Brandon Zahl, LMHC

In some way or another, we are all trying to find our way home again. To that place of being where we feel deeply peaceful, vibrantly alive, and connected in kinship and love. We feel a deep longing for this place yet struggle to make sense of how to close the gap between here and there. Unresolved trauma, troublesome childhood environments, and a host of other factors may be causing us never-ending stress and hardship. We have tried to fix things yet we have failed and bit by bit, we lose faith that we can realize our heart’s calling. The chaos and unrest in our lives take their toll day by day and we feel stuck and hopeless. We each have a vast set of inner resources and a natural capacity for healing, if only we are able to tap into them and foster their growth. Together we’ll work together to identify and practice activities that help you feel calm, confident and in control. We'll use somatic-based, mindfulness practices to become aware of the signs of unresolved trauma and guide the body, heart and mind to resolution. I'll support and coach you as you move beyond self-limiting patterns and embody the self you’re yearning to become. I bring playfulness, curiosity, acceptance, and empathy to my work and value the wisdom within each of my clients. I tailor my services using an evidence-based client feedback tool to help us find what works best while also being efficient with time and resources. I believe we are all deserving of love - especially in the places where society has told us we should be ashamed. If you want to get to a better place yet are struggling to find a way there, please reach out.

Sessions are offered via secure video call or in-person at my office at 1818 Westlake Ave N Suite 314, Seattle (vaccination required). I work with individuals 18 or older. I am not an in-network provider with any insurance companies and do not bill insurance companies directly. All payment is required up-front from you but you can submit reimbursement requests to your insurance company. Your insurance may partially cover our sessions and if they do, they will send you reimbursement (likely a check in the mail) according to your plan policies. If you’d like to understand how much your insurance may cover, I have a how-to guide on my website.

My role is as collaborator, guide, coach and empathetic listener. Together we will work to explore your goals and how I can best support your journey there. I believe clients can become the heroes of their lives and help them tap into their own wisdom and healing capacity. I employ an ultra-brief but regular survey-based feedback process to help me tailor my approach to fit you, identify my mistakes, and help us make the best use of your time and resources.

I've struggled with my own unresolved trauma and childhood problems and know the vast spiderweb of mental, emotional, physical, financial and social effects that these wounds cause. Through seeing the results of my own healing, I've become passionate about helping others. I've been a regular meditator, journaler and spiritual seeker since 2012 - this self-work (in addition to my own therapy) has greatly enhanced my ability to serve clients and be present with whatever is in the room. I see myself as a playful, genuine, caring and creative person who enjoys time with loved ones, music, dancing, nature, and photography.

Over 1,000 studies show that the quality of the alliance is the single biggest predictor of successful therapeutic outcomes and has about a 3x greater influence than particular therapeutic techniques (from "The Great Psychotherapy Debate: The Evidence for What Makes Psychotherapy Work", 2015). For these reasons, I place my focus on measuring the quality of the alliance and making efforts to improve it wherever possible. Outside of session, I work on improving my skills in both building and maintaining a quality alliance. Therapist opinion has been shown to be an inaccurate gauges of the alliance and so a more objective measurement is needed. I use an evidence-based, ultra-brief survey called the Outcome Rating Scale that asks clients to rate each session on a sliding scale in each the following dimensions: - I felt heard, understood, and respected. - We worked on and talked about what I wanted to work on and talk about. - The therapist's approach is a good fit for me. - Overall, today's session was right for me. After the rating process we review whatever affected those scores in a negative way. Even small issues affecting those ratings should be raised so we can work best together - negative feedback is always welcomed and treated respectfully.