About Me
I am Serena Forward-Rodriguez (She/Her), the owner of Innate Authenticity. I’m a queer-identified, sex-positive, and body-positive therapist who provides a welcoming space for individuals of all identities, genders, and backgrounds. The value I bring to therapy with my clients lies in who I am and where I’ve come from as much as the professional experience and training I have. I’ll use my experience as a seasoned therapist who has also endured poverty, trauma, tumult with loved ones, sexism, homophobia, fatphobia, and chronic health issues to hold in my mind and heart a painful and messier but ultimately more holistic and helpful understanding of the human experience.
Radical humility and honesty are paramount in my practice. Therapists are mandated to attend continuing education every year, so we all have to be committed to ongoing learning. It is my value to go above and beyond…as time and finances allow. Interestingly though, the more I learn, the more I’m continually reminded how much I don’t know. It’s altogether impossible for me to train enough to be omniscient. Even if I could be, I can’t possibly know how you experience the world.
I urge you to be judicious in the care you seek! It’s ok if I’m not the right fit for you. I’ll also let you know in the phone consultation, or at any point during our time together, if I know that I don’t have what you need. It’s also ok if I’m overall the right fit for you, but I messed up. Please let me know! I’ll use my abilities to make educated guesses about what might be helpful to you. Ultimately, I can’t read your mind and always welcome feedback so I can serve you better or help you find the care you deserve elsewhere. I value using genuineness, humor where appropriate, and metaphors for describing all kinds of things to better connect with you, from human being to human being.
I enjoy discovering delicious gluten free foods, ciders, and beers as well as spending time with my husband, cats, friends, and family. I also enjoy being active, as my body allows—it’s working so hard for me, so I work hard to give it grace.
Education, Training, and Licensing
I graduated from City University of Seattle with my Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology in 2015 and from Seattle University with my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2009. I am formally trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Washington State, license #LH60913081.
My Therapy Style (Theoretical Approach)
I believe in addressing problems in a holistic and strengths-based way. My primary modality for care is always Person-Centered, which means I believe you know yourself best, unconditional positive regard by me and from yourself are necessary for change, and you will be driving your own treatment.
Based upon the goals you identify, I will also provide treatment from any or all of the following modalities:
- Psychoeducation – teaching about mental health and available treatments
- Motivational Interviewing – assessing readiness for change and goal setting for each stage of change
- Solution-Focused Therapy – strengths-based structured problem solving
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapies – how your thoughts and behaviors affect how you feel, such as:
- Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
- Behavioral Activation
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for Trauma
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
*Please note: If you require a formal DBT program, you should seek a clinic where your individual therapist and group skills therapist are on the same team, not separate clinics. If you are deeply struggling, it is very important that your therapists are adhering to the original DBT structure developed at the University of Washington. I used to be on such a team. However, because I am in solo practice, I now use DBT skills to teach all kinds of useful life skills everyone can benefit from.