Therapists in Magnolia, Seattle, WA

I primarily provide individual therapy to adults (ages 18-45) who wish to address acute or long-term trauma, specifically childhood sexual abuse/sexual assault but other traumas as well. I approach each client through a developmental lens, understanding that concerns manifest differently depending on one's age and developmental stage at the time of the trauma as well as at the time of treatment. I also am available to work with parents, many who are navigating challenges associated with helping a child who has been traumatized, who wish to explore more positive discipline strategies.

I use a blend of effective elements from several approaches to therapy, customized to suit your particular need, ability and issues addressed. I draw from the disciplines of cognitive behavioral, rational-emotive, bio-energetic and Gestalt therapies to ensure the approach we take has the flexibility to address your concerns as they appear in your own unique life and experience. Conditions successfully treated during fourteen years experience working with individuals, couples and families include depression, anxiety, procrastination and achievement issues relative to work, school or creativity ; alienation, relationship and intimacy issues, addiction and compulsive behavior, life satisfaction and identity.

Throughout life's most interesting or challenging journeys, it is helpful to walk with and share your experiences with someone. I would love to work with you and your family! My goal is to provide an environment of safety, trust and respect, where you feel comfortable expressing your thoughts and feelings.

I enjoy helping clients experience worthiness with themselves and within their relationships. If you feel disconnected and want to find your way back to yourself, or if you are struggling to feel emotionally fulfilled within your relationships, I can help you navigate your way to feeling more connected and whole. If you find that you are constantly worrying or struggling to be in the present, I can help you work on understanding and managing stressors. If you would like to focus on things from the past, I can support you in healing from trauma or familial issues. My approach is nonjudgmental, compassion-based, and collaborative.

*ACCEPTING CLIENTS VIA TELEHEALTH* Have you ever felt that one day you woke up and life got away from you? Maybe your relationship isn't as close as it used to be or you realize you've become so busy you forgot what you were working towards. I work with couples and individuals to help increase your passion and improve communication while balancing things like parenting and your career. I believe everyone has a story and part of that story is your journey towards finding peace, relaxation, enduring love, and overall happiness. I also work with postpartum moms as they enter into motherhood, an exciting yet challenging time of life.

Bring gritty emotional honesty, a kind, sharp eye for themes in your life and your sense of humor. We'll work to understand nuances of your unique situation, utilize insights from your relationship history and symptoms and experiment with patterns that hold you back. I love to assist mid-life adults in life transition. My French Bulldog joins us! We are both GLBTQ friendly. Most people tend to get stuck analyzing problems and are slow to take action OR they leap to action before gaining insight. I'll help you strike the right balance, so you create lasting change. Pursuing therapy is a little brave and it pays off in profound ways.

We specialize in comprehensive assessment and therapeutic intervention for children and families. We often work with children who have learning disorders (e.g., in reading, writing, or math), have ADHD, are gifted/highly capable, or are transitioning into college (e.g., accommodations for standardized testing and in class). Our practice is currently expanding to offer more therapy services for families and children. Please contact us if you would like to discuss therapy options directly with Dr. Casto.

In these challenging times, we have the opportunity for a reflective pause. Tapping into our inner wisdom can foster much needed compassion to ourselves and others. I would be honored to support you in your journey during this unique moment in our history. With compassionate listening, I will work with you to identify your core issues, clarify beliefs, and release limiting patterns. My goal is to support you in deepening your capacity for self-reflection, acceptance, and life purpose. I will honor your strengths while helping you work through relationship issues, depression, anxiety, and creative blocks.

Today's young adults have the ability to enact positive change in the world around us. With years of experience in supporting children and young adults achieve their full potential and navigate rough patches, allow me to lend a hand. I work to EMPOWER clients to pursue and accomplish their personal goals in a supportive, collaborative, and positive approach. ENCOURAGE Utilizing a strengths-based, solution-focused approach, I create a space for clients to grow in their emotional and social intelligence. In addition, I work collaboratively with families and support systems to ensure the best possible SUPPORT for each client.

Do you feel stuck but also don’t quite know where to start to make positive changes in your life? Most of us have been there. In this increasingly complex world it can be difficult to create moments of peace and contentment, and listen to our inner voice. We are constantly bombarded by different types of stimuli. Despite so many ways to communicate with people, sometimes it feels like no one is really listening to what we have to say. How are we supposed to foster joy, gratitude, have satisfying and meaningful relationships like this? If you have had these thoughts a little too often, maybe it is time for us to work together.

You are not alone! 1 in 7 women may experience a mental health issue during or after pregnancy. More than 1 in 10 pregnant women experience anxiety at some point during their pregnancy. As a therapist who has been working with moms for many years and as a new mom myself, I know the struggle is real. I remember saying to myself, “I did not know being a mother would be this hard.” No one talks about the difficult issues that moms-to-be and new moms commonly struggle with, like pure exhaustion, anxiety, irritability, rage, and postpartum regret.

My approach to therapy is client centered utilizing evidence based therapies and customizing treatment to the client.

If you are feeling empty or unlovable, finding it difficult to express your feelings or have satisfying relationships, or you are grieving a loss, finding yourself without hope, or feeling anxious, therapy is a way to start understanding these things, seeing yourself in new ways, and beginning a process of change. I primarily work with adults in weekly individual therapy, and my approach is integrative and flexible. This allows us to tailor therapy to best suit your personality and goals.

How do you know it is time for therapy? You can't get traction. You have unmanageable stress. Relationships aren't working. You need different, but don't know what or how. You can't make changes stick. You need answers***Come explore your situation through a different lens and let's work to find REAL solutions. My approach is direct, honest, and curious. You are the expert in your life but I am there to support and shine the light on your path so you can create lifelong change, using all of the tools and resources available to you. The first step can be hard, but together, we'll walk, create insight, and empower you on your journey.

My clients are usually seeking my end-of-life services where I provide healing touch work &/or forgiveness work, emotional support, help with legacy projects, or simply creating sacred, comfortable space at the end of life. Sometimes they are the family or loved ones of the dying who want my care & to be educated about end-of-life comfort & to have someone present to sit vigil & assist in as peaceful a transition as possible. Often clients are interested in deepening the connection with Life itself & whatever they call the creator. My hypnotherapy sessions help to develop & strengthen that vital connection for peace & meaning.

Generally, we react to suffering and what we struggle with by trying to fix perceived problems, our selves, or others. It is natural to not want to suffer, but often our very resistance to suffering, or the habits we develop to avoid discomfort and pain work against us. I provide an integrative, soul-nourishing approach to therapy rooted in embodied depth psychology, health coaching, and mindfulness practices that encourages fully accepting ourselves: our bodies, feelings, and thoughts as they are.

As a trauma therapist, I believe that personal growth and transformation is vital to the human experience, and that sometimes we need support through this process. Therapy is embarking on a journey, and you are the hero of your story. In meeting with you where you are at in your journey, I will help you to develop your own set of skills to help you through your daily experiences. I also encourage approaching challenges with vulnerability and self-compassion and will assist in practicing these areas in our sessions. Even though painful experiences are inevitable, I believe that suffering does not have to hold us back from living.

I work with men who have difficulty identifying with their feelings, struggle with depression and anxiety, or have issues with their work/life balance. My clients typically struggle with expressing themselves in their relationships. They feel lonely, hopeless, and isolated. They are overworked and under loved. In our work together, I will give you support, feedback and insight, and constructively challenge patterns and beliefs that may be getting in your way. Together we can strive to understand the roots of the struggles you are experiencing in your life.

Life can get better. Do you want a happier, healthier life? If you need support and encouragement to take on your next steps in life, to heal from hurts of the past, or battle anxiety or depression, I will be with you to coach you, encourage you, and be an ally in your process. If you're looking to repair, strengthen, and grow your relationship, I will support you and teach you what it takes to get where you and your partner want to be. Your life doesn't have to stay like this, even if you feel stuck right now. It doesn't have to be like this forever.