Most people have been suffering for a long time before they decide to seek therapy. It takes so much courage and self-awareness to decide to seek therapy. You’re in the right place!
Are you struggling with anxiety, depression, PTSD, chronic illness? Are you a therapist wrestling with professional identity/trajectory, mental or physical health issues, or professional burnout? Are you judged/marginalized because of your body size, gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or health conditions? I am passionate about helping marginalized clients and fellow therapists receive affirming therapy services. I provide individual therapy to adults.
I’m a therapist (she/her) located in Seattle, WA. I primarily serve clients living in the Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Mercer Island, and South King County areas; however, I can serve clients anywhere in Washington State. I strive to help you believe in your inborn/innate worth, celebrate your authenticity, and find healing!
Click the phone consultation button, fill out the short form, and let’s see if we’re a fit!
LGBTQIA+
As a queer person, I understand the beauty, pain, and celebration of identifying, accepting, and making known our authentic selves. It’s unlike anything else (wherever you are on that journey). Coming out when you’re LGBTQIA+ is a recurring part of the process. You first come out to yourself, which often evolves over time and results in a new and deeper connection with yourself. Being transgender or on the non-binary spectrum adds a layer to identity exploration as you access how you experience your gender and what that means for how you relate to sexuality labels. Social connections also evolve, as you’re uncovering new territories within existing relationships and continually meeting new people. The dark side is we never experience 100% support all the time. On this multi-faceted and lifelong journey, it’s vital to have people who celebrate you unconditionally and provide resources and support (including WPATH letters) at every bend in the road—You have a home for all of that with me.
Therapy for Therapists
Damn! If only your education and professional experience fortified you against struggle, stress, and mental illness. Am I right? Others assume we have it handled and we feel we should too. But therapists are messy and complicated, just like everyone else! If you searched and found me, you’re likely feeling stretched and burned out under the combined weight of life, work, and personal struggles. College cannot fully prepare you for this. It’s simultaneously a wild and wonderful ride. If you’re here, however, that wonderful piece may not feel tangible. Whether you’re new to the field or a seasoned therapist, finding balance between caring for yourself, family, friends, co-workers, supervisees, and clients is ongoing. Sometimes the struggle is real! Maybe circumstances have shifted substantially, or background stuff is now screaming for your attention. The therapy skills you’re teaching to clients aren’t working for you as much anymore because you need a more personalized set. You want more than anything to keep it together and thrive!
Chronic Illness
Struggling with chronic illness is spiritually, psychologically, emotionally, and physically exhausting. Maybe you have a proper diagnosis and treatment currently, or maybe you are still striving to achieve that. I will understand what you mean, regardless of your illness, if you say “getting diagnosed is just the beginning.” After diagnosis, the slog begins anew with finding the right specialists and trialing treatments ad nauseam before finding what works. Then, you spend the rest of your life walking a narrow path, filled with carefully crafted days, to help you stay well and thrive. Your life is immeasurably more challenging compared to the average person’s. You must grow accustomed to a certain level of symptomatology and embrace your normal, balancing between too little and too much, or else unravel psychologically and physically. What kind of raw deal is that?! Here’s the thing: You don’t need to carry everything alone. I’m especially knowledgeable about IBS, Celiac Disease, Fibromyalgia, and Interstitial Cystitis/painful bladder syndrome.
Anxiety
Anxiety can be completely overwhelming or a constant nagging in the background. You’re grumpy or snappy, which is hard to control in the moment, and you feel so guilty later. You’re exhausted because you’ve been up worrying all night, which only fuels your overwhelm and irritability. Your racing thoughts make it difficult to concentrate and be present. The expectations that you have of yourself, or that others have of you, feel too heavy. There’s so much to do and so little time. When you finally get the chance, it’s so hard to relax. So you just try to ignore your anxiety by staying busy or numbing it somehow, but it’s not working. You can’t win! Sometimes stress makes us physically sick. Maybe now you’re thinking, “I do feel physically like crap a lot!” You’ve tried talking to other people about it and they say “Just relax! It’ll all work out.” And you’re thinking “Oh, yeah! I never thought of it that way. I’m cured! Thanks!”
Depression
Crying a lot, struggling with self-care, feeling overwhelmed by everything, staying in bed, sleeping too much or not enough, avoiding people, not keeping up with responsibilities, and over- or under-eating are all potential signs of depression. But depression can also be super sneaky. You might feel numb or disconnected, do things but find no joy in them, and be on autopilot every day. If you’re funny, enthusiastic, and a go-getter, it’s likely no one knows you’re suffering, which makes you feel even more alone. Funny and happy are not the same thing. No matter how you experience depression, you get so damn tired of having to “fake it till you make it.” When you try to talk to people about it, they just tell you to “look on the bright side”, suggest a bunch of things they think will make you happy, claim to know how you feel and tell their story, or overwhelm you with their concern or judgment.
PTSD
People who have experienced physical or sexual abuse, something scary or life threatening like a car accident or war, psychological abuse (threats, manipulation, criticism, and control tactics), have been or are employed someplace where they are consistently exposed to traumatic stories, or endure systemic oppression due to their physical appearance or identity may develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress. People can also develop PTSD by witnessing someone else’s trauma or learning that a loved one was traumatized or died tragically. Painful memories intrude randomly throughout the day. Nightmares replay the event(s) or your dreams have traumatic themes similar to yours. It’s hard to have positive emotions. You might be doing destructive or impulsive things to cope. Either because no one gets it or because it’s difficult to trust people, you often feel cut off. You try to avoid reminders and situations that might put you or loved ones at risk again. People don’t understand, you can’t just “get over it” and you’re not “being dramatic.”