Existential Therapists in Seattle, WA

As your therapist, I will work with you in order to alleviate suffering and develop insight. Sessions take place in a confidential and safe space where you will be met with empathy, compassion, and acceptance. I believe people can change and that times of crisis may offer the opportunity to experience new ways of being in the world, new relationships, and a more authentic and meaningful life. Professional membership and affiliation: -The Alliance for Psychoanalytic Study: Member of the Education Committee - Northwestern Psychoanalytic Society & Institute - PSG Psychotherapy Network - The Center for Object Relations - Northwest Family Development Center

I use a person-centered and compassionate approach because I recognize that you are the expert on you. Within this approach framework, I draw on several practices and modalities, including Existential-Phenomenological Humanistic Psychotherapy, Narrative Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Somatic Therapy. My specialties include but are not limited to, anxiety, depression, trauma/PTSD, life changes, grief and loss, relational difficulties, and agency development.

Draw upon your courage to greet the tasks of work, friendship, and intimacy. Overcome the slings and arrows of life's inevitable misfortune and suffering that is set in the snares of Fear, Anger, and Despair. Encouragement fosters hopeful striving and nourishes meaningful life. Courage grows through relationship. I bring the wisdom of encouragement through authenticity, understanding, and compassion born from my lifetime of study, personal experience, and professional practice.

People often come to me when the notice they are hiding their feelings and desires to appease others, or are having a different time trusting and connecting to those close to them. I help people struggling with intimacy, vulnerability, and people-pleasing to find the confidence and self-compassion to lead a more fulfilling life. The stories society and our family tell us about ourselves, and the stories we choose to repeat, have a powerful impact on our self-image. I believe we all have the ability to change our narrative. I am invested in supporting you in making meaning from these narratives; in owning your story.

I work with individuals ages 18 and up. I see symptoms as a request from the psyche to grow -- whether this manifests as depression, anxiety, or just a feeling that you want more from your life or your relationships. Or you may be experiencing a transition, grief, or loss and need support to navigate this change. Therapy creates a space in which healing and growth can happen. I believe humans have a natural, inherent tendency toward health and self-actualization. We are hard-wired to live good and meaningful lives, but sometimes need support to do so.

Welcome – I'm glad you're here. Whether things just feel a bit off, or they've felt wrong for a long time, you're in the right place. I've created my therapeutic practice to help guide my clients towards awareness, curiosity, emotional attunement and expression, and self-compassion, whether they are struggling with an eating disorder, anxiety or depression, a mood disorder, unresolved trauma, dissociation and disconnection, or perfectionism and overcontrol. If you feel stuck or lost, and want to reclaim your agency and connection with yourself, if might be time to take this next step.

Congratulations, you have just found my profile on Psychology Today! I truly appreciate your choice in arriving at my profile. I am a duel credentialed clinician. Originally from Chicago, I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a Certified Substance Use Disorder Professional in the State of Washington. I completed my undergraduate psychology degree at the University Of San Francisco. Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Seattle University. I have been in the behavioral health field since 2007. I provide direct clinical service; intake evaluations; diagnosis; individual, group, and family psychotherapy,Psychoeducation

You might be ready for a change, but you’re feeling frozen. You might be struggling with bad memories, but worry that addressing them might mean you have to relive them. You might want to express your needs, but you don’t know how to say it or feel shut down. When I started therapy as a client years ago, my thoughts were: how will I tell a stranger about my personal life? What if they’re secretly judging me? Can I be helped? What if there’s just something wrong with me? These thoughts about therapy are totally normal. We will go at your pace in this process, I won’t judge you, and believe that there is nothing wrong with you.

I believe that therapy is a collaborative process and that the client steers the direction. Internal motivation and a willingness to ask yourself the difficult questions are essential to success. The beauty is that the power lies in your hands at all times. I am happy to help facilitate the process and smooth the path along your way. I have training in cognitive behavioral therapy, rational emotive behavior therapy, dialectical behavior therapy (both the original and radically open subsets), holistic health, humanistic approaches, and existential approaches.

Life is complex and there is rarely a single issue that brings someone to therapy. From struggling with identity and purpose in life to contemplating the meaning and nature of death, human existence is challenging and often painful. These existential givens are further burdened by experiences of trauma, oppression, terminal illness, grief, and the climate crisis. In this harsh world it seems easier to hide our vulnerabilities and find ways to escape, avoid, or numb our feelings - often losing ourselves in the process. Loneliness and fear can keep us trapped in toxic cycles, but we aren't meant to struggle alone.

I work with adult individuals of all ages and genders dealing with a range of issues. I especially love working with anxiety, existential concerns, grief, identity challenges, and struggles with family and relationships. I enjoy helping clients navigate life transitions and make meaning out of painful or challenging experiences. I view therapy as a collaborative process and I take a relational, client-centered approach.

I am a licensed clinical psychologist with 10 years of experience providing psychotherapy to adults and young adults. I approach the therapeutic relationship with genuine curiosity, openness and warmth and seek to provide a comfortable environment for you to explore your concerns. I see the therapeutic process as an opportunity for you to gain personal insight so that you may achieve satisfaction in yourself and your relationships. I specialize in anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, general mood disorders, stress management, anger, grief, family-of-origin concerns, and trauma. I also welcome those who are new to therapy.

Are you feeling disconnected from yourself or your life’s purpose? Are stress and uncertainty making it tough to envision what you truly desire? I’ll work with you to better understand yourself, leverage strengths, and align with your most meaningful goals. I’m particularly attuned to working with creative, high-intensity, and out-of-the-box thinkers. Constellations of these traits often include aspects of ADHD, giftedness, high sensitivity, and other forms of neurodivergence. I also specialize in working with unique concerns that can emerge at midlife.

My work empowers clients by helping them find clarity amidst the chaos of distractions that impede engagement in their present experience. I believe the fundamental vehicle of change is the relationship between the counselor and the client. For me, therapy is a collaborative approach in which the therapist helps clients confront issues by staying present and exploring their narratives and relationships through different dynamics and perspectives.

Is there a part of you that feels like something is missing? Like you’re not in touch with your full self or even your ‘true’ self? Perhaps meaning feels distant and your emotional inner world feels difficult to put words to. When these troubling feelings and thoughts arise, life asks us to slow down and get to the root of the issue. In therapy we will do just that. Whether you are working through a difficult relationship, experiencing paralyzing existential dread, or emotional pain manifesting in your body, you deserve the space to get to know yourself on a deeper level and allow for a much needed deep emotional release.

I am passionate about helping individuals gain insight into the way they perceive and interact with their world. My hope is that through this self-awareness, my clients feel more empowered to face the challenging demands of their lives. As a first generation Asian-American, I can relate to the challenges that many clients face when having to navigate a new set of rules and culture. My passion includes helping clients define their identities, cope with physical, emotional and psychological changes, and adjust to the demands of peers, school, and society.

I am passionate about working with adults and teenagers (aged 15 and over), who may be grappling with depression, anxiety, or productivity-related burnout. With an affirming stance towards the LGBTQ+ and trans communities, I offer a safe space for everyone.

Accepting new clients! Let's work together with compassion and creativity to align you with your goals. Collectively, we can illuminate deeper insights, shed light on behavioral patterns, tend to emotional wounds, and clarify aspects of your identity and values. I work with adult individuals, and adolescents. I hold extensive experience within the LGBTQ+ community, and specialize in treating symptoms of anxiety and depression. I also provide support for those at the intersection of transition, individuals experiencing grief and loss, those healing from trauma, navigating chronic and terminal illness, and those overwhelmed by burnout

I've lived in the PNW for 25 years via Miami and originally, from New York City. I received a BFA from the Rochester Institute of Technology and worked as a professional photographer. In Seattle, I worked for Microsoft and lead self-actualization seminars before earning a Masters in Existential Psychology from Seattle University, I practice Existential Integrative therapy and also study mindfulness and eastern philosophy. I'm interested in the ways these converge, how people construct meaning and how it relates to their as-lived experience; and how clients use this capacity to generate self-awareness and walk a new pathway forward.