Couples Counseling Therapists in Gig Harbor, WA

I am passionate about working with individuals and couples. Navigating live's challenges can be really intimidating amidst the stressors of life, especially when they all start piling up and ways you used to cope before stop working. Before giving up, try seeking help from a qualified professional and learn new ways of understanding and interacting with your environment. By identifying and working through barriers, new patterns can be learned, and healing experiences can be found. Resources can be gained and emotional resilience can be improved. You can find the harmony you desire within your life, and it starts here.

What’s your story? Is it a tragic tale of grief and loss? Or is your story a fast paced, anxiety ridden adventure repeatedly landing you in a pit of despair? I understand how difficult it can be to get control of the story of your life.

Entrepreneur, relationship and life transition specialist, naturalist, builder, father, husband and community builder all describe me. I am great at helping people with life transitions, work life balance, addiction, trauma, relationships and divorce. I am an entrepreneur, craftsman, part time stay at home dad and outdoorsman. People feel comfortable working with me because I believe in the good in them and because my experience working outside of therapy helps me to understand a wide range of individuals and families.

I am a partner in Summit Health Management, a group founded by an eclectic partnership of four established, experienced providers with the vision of offering a variety of therapeutic services to meet the needs of children, adolescents, adults, elders, couples, and families in our community. Our group’s mission is to provide the region with experienced, compassionate, professional, and proficient mental and behavioral health care. We offer a therapy and psychiatric care for all ages, presentations, relationships and disorders, including individual, couples, family and group therapy, as well as substance abuse recovery for all ages.

My trauma-informed approach invites a space of safety, warmth, and authenticity where we navigate issues and process emotions together to enhance resiliency, trust, and self-worth. It is my hope that therapy and our therapeutic alliance will provide you with opportunity for healing, empowerment, and re-authoring of life stories for positive change and growth toward personal fulfillment. I have experience working with individuals, couples, and families seeking to process through various struggles and difficulties using evidence-based treatments.

My approach to counseling is to focus on strengths and help to assist with solutions rather than telling my patients what to do. My focus is to address short-term problems as well as long-term psychological well-being. The more you can tell me about what and how you are feeling, the more effectively I will be able to assist you in resolving your personal problems and issues. I believe all individuals are deserving of acceptance, respect, compassion, and understanding, and all children are capable of success in academics, extracurricular activities, and social interactions.

Weeks, months, or possibly years pass while ignoring a nagging sensation in our minds, bodies, and souls. The sensation is communicating to us that something is not right. When we listen, we might notice a few things. In our work, we might feel overwhelmed or dissatisfied. In our day-to-day life, we might feel irritated or uncertain. Maybe we notice overall feelings of worry and fatigue. Maybe we feel disconnected spiritually. We may have chronic stress, depressive feelings, and anxiety. We may not have a clear path or plan for our life. We want to be free and have more meaning in our lives, but we don’t know how to start.

I have worked with a wide range of individuals, couples and families struggling with a diverse array of problems and stressors. I approach therapy from a non pathologizing frame where I believe each individual has the ability to change their life and their reality. I enjoy working with individuals, couples and families that are motivated and determined to make lasting changes in their lives. I am inspired by everyones different story and strongly believe that when there is a will there is a way. I am passionate in supporting people in growing to become the person they want to be and creating the life they desire.

Welcome! I am grateful you are here. I am a compassionate and empathetic person-centered therapist dedicated to empowering clients on their journey of self-discovery and growth. I believe in the inherent worth of each individual, and create a safe, non-judgmental space for exploration. Through active listening and unconditional positive regard, I encourage clients to express their thoughts and feelings freely. I tailor my therapeutic approach to suit each client's unique needs, and believe in the importance of fostering a strong therapeutic alliance. I will hold your stories and experiences with the utmost care.

I am an AASECT certified sex therapist and an intimate relationship therapist. I believe that when we heal our intimate relationships, including the one we have with ourselves, we heal the collective and contribute to the greater good. I focus on addressing a variety of intimacy and sexual challenges faced by humans of all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, abilities, gender identities, and relationship structures. I work with individuals and those partnering within monogamous and ethically non-monogamous relationships. If you want to cultivate more pleasure and learn how to claim and honor your desires, please call me today.

Clients primarily request services with me to work on communication between partners and other members of their family systems. I am contracted to work in the capacity as an LMHC with Summit Health Management in Gig Harbor. Please contact (253) 858-7056 to schedule an intake. I am currently accepting new clients and will work with you in person or via telehealth at the Summit Health Management office in Gig Harbor, WA. In addition, I also utilize games such as Dungeons and Dragons with families, kids and teens, to roleplay therapeutic scenarios out in a safe environment (I also run a weekly social skills teen group on Thursdays).

I believe that each person has a unique story and I stay curious as to what that is. I am Level 2 trained in EMDR and Level 2 trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy. I trust in the power of attunement to my clients; by creating a safe space for clients to be heard and able to express their stories, powerful changes can occur. I love being able to dig deeper into the layers of client's experiences and help them understand the patterns. I use empathy and curiosity to attune to what is being said and also what is not being said. I have a solution-focused lens and work towards relationship repair through compassion.

Everyone can use a little help sometimes. Whether it's working through a personal or relationship problem, crisis, decision, transition, or loss; changing a habit; overcoming anxiety or roadblocks to success; or learning how to make a good relationship better & increase the likelihood it will be long & happy; I'm here to help. Clients describe me as: "easy to connect with," "resourceful," "energetic," "patient," "pragmatic: concerned with practical results," "logical: can go from the big picture to the application," "skill-building: gives you tools you can use today," as well as "has a great sense of humor."

It is my hope that clients gain from counseling specific tools they can apply to their lives to feel better equipped in dealing effectively with their life circumstances. I tailor my counseling to the needs of the client, using various therapeutic techniques to provide clients skills such as communication, emotion management, coping, parenting, etc. I incorporate an educational component, presenting information to enhance knowledge regarding various issues that clients face. I often include homework to make use of the time between sessions. When desired by the client, I approach their circumstances from a biblical perspective.

I'm taking new telehealth clients only. I see adolescents ages 13 and older, adults, couples and families. I am certified in EMDR. In our sessions, expect to grow, thrive in relationships and learn to healthily navigate life circumstances. Working together, we’ll discover that our lived experiences have shaped how we think about the world. Using a trauma and attachment focused lens we use those experiences to encourage healing and growth.

I am committed to helping adult individuals and couples find deeper understanding, connection, and peace in their lives. I work with adults on anxiety, overwhelm, loneliness, relationship issues, conflict, life changes and transitions, dating, parenting, friendship, identity work, and more. My work focuses on first identifying and communicating emotional experiences; and then tracking and disrupting patterns that occur individually and in relationships. I believe in collaborating side by side to define and work toward your goals together.

I believe in the importance of building a therapeutic relationship and connection with my clients in a safe environment for them to be heard and understood. I help clients better understand and accept themselves, while using their strengths to create positive, meaningful changes in their lives. I treat a wide variety of issues using individualized treatment modalities based on clients’ needs and the aspects of themselves and their lives they want to grow and work on.

As a systemic therapist, I am dedicated to guiding individuals, couples, and families through their inner complexities, fostering healing, growth, and self-discovery. I approach clients holistically, considering their relationships and connections using the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model as a foundation. This dynamic model identifies and works with inner subpersonalities, promoting self-compassion and self-acceptance. I tailor this approach to individual needs, incorporating additional methods when necessary, fostering transformative change at personal and relational levels.

My passion is to motivate, educate and support the deepest level of healing and highest level of achievement available to my clients, personally, professionally and in their relationships. I assist my clients in healing long standing issue as they move through difficult life circumstances with a deeper understanding and appreciation of themselves and others. Utilizing my training in fitness, holistic nutrition, & personal growth combined with over 20 years experience in mental health, I feel uniquely qualified to assist my clients in understanding and healing their "whole being". I'm licensed and have practices in WA and CA.