Therapists in Burien, WA

At its core, I believe therapy is an opportunity to process and understand our past while also growing into the people we want to be. Life can be so brutal and complicated; we deserve a safe place to talk and explore. I strive to maintain a safe, comforting, and trusting environment to do that exploring. I believe that considering a person’s many identities and experiences is a vital part of the therapeutic process. I work with my clients to understand their own stories, strengths, and goals.

Are you having increased anxiety or depression during the COVID-19 pandemic? Are particular relationships proving to be difficult? Are you looking for something to change? I believe in deep goodness and healing that occurs when we share our brokenness with one another to grieve the past, accept the present, and voice hope for the future. We will spend time making sense of your past and how it impacts your relationships. I will work with you, your children, or your family to develop relational and coping skills, with the ultimate goal of developing self-compassion. I will approach our work with empathy and compassion.

I know what it is like to be brought to your knees. When breathing hurts, and thinking is excruciating. You want help, but at the same time you’re terrified of it. The fear of being vulnerable is overpowering because some part of you is expecting to get hurt. As a trauma survivor and someone that has experienced anxiety and depression, I know you deep within my bones. I know what it feels like to question whether or not you will make it through the day. The hour. The minute. You want to work with someone who is going to be gentle and safe, challenge you in the right moments, and help you find the right coping skills.

I provide a safe space to meet painful issues and gently dismantle their power over your life. If you want to restructure and redefine relationships that are no longer working for you, I can help. If you think self-defeating thought patterns and underlying belief systems might be opening the door to unwanted situations in your life, I can help you rewrite that story. I would be honored to walk through this journey with you.

I believe in tailoring the therapy to meet each client's individual. I primarily use psychodynamic therapy which helps the client gain self-insight but also use a variety of therapeutic techniques including cognitive and behavioral methods. Being able to stand back from one's self and gain perspective about one's personality, choices and actions are important in helping an individual work through issues. I help the client explore what issues from the past or present may be contributing to depression or anxiety.

Have you ever experienced conflict in your family, the type of conflict that is always happening and gets shoved under the rug and never dealt with? Are you currently going through a separation or have recently been through a divorce? Do you have children/adolescents that have behavioral issues? If you have experienced any of these situations I would love to work with you, help you see that family reconciliation/restoration is possible, that there is life after divorce, there can be freedom from anxiety and your children can learn new ways to behaviorally function better.

Guided by my client’s needs and issues, I use a variety of theoretical orientations to work WITH each individual. My primary approach to therapy is Person-Centered, meaning emphasis is placed on creating a safe environment where clients are supported as active participants in exploring their experience and developing personalized goals. After the initial evaluation and developing a collaborative relationship, patients are supported in developing skills that allow them to move forward in confidence, not that all problems are solved but, in understanding they have what they need to manage their unique struggle when it shows up.

I am a nationally registered art therapist. Using creative processes helps us develop new ways of thinking and new insights into our actions, reactions, and behaviors...and know that if you don't want to make art, you don't have to. It's always an option and never required.

I view therapy as a partnership between client and therapist and approach issues from a behavior change perspective. I work with clients to identify areas that are causing distress, understand how they may be contributing to these problems, and identify changes they can actively make to yield the results they want to see. Because of the many positions I have held in the mental health field during the past 17 years, I am able to pull from a variety of evidenced-based treatment modalities and easily adjust course in order to best meet a client’s needs.

I help people 45 and over who are feeling a sense of panic or urgency to FINALLY live authentically and purposefully. Who feel disillusioned and discontent about where their life is now and where they'd like to be. Who feel stuck in the gap between doing what they're "used to" or think they "should" do, to taking the courageous leap into the life they've been craving. Who dare to live boldly, but lack the energy, motivation, direction and support to carry it through. If depression, shame , guilt and confusion have become familiar companions, it's NOT TOO LATE!

Life sometimes presents with challenges and obstacles that seem impossible to get through. One may often times feel alone and that there's nowhere to turn; but there truly is. I look at the whole individual and their experience as unique and focus on helping the person reveal their true self; the person they always wanted to be.

I see a wide range of clients, although I specialize in relationships, anxiety, frustration, ADHD, and problems with focus and motivation. I see both couples and individuals, as well as adolescents. Counseling focus may include relationship satisfaction, anxiety control, focus and motivational problems with both personal life and work, as well as general ADHD management. I've helped countless clients move from a place of feeling stuck and dissatisfied, to one of happiness and flourishing. I offer both short-term counseling (8-10 weeks) and long-term counseling. I also offer coaching related to focus and motivation.

Open Now - Monday Lunch-time phone appointment - Is this a good fit for you? Life is HARD and what's even more hard is that sometimes we get stuck in the HARD. I am skilled at helping you understand what's happening to you and how to bear the pain. I create a non-judgmental, honest, steady space for us to explore your life together. I believe it is my job to follow your lead in regards to timing, subject matter and intensity. My ultimate goal is for healing for your most authentic self as you experience being grounded in compassion for yourself while we make a plan to support your needs.