Because I do not accept insurance, your file/record will be confidential.

You have the right to confidentiality except in certain cases.

These exceptions include:

• Imminent harm to self (suicide)

• Imminent harm to others (homicide)

• Knowledge of child abuse

• Knowledge of elder abuse

In these cases, confidentiality can be broken.

My goal is for clients to work me out of a job and stop seeing me.

Therapy has a beginning, middle, and end.

Length of treatment depends on your goals and your ability to invest time and money.

Some clients benefit from brief therapy (1-4 sessions) or short-term therapy (3-6 months) for a single issue.

Other clients benefit from longer-term therapy (6-12 months+) for more complex issues.

Some clients, especially those with a history of complex traumas and multiple childhood attachment ruptures/injuries attend therapy for years.

Others enjoy having a space to continually explore, uncover, and work through their identity, questions, and anxieties.

We’ll end therapy when your goals have been met, your symptoms have decreased, you want space and time to integrate your learning, and/or at anytime you feel therapy isn’t helpful.

Some folks also like to pause and take a break, coming back when necessary.

Note: While I work with some clients long-term, when we approach a new year, I will do the following to make sure treatment is still helpful:

• Sending you a review/progress/feedback form

• Asking if you have new goals you want to work on

• Encouraging you to take time off from sessions to see if you can maintain the gains you’ve made and integrate learnings without seeing me for 1-3 months

• Exploring if we have plateaued in our work and things have become repetitive and “meh”

• Encouraging you too do adjunctive work with someone else in an area I lack training in

• Changing the modality/framework of our sessions (e.g. from more skills based/solution focused to more open-ended and existentially oriented)

• To be a professional (follow ethics, confidentiality, respecting your choices/preferences, treat you with respect and kindness, be direct in my communication)

• To be open to feedback and suggestions

• To be prompt and on time to session

• Honest if I can or cannot help you at anytime and provide a referral to another therapist (e.g. if your symptoms don’t get better, if I learn I do not specialize in an area/issue you bring up)

• Honest if I notice repeated unhelpful patterns and dynamics occurring and to directly communicate this with you

• Predictability and consistency (sessions at scheduled time, notice when I take time off, providing a backup therapist referral should I be gone for longer than a few weeks)

• Flexible in my approach (if something doesn’t work for you, I will adjust as needed)

• To provide you with a treatment plan or roadmap of what to expect during our work together

• To let you know when I think it is best to stop therapy if you have met your goals, plateaued with me, if I’ve lost objectivity, you’re being harmed in our work, or not getting better in our work

Please note I am not a medical prescriber and do not prescribe psychiatric medication.

• Consider if therapy is the right approach for what you’re seeking vs. other alternatives (coaching, support groups, courses, workshops, retreats, etc.)

• Consider if you have the time, money, energy, and effort to invest in and outside of session at this moment in your life

• Establish achievable goals and expectations

• Consider maximum monthly therapy expenses or if you want to use insurance

• Solicit feedback: Be honest about what is helpful, isn’t helpful, and tell your therapist

• Come into session with topics you want to talk about/explore

• Patience: It may take multiple sessions to feel progress

• Compassion: Kindness, not shaming and criticism, helps with fostering long-term growth and change

• Carve out time before therapy to prepare and after to take care of yourself gently and slowly and to transition to your next activity with more ease.

• Identify what’s most important to you in a therapist (e.g. style, age, personality, cultural background, values, training, fees, insurance)

• Ask for clarification and comprehension if you are unsure what your therapist is discussing or bringing up.

• Not every therapist will be a good fit. There are many types of therapists with different personalities, approaches, cultural backgrounds, etc. Find someone with whom you feel comfortable talking openly.

  • For example, if you’re seekng a solution-focused type of therapy, you can consider CBT or Brief Solution Focused Therapy.

  • If you’re seeking trauma-focused therapy, you can consider PE, CPT, EMDR, IFS, etc.

  • If you want a more passive therapist who will let you talk without interruption, you can consider person-centered therapy, humanistic therapy, psychodynamic therapy, psychoanalytic therapy.

Read more here (How to Make Therapy Rewarding & Successful).

• To be prompt and on time to session

• To come to session with a general idea of things/concerns/issues you want to discuss/explore/dive into

• To be open to trying new ways of thinking and being

• To be honest and direct about your needs/wants

• To solicit feedback when things aren’t working

• To honor the therapeutic boundaries

• To do the work outside of session (practice, practice)

• To practice patience and acceptance

• To tolerate the hard work of confronting uncomfortable and painful experiences (healing is rarely easy and fun)

• To let me know when you think you want to stop or pause therapy, or need another type of therapist/therapy style

Signs you're progressing in therapy can include but is not limited to:

• Gaining insight: learning why you do what you do

• You learn skills and tools to manage overwhelming situations and life stressors

• You can cope and manage stressors using helpful strategies and rely less on unhelpful survival strategies 

• Your initial symptoms have decreased 

• Your mood has improved

• You have more flexible ways of thinking

• You feel more confident to handle things on your own 

• You try things outside of therapy and are more able to experiment and take risks you usually avoid 

• You feel more empowered

• And more

Your therapist should have a treatment plan for you.

A treatment plan is an overview of your issues, concerns, goals, and what evidence based interventions and treatment types will help you work toward your goals. This is often completed in the early stages of therapy.

Reviewing your treatment plan periodically can help you see if you've made progress in therapy, as well as identifying barriers toward achieving your goals.

True safety is not possible as safety is on a continuum and is complex.

I engage in the following for all clients so therapy can be safer.

Therapeutic Frame & Boundaries

• Letting you know up front what to expect in therapy (e.g. risks and benefits to therapy, money, cancellation policy, office location, etc.)

• Having flexible and firm boundaries to protect us both

Pacing & Phase Based Approach

• Taking a gradual, slow approach to therapy vs. diving right in

• Following Judith Herman’s 3 phased/phased based approach to therapy

Asking for Permission & Invitation

• Everything I ask you to do in therapy is an invitation or encouragement, but not mandatory

• I consistently ask for permission in session to see if you want to explore a particular topic, go deeper into a more sensitive topic, etc. instead of assuming

Ongoing Feedback

• I solicit regular verbal and written feedback because I can’t read clients’ minds/assume that therapy is going well

• Feedback has been shown to deepen and make therapy more effective

Grounding, Resourcing & Regulation

• Teaching you practical skills/tools to manage distress and overwhelm

• Teaching you the importance of having a strong foundation in learning to self-regulate/self-soothe

Confidentiality & Its Limits

• Letting you know everything is confidential in therapy with the exception of certain areas such as: knowledge of child abuse, knowledge of elder abuse, and imminent harm to self or others

I use both trauma informed care/therapy and trauma specific therapy.

All therapists should be trauma-informed, whether or not a client is seeking therapy for trauma recovery.

Trauma informed care/therapy means I follow a set of beliefs including:

• Shift from “What is wrong with you?" to "What happened to you?"

• Recognizes trauma is widespread and occurs often

• Focuses on physical, emotional and psychological safety, trusting relationships (safety on a continuum and complex, pacing, gradual process, flexible boundaries)

• Patient empowerment (collaboration, asking for feedback, asking for permission)

• To avoid active intentional re-traumatization

Not all therapists have trauma specific training.

Trauma specific therapy means I have specific training, education, and skill in working with particular types of traumas including: sexual abuse and assault, childhood emotional neglect, childhood abuse, domestic violence/intimate partner violence, racial trauma/race based discrimination, etc.

These are some of the types of traumas:

• Single incident/event trauma or PTSD

• Attachment, development, or childhood injuries or traumas

• Historical or intergenerational traumas

• Identity-based traumas such as racism, homophobia & sexism

This also means I am trained in a wide range of modalities and approaches including: CPT, CBT, EMDR, IFS, Psychodynamic therapy, etc.

I also have in depth training, knowledge, and experience with the following:

• Dissociation

• Grief and loss

• Toxic shame

• Emotions like fear, anger, guilt, and sadness

• Adult attachment styles

• The importance of early childhood experiences

• The importance of culture and difference

• Defenses/survival strategies/resistance/protectors

• Nervous system regulation

• How trauma alters the brain

• Mind-body connection/soma

• Counter transference and transference

• Projective identification

• Enactments

• Secondary or vicarious trauma

• Burn out

• Compassion fatigue or compassion/empathetic distress fatigue

I do not have adequate specialized training & experience with the following populations and issues:

• Children

• Adolescents

• Teens

• Families

• Psychosis

• Sleep issues/insomnia

• Mandated/court ordered therapy

• Disability evaluations

• Forensic evaluations

• OCD

• Discernment counseling

• Sex therapy

No Crisis Services

• I can’t take on clients who are actively suicidal and homicidal, active eating disorders, active addiction, and/or problematic substance use due to being a one person practice.

• These issues require a higher level of care where you are provided intensive care (e.g. more than an hour once a week).

The first therapy session is called an intake or assessment. 

Your therapist will use this session to learn more about you, gather pertinent information about your life such as your family history, culture, history of your issues/concerns, your strengths, your support system, what you've tried before to alleviate your issues, and more. 

You can prepare for your first session by:

1. Anticipating being asked many questions from your therapist

2. Reviewing and completing all required paperwork

3. Arriving a few minutes early

4. Coming in with a list of questions you may have

5. Being as open as possible

6. Talking about your issues and what you're experiencing, and

7. Reminding yourself you can decline to answer any questions if you don't feel comfortable

If doing teletherapy, ensure you're in a private enclosed space, your internet is stable, proper lighting in your room, logging on and checking your sound, camera, and internet service, and arriving a few minutes early.

Of course.

Therapy is not the only way toward healing and growth. Some people never go to therapy and live full and complete lives.

There are many ways to heal and therapy is only one way, but certainly not the only way. You get to decide if therapy is a part of your journey or not.

While it's possible to work on your own personal healing, therapy offers different benefits that may be difficult to achieve on your own.

Talking to a friend, reading books, journaling, mindfulness, meditation, exercise, yoga, smart phone apps, chat GPT, Claude AI, and scrolling through TikTok and Instagram are all tools.

Therapy is another tool.

Therapists provide:

1. Accountability

2. Support

3. A professional perspective

4. Structure

5. Confidentiality

6. Expertise, skills, and training

Forcing yourself or being forced to attend therapy rarely yields positive results.

Don’t go to therapy if you don’t want to. It will be a waste of time, energy, and money without commitment to the process.

It’s your decision to decide if therapy will be a helpful tool for you.

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I like this post and this post on how to find a therapist and how therapy works (sometimes).

Of course.

Artificial intelligence can be helpful for most people with mild to moderate symptoms and can assist with:

• Providing psychoeducation (teaching clients about mental health issues like depression, trauma, and anxiety)

• Help with skills/tools implementation such as worksheets, strategies, etc.

• Provide support and validation with structured conversations

• Generate answers to more basic questions about mental health issues

However, for trauma, grief, and relationship issues, these issues can be more complex, nuanced, intricate, and require human connection.

The type of therapies I practice (experiential, emotion-focused, and attachment/relational focused), rely on:

1. Noticing subtle, micro movements and changes in your body, posture, breath, and tone of voice

2. Help you manage your overwhelming thoughts and feelings in real time (co-regulation, attunement)

3. Challenge you with compassion when I notice you utilizing defenses, protective strategies, and other methods of survival that no longer serve you 100% of the time

4. Building a strong therapeutic relationship with you in real time based on feedback, respect, curiosity, trust, safety, and empowerment

5. Repairing and having discussions after a disagreement, conflict, and/or misunderstanding in real time instead of avoiding difficult topics/issues and walking on eggshells

6. Spontaneity and interrupting you at times if I notice you are doing something that is getting in the way of your healing and growth

7. Humor, sass, and authenticity, bringing my whole self to session

8. Witnessing, holding, and containing your pain, wounds, and grief in real time so you can be more seen and held

9. Offering you a corrective experience you may not have had before instead of repeating the same patterns/dynamics with previous people, including therapists

The clients I work with experience complex trauma, grief, personality functioning issues, relationship difficulties, and multicultural concerns, which inherently require more of a human focus.

You can also see if there are any complaints against your therapist on the websites below.

Washington State

• WA DOH

California

• CA BBS

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My licenses are below.

• (LW61230640 (Washington)

• LCSW 122224 (California)

It’s common to feel nervous and stressed about going to therapy, especially if you’ve never gone before.

Human beings are hardwired to avoid pain, discomfort, and the unknown.

Common reasons clients feel unsure about therapy:

• Feelings of embarrassment

• Discomfort with vulnerability

• Stigma around mental health due to cultural norms

• Expenses/fees

• Fear of being misunderstood

• Fear that treatment will not be helpful

• Commitment to treatment long term

• Past negative experiences with therapists

• And more

I’ll ask you questions about your worries so we can alleviate and address your concerns.

There is no “perfect” time to start therapy. We begin where you are at and we move slowly. The hardest part is usually making the first step and reaching out.

Trust times take time to build. We’ll only continue meeting if we both find it helpful and a good fit.

If I’m not a good fit for your needs, there are a variety of therapies and types of therapies available who can help you.

As a therapist who goes to therapy, I still feel nervous at times going to therapy!

You might cry. Many people do. And it's completely okay.

Crying is a normal, helpful, and natural way for our bodies to release pent-up emotions.

Crying is a way to let go of the pain, sadness, burden, fatigue, or frustration you may be carrying inside.

By crying, you're actually taking a positive step towards healing.

Or you might not cry. And that’s okay too.

I see clients Mondays - Thursdays virtually for residents of California & Washington from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

I have an office in Downtown Ballard. The lease expires September 30, 2026.

I am unsure if I will sublease another office for in person work 1-2 days per week or will move to 100% telehealth.

I do not accept insurance. This is why.

Click here for referrals for therapists who accept insurance.

You can review my referrals page for therapists who accept insurance and/or offer a reduced ($100-$150), pro-bono ($0), or significantly lower fees ($20-$90) here.

Click here for personal referrals.

If you are new to therapy and finances are an issue, I recommend finding a therapist who takes insurance or offers a lower fee because finances can create anxiety and stress.

This way, you get to experience therapy with lower financial risk in case it's not a good fit.

I work best with those who have been in therapy prior for months/years and want something different than traditional talk therapy (e.g. “How does that make you feel?”).

The best way to know if we would be a good fit is to:

• Browse my website, read through my profile, look through what I specialize in, and watch my videos to get a sense of my personality, and then

• Schedule a first session as a 5-10 minute consultation will not be long enough to truly know if we will be a good fit.

I offer an optional 5-10 minute meeting to answer any questions you may have before beginning therapy that isn’t on my website (usually personal in nature) or for a vibe check to see if our personalities mesh well together.

During our first session, I’ll learn more about you, provide you education, a plan for therapy, and we’ll both mutually decide if we should continue working together or if you require another type of therapy or therapist.

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WE MIGHT BE A GOOD FIT IF YOU VALUE:

01. Being Challenged & Interrupted At TImes

• Rather than venting every session and have me nod in silence

• I believe there is a limit to how much endless validation can help you grow

• Most of the clients I see provide me feedback that their previous therapist did not provide them structure and education on therapy, and instead just allowed them to vent without guidance.

  • Therapy with me is a deliberate process where we will address what you’ve been avoiding gradually. I will provide you ample education and rationale for why we are doing what we are doing, so you don’t feel lost.

02. Are Active In Therapy

• Come in with things to talk about, practice skills/tools outside session, open to trying new things.

• Therapy works best if the client is motivated, open, and engaged to used the session to confront their challenges so they can grow.

• Change is rarely comfortable and pleasant. It is my job to support you with compassion, empathy, and professionalism.

• Research shows about 40% of the change from therapy occurs outside of session, is due to client related factors (e.g. personality, motivation), and other systemic and contextual factors (e.g. time, money, home life, support).

• Forcing yourself or being forced to attend therapy rarely yields positive results. It’s your decision to decide if therapy will be a helpful tool for you.

03. Direct Communication & Soliciting Feedback

• Therapy is most helpful when you communicate with me your disagreements, your requests/wants, and when you give me feedback on what is and isn’t helpful. I’ll do the same.

• This is why many clients “ghost” their therapist when there is a disagreement, rupture, or conflict and they end up feeling misunderstood, hurt, or invalidated.

• Or at worst, this is why sometimes clients stay in therapy that is ineffective for them longer than they need to due to fear, anxiety, or worries of some sort and wish their therapist could read their mind and address the implicit issues in the room haunting the therapy session.

• If you struggle with assertive communication and want to learn this, I can help you.

04. Dialectic or Balance

• I try to balance things in therapy:

  • Balancing validation with challenge

  • Balancing insight with learning skills

  • Balancing listening with interrupting

  • Balancing acceptance with change

• Life is a dialectic. Both things and multiple things can be true at the same time.

05. Other Methods Outside of Talk Therapy

• Such as mindfulness, experiential therapy, psychodrama, somatic therapy

• There is a limit to how beneficial talk therapy can be, especially you are an intellectualizer who values logic, data, theories, and cognizing over emotions, sensations, and experiences

• As Steven Hayes states, “Get out of your head and into your body”.

05. The Healing Power of Relationships

• We will use our therapeutic relationship as a template for learning new healthy experiences and opportunities for repair and growth

• The relationship patterns you struggle with outside of therapy will inevitably show up in our sessions, between me and you.

• These challenges give us insight into why you struggle as well as what you need to change and grow into the sort of person you want to be toward meeting your therapeutic goals. We will interrupt these patterns with new experiences and patterns.

  • Example: If you are a people pleaser, you will most likely use people pleasing strategies in therapy which will get in the way of therapeutic progress. Intervention: People please less and have the option to utilizing assertive communication (vs. passive, passive aggressive, or aggressive communication styles) so you can ask for what you want without guilt.

  • Example: If you fear conflict, you will most likely try to avoid conflict in therapy, which is impossible because conflicts are a normal part of any relationship. Intervention: Understand the root of why you fear and avoid conflict. Normalize conflict by learning healthy communication, healthy relationships, communication skills, and accessing your emotions and sensations.

  • Example: If you struggle with feeling, naming, and being aware of your emotions, you will most likely struggle with accessing your emotions in therapy. Emotions are important and provide us data, like thoughts. Intervention: Understand the strategies for why you struggle with accessing your emotions. Slowly build the capacity to feel, name, and express your emotions so you can have a more meaningful life based on connection vs. disconnection.

06. Want to Learn How to Become Your Own Therapist Long Term

• My goal is for you to gain insight and understanding into why you do what you do, interrupt unhelpful cycles of sabotage, and learn skills/tools to manage future conflicts

WE MIGHT NOT BE A GOOD FIT IF YOU:

01. Expect Perfection

• I’m not perfect, will make mistakes, and will communicate directly when this occurs toward resolution

02. Expect Me To Do All The Work

• Examples: Solve your problems, tell you what to do, consistently have to ask you what you want to work on in session, am more curious about you than you are of yourself

03. Cancel Sessions Often

• Therapy works best with consistency

04. Don’t Take Accountability

• Confronting our shadows require honesty about our humanity and limitations

05. Don’t Liked Being Challenged

• Of course, I will be gentle and compassionate, but in my experienee, endless validation is not going to be helpful long term

06. Demand Instant Change Within 3-4 Sessions

• While relief can come in a few sessions, long term change requires compassion, practice, patience, and repetition

07. Want to Get Rid of All Your Feelings & Thoughts

• Pain is inevitable in life

• My goal is for you to learn to accept and manage life stressors, pain, and grief with more compassion, nuance, and acceptance.

• If we get rid of painful feelings and thoughts, we also then will have a difficult time accessing joy, love, and peace. What we resist persists.

• Moreover, there are things in life that cannot be forgotten, forgiven, or rid of such as the loss of a loved one or traumatic experiences

08. Aren’t Interested in Exploring Your Past, Childhood, or Upbringing

• There are other therapists who focus only on the present moment with an emphasis on skill building and generating quick solutions that may be a better fit (CBT, DBT, ACT)