My Approach to Helping
I love serving people with their change process. I have 38 years of counseling experience and several years prior as a special educator, and I offer experience with work-life balance, leadership, and career consulting. Always learning, my knowledge base is very broad. I like to apply it selectively, dependent on a careful assessment of your needs, and the feedback I get from you; presence for me is very important.
Supporting people to be creative, skillful, and integrated is an art. The context for healing comes out of relationship, so I will do all I can to help you to mastery, whether it be a relationship to yourself or to others. I am extremely empathic and naturally offer trust. It is always an honor to work with those who come through my door.
More Info About My Practice
As a WA State licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) and advanced clinical hypnotherapist in private practice since 1987, I have abundant experience with mental health and behavioral issues, as well as serving workplace issues and wellness. I am a Certified Employee Assistance Professional CEAP). I am situated in an office with a wonderful view of Lake Bellevue, nestled in central Bellevue, WA.
Having been in human service for almost 50 years with a holistic emphasis, I am able to use a variety of therapeutic approaches and modalities, including my skills working with children, families, and groups, as well as my effectiveness at helping people through career and life transitions. Starting as a professional educator has informed my extensive experience with leadership training and consulting. I am a community leader and can work effectively in a corporate context. My interests focus on trauma relief, and my skills are particularly tuned to both evidence-based approaches as well as an eclectic array of mind-body applications. I accept most insurance and often work with corporate employee assistance.
How Psychotherapy Can Help
I believe in psychotherapy as a tool for self evolution. I believe that growth is a developmental and relational process, shaped by transition, which we can understand and learn from consciously to help us to be better people and more understanding of others.
What I Love about Being a Psychotherapist
I love the magic of the change process, how it all flows. There is an art to psychotherapy which is very contextualized by the synergy of client and therapist. It is always an individual process, requiring creative alignment in the relationship, and attunement to healing. There is a very circular process in healing the self which, usually always shows up to be quite miraculous. It is very gratifying to serve people in this process, no matter what the issue.
The Duration and Frequency of Therapy
My practice is solution-oriented and my first commitment is to what the client needs so I listen deeply and reframe the issue, checking in with the client. I let the client know the time line is theirs, offer suggestions on what is needed as a result of my assessment and relative approach, and I let them know we will go step by step with regular check-ins so they can feel free and welcome to make an informed choice. Often people come with authorizations for a certain number of sessions and I do my best to address those needs as well as work with desires for a longer commitment.
