship issues. I also specialize in LGBTQ+ health, identity exploration, and issues related to minority stress.

I love to work with people who are actively seeking support for gaining clarity in any areas of stress or discomfort. It is personally fulfilling to help these clients as they work through life's issues. I provide a compassionate atmosphere that supports individual and family exploration of areas of concern; from mood, anxiety, and behavior concerns, to: family, work, school, performance, relationship dynamics. Your own desire for happiness, courage and wisdom will be recognized and nourished.