Therapists in Bainbridge Island, WA

My calling is to have my own practice where my clients and I have the opportunity to dig deep and explore their mental health and substance use with no time constrictions. So here I am ready to help to explore the core causes of traumas and walk through vulnerabilities alongside you, you are not alone. I will leave you with my favorite quote before you schedule your initial appointment. Let’s start our journey today.

My areas of focus are preteens, teens, and adults. I specialize with borderline personality disorder, anxiety, depression, autism, ADHD, eating disorders, trauma, parenting concerns, family conflict, and self-esteem issues. I work with individuals 10 years old and up. Sessions are focused on your unique needs. Interventions are engaged that will help foster a healthy sense of self and promote healing. My session is a safe space with acceptance at the core. I am humbled to join with an individual and support them in their life story. In our sessions, your voice will be honored and used as a resource to obtain your goals.

Life presents many challenges. Our 23 licensed clinical psychologists, social workers, marriage & family therapists and mental health counselors at Peninsula Psychological Center, Inc., P.S. are ready to assist you. We work with people from age 3-90, with experienced therapists in our multispecialty center, helping our clients and their families to clarify their specific concerns and to achieve their goals in therapy. We often help people with depression, anxiety, ADHD, PTSD, panic, grief, insomnia & relationship problems. Individual therapy, family therapy, couples therapy, and psychological assessment services are available.

I have extensive knowledge working with patients with psychosis, substance use, and at high risk of suicide. Focusing on harm reduction, healthy coping skills, and recovery to live the best possible life. With my vast knowledge of the mental health system, I use various modalities toward treatment and don't believe a one size fit all in regard to interventions. I focus on a holistic approach to treatment as you are the expert in your own life. I am here to assist, listen and guide you towards your goals and dreams.

Life can be hard! Having someone who listens and cares during a difficult time can make all the difference. My commitment to you is to build a strong relationship while offering the tools needed to meet your individual or family goals. I offer a client-centered, solution-focused approach to help guide you and support your needs. With strategies and approaches appropriate for all ages, I offer a non judgmental and safe environment, to help you/or your family achieve your goals. It would be an honor to be a support on your way to a healthy and rewarding journey!

If you're feeling the pressure of challenging times, you're not alone. Many are struggling to manage the symptoms associated with chronic stress and chronic loneliness alongside anxiety and depression rooted in an unpredictable future. Perhaps you find it difficult to connect with others or have the relationships you want, or struggle to feel worthy of love. Understanding what contributes to your suffering and what you can do about it can lead to better awareness and gives us opportunities to break the cycles that keep us from our goals, who we want to be, and where we want to go in life.

I work with people to find a path to less stress, more enjoyment & pleasure in life. Working together we can develop & enhance the experiences of your life to feel more whole and fulfilling. Create a life more satisfying; transmute stress causing difficulty into energy for working towards your goals. Sometimes we are stuck in life situations that block creativity and success. Goals often include happiness, pain relief (physical, mental, spiritual, emotional), finding passion, achievement, self-awareness, productivity, insight, more socialization, healthy relationships (a new one), freedom, joy, meaning, and contentment with life.

Specializing in Trauma/PTSD/EMDR Therapy.....I understand life's challenges can sometimes feel overwhelming. Whether you're facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, past trauma or any other personal struggles, you've chosen to prioritize your mental health and that's something to be proud of. I am trauma-focused and provide you with a non-judgmental space where you can explore your thoughts and feelings so we can work together towards understanding, healing and positive growth.

There are three fundamental qualities essential in our journey to navigate the complexities of human experience: compassion, humor, and realism. My approach is grounded in the belief that everyone deserves to be heard, valued, and supported. I am committed to maintaining a safe, judgment-free environment. I believe in the healing power of laughter, and integrate humor into my work to help individuals cope with adversity and discover their inner strength. I also believe that a grounded sense of realism is important in developing and working toward our goals. We must first recognize who we are so we can become who we want to be.

Heather's background in developmental approaches gives her an interest in working with clients of school age and above, and of differing cultural backgrounds. She has extensive training in mindfulness approaches, and uses a present-centered approach, combining it with strengths-building techniques. Heather specializes in working with those who struggle with PTSD, complex PTSD, anxiety, OCD, body-focused repetitive behaviors, and depression, among other mental health struggles. Heather is LGBTQIA+ -affirming.

People come to therapy for a variety of reasons: recognizing the need for change in their lives, facing changes difficult to accept, learning how to more effectively communicate or parent, or the need for an unbiased perspective. It can understandably be difficult to reach out for help regarding sensitive issues. I respect the courage it takes to set the intention for change & the effort involved in finding someone you feel comfortable with & can trust. I love this field of study & care about doing my best for my clients. My work with couples, individuals, teens & families, utilizes techniques garnered from 24 years of practice.

Calling the truth-seekers, the plant medicine-sitters, "the lovers, the dreamers, and me", this is an invitation to work with someone who *gets it* and is committed to being part of the modern paradigm shift. I don't want to diagnose you, but instead help you find the gift in all the ways you are uniquely YOU. Working for 15+ years in addiction & recovery makes me somewhat of an expert in those realms, but I am much more interested in revealing how YOU are the expert of your experience. Together we will find the path back to your own loving heart thru Inner Child Work and Psychedelic Harm Reduction & Integration. REMEMBER with me

As you are in the process of looking for a therapist, you may already be half-way through resolving your issues. It is said that client's readiness and willingness to make changes is the strongest indicator of successful therapy outcome. As a therapist, I will accompany you in the journey of actualizing your fullest potential by assisting you to develop internal and external resources such as the sense of freedom, choices, healthy sense of self, responsibility, managing life balance, and strong support systems and relationships.

Do you feel like you keep attracting unhealthy romantic partners? In relationships do you find yourself often people pleasing and putting your needs second? Sometimes even when we think we are breaking this pattern we end up in the same type of relationship. Often this is due to how we have learned to cope with past traumatic or unhealthy relationships. Together we will help you understand your past and heal from hurtful experiences, so you no longer feel stuck in this cycle. You will learn to better understand your relationship triggers and seek relationships where you feel loved, seen, and cared for.

What if therapy was helpful AND FUN!?! I enjoy working with people from diverse backgrounds, with multi layered problems. Too often, mental health professionals shy away from certain diagnoses and concerns. However, I believe in de stigmatizing all mental health concerns and hope to help people with concerns ranging from depression and anxiety to personality disorders and mood disorders. The more complicated and confusing your feelings are, the more I want to help you grow and reach for your goals.

I believe that the relationship to our self is the most important relationship that we will ever have. A bond with a therapist who witnesses and understands us in a nonjudgmental way can be a wonderful ally in improving that relationship and making positive changes in our lives. Trauma, attachment issues, toxic families of origin, oppression, grief, and ancestral/family patterns are just some just some examples that can cause suffering that motivates someone to start therapy. I have experience working with clients with depression, anxiety, panic attacks, PTSD, and other mood disorders that make it difficult to function in life.

Experiencing conflict that seems to have no end feels exhausting. We all find ourselves in cycles of conflict at times - with friends, family, colleagues, or even within ourselves. I help folks move out of patterns of stuck-ness, hopelessness, and helplessness and into safer, more secure relationships (with self and others).

I with individuals, couples/polycules, and families, and have experience treating a wide spectrum of issues, such as depression, anxiety, substance use/abuse, sexual health concerns, and trauma. I specialize in providing evidence-based treatments- meaning the modalities I use have been shown by research to be effective. Some of those modalities include DBT, CBT, Emotion-Focused Therapy, and Gottman Couples Therapy. I offer "Gold-Standard" DBT, including individual therapy, DBT skills group, and between-session phone coaching.