Family Systems Therapists in 98516

We have the inner wisdom needed to reach our highest potential. I work with the whole person, body, mind, spirit, in the context of individual experience, family, and community. Clients may withdraw or use substances as a response to trauma, experiencing addiction, depression or anxiety, as a coping mechanism. Clients are the experts of their own experience, and I facilitate the process of change to meet their needs more effectively. Through collaborative work with varied theoretical approaches, I meet clients where they are, develop goals and work through the process of small steps to make changes that shift the outcomes.

Our extensive experience in mental health and marriage/family counseling enables us to offer effective outpatient, individualized, and psychological care. Our spectrum of care ranges from casual self exploration to more persistent mental health needs. We provide a neutral ground to individuals, families, and couples to support your treatment goals and healing.

Maybe you have an unexplained fear or sadness and you do not know why? Maybe you do know why, but that hasn’t helped you. Maybe you feel stressed and overwhelmed in your relationship(s) (wife, husband, partner, son, daughter, friend, or coworker). Maybe someone you loved has broken it off with you. Maybe someone dear to you has died. Maybe someone has hurt you. I know I have had such experiences. They are part of life. What you, I, or anyone else must do is to be able to live with it in spite of our hardships. This is where I come in. You do not have to go through hardship alone. We were never meant to.

Thank you for your interest. I am a retired (2001) combat veteran with twenty years of military service. My credentials/licenses are in Marriage & Family Therapy, Mental Health Counseling, and Chemical Dependency. My therapeutic approach is based on cognitive behavior research which has found a strong correlation between thoughts and behaviors. Additionally, I use the Narrative Therapy approach to understand emotions rooted in the client's life experiences that shape their strengths, fears, beliefs, values, and reactions to different types of stress.

Are you feeling out of control, chaotic, and hopeless? Or maybe you're feeling alone and empty. I believe the relationships we build with ourselves and others make all the difference. I am committed to working with you to overcome feelings of loss and disconnection to build the life and relationships you desire. I will support you in reclaiming hope and arriving at the place where you can openly connect and find joy in life. I work from a relational, collaborative, culturally sensitive and empathic approach. My role is to provide a space of acceptance and reflection as we work collaboratively to support you living your best life.

[Ideally, please click "Website" tab and use our Contact Form.] My practice is focused on individual adults age 21 and older. I work with the queer community, transgender and gender non-conforming individuals, the ethically non-monogamous and the kink community, substance use issues, those struggling to manage depression or anxiety, and clients whose issues stem from PTSD, trauma, or grief. Giving witness and presence to pain helps facilitate a space in which people can heal. I am HAES (Health At Every Size) informed. I believe we all have what we need within us - we just need those qualities recognized, called forth, and polished.

Healing and caring for ourselves is hard work. Sometimes painful, often fulfilling, occasionally tedious, it is a necessary part of being open to the experiences that life has to offer us. Therapy is one way to find support in healing from trauma, managing our health, and discovering and practicing new ways of caring for ourselves. As Audre Lorde wrote, "Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare." This work is important, both individually and collectively, and I am here to help you with it.

Suffering the impacts of trauma, being entangled in a web of codependency, or sinking into stagnating depression, can cause marked distress and dysfunction in our daily lives. Sometimes our own attempts at self-medicating can further complicate matters. If we have experienced a significant loss, it may be hard to even imagine an end to the pain and it may be rather difficult to trust in any process of change. Fear and shame can often prevent us from reaching out, convincing us this is an unyielding fate.

I am Sandra McLeod, a fully licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Registered Play Therapist which means I treat all ages and specialize in treating children, adolescents, and teens. Is your child or another member of your family showing signs of stress, anxiety, depression? Have you or they experienced trauma? Or possibly there are sensory or learning challenges present that may interfere with a healthy, balanced life? I may be able to help.

Your high levels of distraction and lack of motivation are causing you to have an unaccomplished and unfulfilled life. You want your life to change but you don’t know where to start. I help adults and teens struggling with inattention and inaction to create a life with greater focus and a clearer sense of purpose. What could you accomplish if you had the ability to focus on your goals and steadily work on them until they were “all the way finished”? How might your life change? I can help you uncover what is keeping you distracted and unmotivated and offer strategies to help you have a life of accomplishment, clarity and fulfillment.

You are a Gift. A Perfect Creation of Love and Generosity. My approach with individuals is multidisciplinary, systemic, all-embracing, holistic, and client-centered. I believe in the immense potential each person possesses and the capacity to heal. My core training is based on psychodynamic, cognitive, and behavioral theories. However, I use a mix of research-based techniques and mindfulness practices because I'm a strong believer in the power of the connection between mind, body, and soul. I believe that therapy is a creative process that can have a meaningful and profound impact in transforming people's lives.

There are a variety of therapeutic techniques I use to bring relief to current life issues, help resolve early life patterns and help clients create a new way of being in life and feeling they are now in control of themselves and their choices. There is a release in these techniques that normal "talk" therapy is not able to provide. This journey is about self discovery and self mastery. Those that wish to address a specific issue or symptom in their life can do so and those who want to embark on the larger path of personal transformation are also served by this work.