Psychobiological Approach Couple Therapy in Anacortes, WA

Being present with ourselves and our lives is the most potent force for change. I am a climate-aware therapist working with individuals, couples, and families experiencing loss, grief, confusion, and conflict. My work focuses on grief, death & dying, trauma integration, and climate distress. Increasing our capacity to tolerate our pain and listen to what we really need dramatically increases our well-being. What would it be like to be more present in your life? Our work together can help you move towards a more fulfilling experience of life, even when loss and grief are present.

Currently Taking New Clients. I understand you are looking for help and this is the first step to healing your life. I specialize in working with couples, as well as adult individuals struggling with addiction. I see you as a whole person and am mindful of the pain you have experienced and get there are many ways to recovery. In my work with substance abuse I understand the feelings that come along with the burden of addiction. Will I be accepted; am I enough to be loved; do I belong? These are normal questions for most people suffering and questioning addiction. I create safety to help explore these questions.

You are a problem-solver, capable of solving complex situations, yet, some emotions and thoughts get the best of you. You identify as creative, an artist, maybe a writer who relies on intuition and vision, yet, sometimes, get lost in circles, dead ends, or worse - invisible patterns. You are a caregiver, a healer, a confidant, a mother, a father, a best friend who finds it challenging to consider your own wants and needs. You are in-between worlds, cross-cultural, inter-disciplinary, a designer, a connector sometimes pulled in different directions, conflicted or doubting yourself and your relationships.

I wish to serve people of color and other marginalized groups who have experienced chronic oppression and injustices. I would love to work with individuals, couples and families who are ready to step into their power and reclaim their voice. I wish to serve those who are in need of healing and need assistance processing grief, loss, frustration and exhaustion from life's trials and adversities. Being a person of color poses many challenges in this country and seeking help from professionals who look or talk nothing like you makes it far more difficult. I see you and I'm here for you.

No matter what you are going through, know that I am here to listen, support you and help you figure it all out! Welcome to the newest generation of self care and mental health- this is easy, accessible, no-stress, stigma free help for whatever you are going through. Feel free to wear your sweatpants, sit on the couch and have a session on your phone or lap top. Prefer in person? No problem, come visit my office in a charming 1900's Craftsman home near the Junction in West Seattle! Check out www.nostressnostigma.com for details!

I have a passion to help individuals who have experienced trauma of human trafficking victimization to help them heal through surviving & eventually thriving in a meaningful life they desire to maintain. I offer a safe space to heal & not be judged while building self worth & work through other areas of trauma endured & been exposed to. I am huge on recognizing a person's strengths & empowering others, which gets incorporated into my practice. This specific passion expands to other types of trauma, ADHD, families, couples, anxiety, depression, etc. I enjoy helping those who have been misunderstood & offer emotional validation.

My work is influenced by the thought of existentialist philosophers and psychologists who speak compassionately to a profound and uniquely human dilemma—the quest for meaning in the face of suffering. Psychotherapy provides a safe and intimate space in which we might expand our capacity to bear suffering and to find meaning within and through it. Depth psychology proposes that the psyche consists of both conscious and unconscious thoughts, impulses, fantasies, and ideas. Symptoms (of depression, anxiety, addictions, etc.) are more than painful indicators of psychopathology.

Struggling with how to make your relationship and sex satisfying? Our relationships and sex in them can be fulfilling and pleasurable. I see intimacy and sex as layered. I work to enhance strengths, improve communication via attachment work and redefine what works for you/the relationship. Each of us changes in different ways as we grow. With changes in our sexuality, relationship or identity, I also hold space for the grief that we each individually or together experience for what we expected sex would look like or how things used to be. I bring laughter, safety and nonjudgement to each of my clients in our work together.

The clients I see often prefer a non pharmaceutical route to help with things like depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, or other brain/mental health issues. Others seek help with transitions in their lives or relationship issues at home or work. All clients can benefit from my integrative holistic approach that melds counseling, wellbeing and brain health coaching. My clients ultimate goal is to feel and function at their best to enjoy a future with increased vitality, health and wellbeing and safe satisfying relationships. My methods are often effective for stress management and improving communication/ relationship skills.

Dr. Deborah Rutt Phd, LCSW, CDWF is a one-of-a kind psychotherapist steeped in both Western and Eastern traditions. She helps clients identify unique strengths, new perspectives, and practical tools for profound change for mental health, well-being, and to live authentically. With a doctorate in interpersonal communication and change, Deborah brings her expertise to enhance relationships of any kind. In addition to therapy, she is a Certified facilitator of Brené Brown's work and inspired by Joe Dispenza's change solutions. Her Intuitive Heart Sessions, utilize Heartmath and ThetaHealing energy work along with her intuitive gifts.

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.

If you’re tired of recycling the same argument, walking on eggshells with each other or don’t know how to repair your relationship, I can help you get to the root of your disconnection. I help distressed, disconnected couples remember what it's like to be sexy best friends instead of roommates. Together, we will identify your entrenched ways of arguing so that both of you can break these patterns by learning how to clearly state how you’re feeling to your partner and in turn, listen deeply. I'll help you pay close attention to each other, so that you both feel a little more held each time we meet.

I'm once again welcoming new clients. If you are experiencing anxiety, depression, fatigue, or overwhelming emotions, I encourage you to reach out to me. I'm dedicated to helping you minimize and manage stress, understand and navigate your emotions, and develop more effective strategies for these challenging times. I'll pay close nonjudgmental attention to both what is voiced and what lies beneath the surface, responding with empathy, sincerity, and insightful guidance.

Let’s face it, modern life is stressful. With constant demands on your time and attention, it’s not surprising that you’ve neglected what used to be your north star – your relationship. This may leave you feeling disconnected from your partner & trapped in a cycle of go-nowhere fights. You probably miss the spark that made you excited to see each other at the end of the day. You long for the days when the two of you were in love. I am on a mission to create a better world by helping couples build stronger relationships. People in healthy relationships feel better, get more done & contribute to positive change in the world.

I enjoy growth-oriented work with couples or individuals: setting goals that challenge and move us forward towards a less conflicted life and a greater understanding. I use a variety systemic therapeutic models dedicated toward solutions and the restoration of hopefulness. A few of these are Solution Focused therapy: an empowering look at what's possible for the future and what's worked in the past, Bowen therapy working on a person's strengths as an independent being and an eclectic blend of other styles based on what the client needs, wants and will benefit from.

**NEW CLIENTS - Please email me** No one deserves to live in pain. For therapy to work, you need three things: curiosity about yourself and your interactions with others, an authentic connection with your therapist, and concrete, practical tools and skills to promote real and lasting change. My job is to facilitate an understanding of what is causing you pain and getting in your way of creating your best life. As your therapist, I don’t “just listen.” I use an integrative approach, combining several modalities to create the most effective treatment for each client. I practice remote therapy with individual adults.

You are in a committed relationship but feeling so lonely and frustrated. You try to communicate your needs to your partner, but each time the two of you end up in a disagreement, leaving you feeling worse than before. You feel you are out of options for how to have these discussions differently. You are unsure how the two of you can reconnect and get your needs met. You yearn for your partner to respond to your needs in a way that feels loving and accepting instead of reactive. You would love to rekindle the love you once felt in your relationship and move from being roommates back to loving partners with a satisfying sex life.

For over 22 years, I have specialized in working with high performers with a special niche in first responder relationships. As a relationship therapist and coach, I listen and give you the tools to overcome limiting beliefs that keep you from achieving your most important relationship goals. Through open and honest communication, I challenge people to acknowledge each other’s intrinsic wholeness and worth to cultivate strong, genuine connections. My offerings use innovative relationship building techniques built on the latest research and scholarship to train couples how to have a thriving relationship.