Therapists in Seattle, WA

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans". With over 18 years in the field, I am an experienced clinician. Challenges in your relationship as a couple, dealing with an explosive child or teenager, depression, anxiety, trauma, and struggling to have a healthier, happier relationship as a couple, family or individual? Here's where you can take your first step. There is hope and things can change. I am a down-to-earth therapist with a warm and caring nature. I provide an empathetic and safe place where you can be yourself without fear of judgment.

My goal is to create a space for you to bring yourself and be heard. I enjoy getting to know the people I work with and if you choose the work with me, the rich/complicated narrative of how you came to be who you are today. My role is to be present with you and to hold space so that together we can find each next step in your ongoing journey. We can enter this space together and create something new. A different way of seeing, a different path in a stuck area of life or an expanded understanding and grace for yourself. Bring yourself, as you are, with your strengths and stress and struggles.

There is power in our voices, and we deserve spaces where we can learn to feel safe expressing our pain, our hopes and our truth. I consider it my life's work to help create sacred spaces for those seeking ways to let go of the weight of their trauma and/or simply learn how to live life well and more authentically. Trust fostered in therapeutic relationships can open doors for increased self-awareness and self-love, inviting you to create healthier beliefs about yourself, your relationships, your life, your choices and your potential.

Are you struggling to feel connected - to yourself, to your values, to others? Having a hard time letting go of old stories? I believe there are powerful forces that disconnect us from our truth - the forces of trauma, oppression, diet-culture, even our old ways of survival. In our work together we will center reconnection - to yourself, to your body and the wisdom contained within. I believe our relationships are strengthened when we commit to building trust in ourselves. We'll work together to identify patterns, your strengths and values and explore the impacts of culture, identity and family of origin.

Ellen Hess is a certified EMDR therapist serving Washington and Oregon state. They work with clients struggle with C-PTSD, PTSD or trauma related issues as well as most mental health struggles. Many of Ellen’s clients come in for anxiety, panic, depression, sleep struggles and/or relational struggles. Ellen is particularly passionate about serving childhood trauma and LGBTQ+ populations. They also have advanced training in the areas of CBT for Insomnia and CBT for Psychosis.

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Counseling Center. If you are looking for trauma-informed counselors to work through some things you are dealing with in your life, you have come to the right place. We are a group of humanistic counselors who specialize in trauma, childhood trauma, grief, loss, and attachment, We listen to what our client's specific needs are and build a treatment plan using the modality that best fits you. Building a supportive relationship with your therapist is key. Research shows that building a relationship with unconditional positive regard helps aid in the healing process as well as attachment.

*****COVID-19 update: I am currently seeing clients via telehealth. I am a Somatic Psychotherapist who works with individuals and partnerships. I provide a consistent client-centered environment. I work hard to see clients in their intersecting identities and experiences; this includes clients' unique selves, family histories, cultural identities, and experiences with power and privilege. I look for coping strategies that may or not be outdated, rather than pathology. I seek to listen well, to learn who you are, and collaborate with you to find what it is that you most need.

Dr. Whitmer treats individuals, couples, and families. His doctoral training in clinical psychology has prepared him to treat many mental health disorders with various interventions. Dr. Whitmer is board certified as a Certified Forensic Mental Health Evaluator and a Forensic Vocational Expert. He is nationally certified as Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, and is International Psychometric Evaluation Certified. Dr. Whitmer is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Washington State.

I work with individuals and couples who are looking to get more out of their lives. Choosing the right therapist for you is important - email, text or call to set up a free consult to see if we're a good match to work through your issues. With couples, I help increase communication and understanding of each other using Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Gottman. My areas of focus for individuals include work issues, depression and anxiety, grief, navigating American culture, and sexual issues that get in the way of committed relationships.

I am a clinical counselor with a profound dedication to guiding clients on their unique paths of healing and self-discovery. Specializing in trauma recovery, emotional well-being, and authentic self-leadership, my approach is deeply rooted in compassion and professional clinical expertise. I provide a nurturing and safe environment where individuals can freely explore and overcome their personal challenges. My commitment extends beyond mere coping strategies, aiming to empower each client with resilience, self-awareness, and a deeper understanding of their own journey.

Evening appointments! As a licensed psychologist and trauma therapist, I'm here to help you heal pain from the past to achieve a brighter tomorrow. My patients are usually seeking to work through relationship issues, abuse, disasters, and other overwhelming life events that are difficult to recover from alone. Often, when my patients first reach out, they're feeling overwhelmed by their needs and emotions; they want a psychologist who will listen, reassure them, and provide directed help for their challenges. They want connection, comfort, and guidance, and they're ready to do what is needed to enjoy their lives again.

My patients are usually hard working adults who have run into some tough times or are experiencing difficult emotional issues such as anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and addictions. I focus on using a strengths-based and harm reduction approach, which views each person as an individual with unique strengths and challenges. Using this approach values the person and facilitates a customized treatment plan for the individual. My role is not to judge you or your behaviors, but to act as an independent consultant for improving your mental well-being and quality of life.

Regulating your nervous system and restoring balance to your body and mind really is possible. Past trauma and current stressors offer us the road map for healing. I am passionate about working with adults who are motivated for that change. I work with Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, Brainspotting, Internal Family Systems (IFS) and other therapies to treat anxiety/depression, grief and loss, PTSD, past traumas or current triggers, interpersonal conflict, attachment differences and more.

I believe that the relationship to our self is the most important relationship that we will ever have. A bond with a therapist who witnesses and understands us in a nonjudgmental way can be a wonderful ally in improving that relationship and making positive changes in our lives. Trauma, attachment issues, toxic families of origin, oppression, grief, and ancestral/family patterns are just some just some examples that can cause suffering that motivates someone to start therapy. I have experience working with clients with depression, anxiety, panic attacks, PTSD, and other mood disorders that make it difficult to function in life.

Your needs and story are unique and your therapy should be too. Let's find the right kind of therapy for you so you can thrive rather than just get by. Whether you’re suffering deeply, experiencing relationship conflict, confused about who you are and how to be true to yourself, unable to connect with others, or bored and uninspired, I’d like to know your story and help you write the next chapters so that you can have your best life. I work with with anxiety, depression, trauma, auto-immune disorders, OCD, relationship issues, ADHD/ADD, neurodivergence, and more, and can help you make the changes for a better life.

NOTE: Not currently accepting clients. Having a space to be ourselves without shame, worry or fear can be a powerful catalyst for healing. We will collaboratively create spaces where we tackle challenges and pain you may be experiencing in your life, notice the functions that these patterns serve, identify inherent strengths, and engage in reflection without judgement. Making the decision to access therapy is in itself a sign of your inherent strength. I hope to help you identify and build on those strengths in order to cope with life experiences.

I see a wide range of clients, although I specialize in childhood trauma and CPTSD, relationships, anxiety, ADHD, and LGBTQ issues. I work with both couples and individuals, as well as children and adolescents. Therapy focus may include relationship conflict, anxiety control, satisfaction in both your personal life and work, focus and motivation, and building a sense of "feeling whole" or "complete." I've helped countless clients move from a place of feeling stuck and dissatisfied, to one of happiness and flourishing. I also offer specialized care to transgender and questioning clients, including transition-related counseling.

Sometimes we struggle to make meaning where life has thrown us a curveball: a death, a divorce, coming out, or even a pandemic. It’s overwhelming trying to bring order to chaos, at times having to impossibly reconcile competing truths. “It gets better” fails to appreciate the acute pain of the moment, only going so far in moving the needle towards hope. In an age where humans are increasingly polarized, buoyed by deeply held beliefs, there remains a need for something more than personal happiness alone. As a relational Therapist, I help clients find sustainable wellness; prioritizing relationship with self and others over ideology.

By addressing troubling thoughts and feelings, self-sabotaging behaviors, and traumas, life can be made more manageable, productive, and fulfilling. Feelings such as grief, shame, anxiety, sadness, and anger often signal that something needs to change. Listening to and working with these feelings—some that consume us and others that gently nudge us—can move us forward. Through this, we sometimes discover that our everyday dilemmas are part of larger patterns waiting to be resolved as a whole.