Therapists in Bellingham, WA

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.

Whenever you think of talking with someone, thoroughly explaining everything from how you feel today, or how you have felt for years, or to the choices you are facing, or how your body and sense of yourself alters things, and you wonder, how do I find that "right" person to talk to? You have found them. Adolescent or adult, individual or a couple, call me for a free consultation, and let's see where to go from here!

"Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. It's not always comfortable, but it's never weakness."--Brene Brown. Hi, I'm Lydia and I utilize a solution focused, mindfulness based approach to aid clients in exploring their authentic selves and behavioral patterns. Like a Phoenix, I believe individuals have the ability to rise from the ashes as renewed, stronger versions of themselves. Whether those ashes are from broken relationships, perpetual marital problems, crippling anxiety, career dissatisfaction or the aftermath of trauma, they have the power to transform you.

For the past 25 years, I have worked as a licensed psychotherapist with a PhD. I have been helping those who are searching for crystal clear waters, wanting inner peace and seeking integrity. It is within this context that the healthy mind will gravitate light of all kinds. Whereas, the sick mind will stumble in the darkness. I invite you to come and see me. We can do it! If there is a will there is a way. Let’s celebrate our positive and erase the negatives.

Did you know that a majority of Americans experience a mental health crisis at some point in their life? We all face challenges in life that set us back and sometimes those challenges can push us towards negative thought cycles that prolong our suffering. I specialize in a strengths-based, person-centered approach using cognitive behavioral therapy that helps my clients learn to challenge their own automatic thought patterns in a way that frees them to create the future they desire rather than be a slave to automatic thinking. I believe in a collaborative approach to therapy where we work together as a team.

This is your journey into the world of developing insight and awareness, or for accessing the parts of you that will help you feel more successful (as defined by you) in your everyday life. My goal is to understand you; how you think, feel, and learn so I can facilitate self-awareness, and enhance your understanding of yourself. We will take the journey together, no matter what the starting point. We will move forward at your pace and with your consent.

So many people struggle to find happiness and balance in their lives and relationships. I can help you identify and remove the blocks to your happiness, whether they be inside of you (your thoughts, expectations and anxieties) or outside (toxic relationships, cultural barriers, etc.). I can also help you address and face the fears which hold you back, identify relationship patterns which keep you from getting what you want in love, and help you think outside the box to create novel solutions to your struggles.

Therapy is a gift. Its power is rooted in our ancestry, biology, and deep capacities to relate to one another. It isn't something scientists devised in a laboratory. It's a natural process we each have the right to enjoy by simple virtue of being human.

Do you often find yourself caught in the same repeated cycles or pattern in your life? Are you in a relationship that feels stuck? As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor for over 10 years, I specialize in working with adult individuals and couples. I offer a process to access deep emotional connection and change patterns that keep you stuck. A key focus in my practice is helping you to a deeper understanding about your individual journey and exploring effectively ways to interact with the significant people in your life. Free yourself from constricting self-limiting ways and learn new skills in communicating with others.

Good For You! You have taken the first step: You are asking for help at a time when life challenges have caused you to pause and reflect. Life can feel out of balance, leaving us with feelings of despair, anxiousness and loss. Our basic human needs are those of connecting to others. We feel pain and discomfort when we feel separated. It takes courage to look at ourselves, to find the meaning of the discomfort. This struggle can have profound lasting results for personal growth, better health, and closer relationships with our family, friends and the community at large.

Accepting TWO new couples counseling clients / Individual client caseload is full. You and your partner are regularly exhausted by eachothers emotions. You feel as though you have no space in your life. You are so hesitant of "going there" because you're afraid you'll get swallowed up in the process. You are drained from carrying so much for so long. You’re not even quite sure who you are and you don’t know where to start. Despite all of this there is a faint voice inside you that hopes for something more - from yourself and from your relationship.

Congratulations on taking the first step toward self improvement! I know the thought of seeking counseling and therapy can seem daunting and scary, and I commend your efforts. People seek counseling for many reasons, sometimes feeling "stuck" or "lost" in their lives, and not knowing which way to turn. Sometimes we just don't trust ourselves, or others, and begin thinking, "Is this what my life will always be like?"

There are times in all our lives when we need emotional support. Reaching out for professional help takes strength and courage. Whether you are dealing with relationship issues, grief, depression, anxiety, a life transition or an emotional crisis, it can feel overwhelming to carry all of those emotions and worries alone. At times it can be difficult to even know what you want and need. I provide an open-minded, nonjudgemental, nurturing environment where you can feel safe to be yourself and express whatever emotions you are having.

Relationships are foundational in our lives. As a relational therapist, I work with both couples and individuals. I utilize my training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to help couples address their underlying negative interactive cycle and create new ways of connecting to each other with deeper emotional bonds and a more secure attachment. As a trained Developmental and Relational Trauma Therapist (DARTT), I approach every client with compassion and curiosity as to how their unique relational histories have shaped them and work to help them heal core wounds from the past.

I am considered a Subject Matter Expert on PTSD. The goal of my mental health practice is to assist clients in transforming their lives. My office provides a sanctuary, safety and healing, from which to discover ways to re-connect with your life. We will create new ways of coping with your emotional, spiritual and physical health conditions. We work with a variety of issues: PTSD, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, substance and alcohol abuse. We provide Readjustment Counseling after life-altering events: war zone trauma, deployment stress, divorce, illness, domestic violence, assault, financial stress, etc. Why wait?

Are you having difficulty in relationships with significant others, friends, or family? Or finding that you are lacking motivation or confidence? Do you feel like your mind is always on the go? Thinking that something needs to change, to get back on track, and feeling like the person you’d like to be? Depression, anxiety, and trauma can play a role in these thoughts and feelings. They can leave us feeling anxious, overwhelmed, confused, run down, and at times even hopeless. If you're experiencing any of these thoughts or feelings, therapy can help you to become the person you want to be!

Navigating the emotional and psychological landscape of pregnancy and postpartum is not meant to be done in isolation. I specialize in supporting birthing folks through the transition of pregnancy and postpartum, as well as the journey into parenthood. Additionally, I work with those motivated to explore identity (within and outside of pregnancy and parenthood) and assist clients in building clarity in this potent area of their lives. Along with therapy services I also provide clinical supervision to therapists working towards full licensure.

It is my privilege to have been working with couples, families, and individuals for over 25 years. My work emphasizes helping my clients find more authentic meaning and purpose in their lives, fully developing their potential, and assisting them in establishing lasting solutions. I have extensive experience treating common couple's and family issues such as communication, parenting, conflict-resolution, and stagnancy, as well as infidelity, addictions, and domestic violence. My clinical expertise in individual psychotherapy extends to depression, anxiety, anger management, addictions, self-discovery, and overall life direction.

I'm currently accepting new clients, Your brain's being a menace and you want that to change. My goal is to help you navigate that change, recognize the difference between uncomfortable and unhealthy, and create an experience, and a life, that you want to participate in. If you've been in and out of therapy for a long time and struggled to find a fit, you're in my wheelhouse. If you're neurodivergent, neurospicy, got the AuDHD two-for-one special, or are just really, really traumatized (or all of the above!), you're part of the group I work with best.