Find a Therapist in Mercer Island, Washington.

"Those who look outside, dream; they who look inside, awake."-Carl Jung. Why seek therapy? Because, among other reasons, life sometimes has a way of telling us who we should be, instead of letting us be ourselves. A spouse, a family member, a job, an internal voice that will not quiet; it's tough to speak for ourselves when we're being told by so many. Happiness and confidence are not found in being what you are told to be, but in listening to the internal voice of your heart and finding the courage to follow it. The challenge lies in quieting the voices, the anxiety and the fear and allowing your heart to speak. Therapy provides the space to create the silence.

Psychotherapy is relational. It's about feeling safe with your therapist where you can express your innermost thoughts and feelings. I provide a nurturing and structured space where you can get to the root of your issues in as short of time as possible. While I believe in the benefits of long-term therapy, I also know many of you want solutions. Consequently, my approach is solution-focused with cognitive behavioral techniques and even assignments for clients to help them reach their goals more quickly.

My approach to Individual Counseling is really quite basic: We engage in honest and direct dialogue about life and relationships. During counseling sessions we examine the thoughts and feelings that create difficult circumstances and unsatisfying relationships. We begin to self-reflect. As our awareness deepens our worries and problems decrease and eventually dissolve completely. With greater focus and enthusiasm we channel our energy into realizing our heart's desires, allowing joyful experiences to naturally arise. A depth of meaning and satisfaction is seated within ourselves. We experience greater compassion and joy in all circumstances.

Psychotherapy is a dynamic collaboration! As I partner with you in your counseling, I bring a caring and compassionate presence to our work together as you gain greater self awareness. I understand your full experience and support you so that you can look at your options and make healthy enlivening choices. Because I am there for you, you may find the courage to look at something you've been avoiding, you may discover more of who you are and all of the wonderful qualities you posess. Partnering with me means that you will benefit from my training, experience and insights and since you are an expert on yourself and your life, you will have the optimum environment for growth.

Therapy with me is largely about dialogue and connection. I ask my clients to make themselves vulnerable in the process and I am willing to do the same. I try to stay with what the client is bringing to the conversation and really understand where they are coming from in relation to their larger context. I am curious and well-rounded and can connect with clients on many levels and on many topics. I ask insightful questions, connect seemingly disparate dots to find patterns, pose theories and suggest treatment plans. It's only through understanding where you are that you can then decide where you would like to go.

My approach to psychotherapy is collaborative, practical, and focused on creating lasting change both inside and outside of sessions. I provide a supportive environment where clients feel heard, respected, and empowered to develop their own solutions. Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques, I help clients identify unhealthy thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that may be contributing to distress and replace them with healthier patterns. Sessions are active, goal-oriented, and tailored to each client’s unique needs and goals.

Understanding our past and its impact on our current life can be life changing. We carry our past with us. We carry our interpretation of our past and it repeats itself in our love relationships, friendships, family, and work success or failures. Being more in charge of the choices you make and the relationships you enter into will be the result of our sessions.

I employ a holistic approach that bridges the worlds of shamanic healing, contemporary psychotherapy, and life coaching. The blending of these modalities recognizes and works with the invisible energies, the non-ordinary realities (however we each individually perceive these forces), and the physical world experiences and choices influencing our wellbeing. I bring to this work deep integrity, compassion, fortitude, intuition, and over 3 decades of shamanic practice in support of mine and others' journeys of healing, personal mastery, and authenticity.

Mental Health Counseling services is a subfield of psychotherapy. Counseling is designed around specific client goals and needs that enhance the client's wellbeing and overall functioning. Support networks are considered as well as wraparound services as needed. This practice promotes a collaborative relationship with other services in the area as needed, provided such collaboration assistance is permitted by the client. Treatment/service plans can be developed for more structured counseling services.

Therapy is a way to create your own support system and carve out time in your week that is just for you. I will help you to identify feelings and thought patterns living in the unconscious that are keeping you from moving toward your potential and living a truly authentic life. Our symptoms are like arrows that point to the wound. I follow your symptoms and work with and identify the underlying issues. If given the time and support, the psyche will always move toward healing.

Seeking psychotherapy can be an important step in changing unhealthy dynamics in your life. I provide a safe place to explore your concerns in a non-judgemental environment. I help my clients address their root issues, so they can become free to engage fully in life. I specialize in * Marriage and Relationship Issues * Addictions (sex addiction, substance abuse, eating disorders) * Co-addictions (healing for partners of addicted individuals)* Anxiety & Stress * Self Esteem Issues * Depression * Grief/loss * Trauma * Spiritual Healing * Christian Counseling. I also have a male therapist who works with me who specializes in working with men and adolescent boys, couples, and families.

I help individuals and couples get what they want out of life. Great lives are possible, but somehow we're not always taught how to get them while growing up. The reason for that is that everyone's "great life" is different from everyone else's and it's achieved differently from everyone else. Focusing on you and your life is a direct route to figuring out what has been bothering you and why. And moving forward, we figure out how to effectively make happen what you want to happen.

People look at you and think you have it all together, but inside you are falling apart. You find yourself consumed with thoughts about food and your body, and it's exhausting you. You're anxious most of the time and unable to get yourself unstuck. You desire freedom and change from this. Something has to give or you're going to keep falling. You want to find a new path to viewing your body and freedom with food. I'm here to help you create a thriving life. Contact me now.