Therapists in Vancouver, WA

I have worked with individuals, couples, families, and groups. My current focus is primarily on people dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, attachment, life transitions, trauma, family and other interpersonal issues. I use a highly respectful approach in helping my clients address their issues and build effective coping and communication skills. This can include identifying and shifting limiting patterns (based on experiences of the past) that have continued to influence their present-day emotions, attitudes, interactions, expectations, and decisions. I work with each individual in a way that empowers them to stay in charge of their own therapeutic process.

I have been practicing in Oregon since 1985. I am very open, honest and interactive. I enjoy what I do and to see clients being empowered to make a difference for themselves in their lives, is my reward. I am bilingual and speak Farsi. I have worked with individuals, couples, families and teenagers of all cultures. Being culturally different has given me a more of a perspective to allow more understanding and compassion in helping others.

Life's challenges may overwhelm your ability to cope and leave you confused and distressed. As a skilled therapist, I can assist to make this time fruitful rather then just a time to get through. I provide a safe comfortable place to focus on your experience of life. You will receive kindness, respect and genuine caring. My approach is client directed,with compassionate inquiry and creative exploration, using collaborative problem-solving to assist you in restoring your balance and moving in a positive direction; often with deeper insight and a greater capacity for joy and contentment.

I have a great deal of respect for the unique stories of individual lives, and I strive to create a collaborative and supportive environment where clients can safely learn about themselves, develop new skills, and make real and lasting change. I try to help people not only reduce distress and suffering, but to also cultivate more genuine and fulfilling relationships with themselves and others. My primary areas of expertise include: stress management, mindfulness, anxiety and mood concerns, assertive communication, bicultural issues, performance enhancement, LGBTQ concerns, and adjustment, relationship, and identity concerns.

Are you feeling overwhelmed? All of us experience seasons of unbalance, heartache, and emotional distress. My practice is centered on us co-authoring respectful and lasting solutions to the struggles you have experienced in the past or are presently experiencing. It is important to me for sessions to include: hopefulness, compassion, and a sense of humor. I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Washington State. I also have a Professional Counselor License for the State of Oregon (LPC). I have worked at CHARIS Counseling Associates for over a decade. Before my counseling career, I was a high school teacher with PPS.

Acknowledging a desire for 'something different' serves as the foundation for change and can set into motion holistic, enduring growth. I am invested in helping people alleviate emotional, relational, and psychological pain experienced during the course of life. My belief is that therapy is one approach to healing that works for many. Therefore, I seek to provide quality psychological services to individuals, couples, families, groups, and organizations.

Accepting new clients. Have you ever experienced feeling unworthy or that your needs don't matter? Are you ever feeling frustrated or stuck for not being able to freely express your true self and emotions? My approach to counseling is holistic and eclectic. I incorporate techniques that are personalized to your unique needs in a gentle and compassionate way. I blend psychoanalytic, internal family systems, and interpersonal experiential frameworks, as well as EMDR. I provide 2slgbtqia+, kink, body, and poly affirming care.

My passion is helping people achieve personal growth. Life throws at us a series of curveballs. At times we feel stuck and unsure how to make it to the other side of these challenges whether they are due to a life change such as marriage, divorce, new career, trauma, grief and loss or a host of other difficulties. With over 25 years in the counseling field, I have learned that people are individuals who do not fit into one mold. I employee a variety of techniques and approaches to fit your individual needs. Change starts within the therapeutic relationship. Compassion, humor and warmth assist in creating this relationship.

I work with adults and couples experiencing attachment injuries and disconnection. In sessions, we will explore emotion and the way it sits in the body, understand patterns in your relationships, and utilize experiential activities that engage the parts of your self/experience that want to be heard. Ultimately, your voice, strengths, and needs will determine the route we take. Clients who are ready to take ownership of their wellness and experience deeper levels of vulnerability often feel significant change.

My approach is to accept you regardless of your religion, race, ethical background, sexual orientation, or gender. This is also what I practice in my personal life. Regardless of what you say or do, I provide the comfort and acceptance for you to express your thoughts and feelings without judgment. I develop a personal plan of focus geared specifically to what you want out of counseling. I also believe by building a strong therapeutic relationship with my client, it allows meaningful and effective therapy - this is the foundation for the healing process.

Reflecting on my own counseling practice, I have discovered the overwhelming strength and healing power of human connectedness which is an essential cornerstone of my therapeutic counseling relationships. Life is a journey filled with both opportunities and challenges. When daily life and/or life transitions seem too overwhelming, the guidance and support provided from a trusted professional who is empathetic and objective can be informative, empowering, and restorative. I use cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic interventions to help clients discover how conscious and unconscious thoughts impact emotions and behaviors. In addition, I draw from a variety of counseling theories to meet each client's individual needs.

Some of life’s greatest challenges, such as divorce, relationship issues, career choices, work related stress, depression, and anxiety can be difficult to navigate alone. Sometimes these issues may be difficult for our family members and friends to attend to. I am committed to helping clients find new possibilities or recognize the strengths that they may have been overlooking. I am an Army Veteran who has extensive experience working with veterans and their families as a family and victim advocate. These experiences have given me a unique perspective of trauma and the challenges it may present in daily life.

From struggling to THRIVING. Become more fully "yourself." Enjoy relationship satisfaction. Strengthen connection to something bigger that is meaningful. Get relief from depression and anxiety (really!). Improve effectiveness at work. Feel more at home in your body, content. Mindful and present. LAUGH. Choosing a therapist that is both really good AND a great fit is important. There is a difference here you will experience from the get go. The office is in a 1930's Cape Cod style house...inviting & comfortable. With warmth and character. David is unusually relational and "real." Sessions are 60, 75 or 90 minutes rather than 50.

Let's talk. Let's keep it real and explore the barriers to your optimal health and happiness. We will start where you are and build from there. I have worked in mental health and addictions for many years and I believe that the therapeutic relationship that we build on mutual respect, trust and transparency will be the foundation of your treatment. We will work together to identify your challenges and strengths, and create a plan to support your thriving future.

Life can be isolating at times. This is especially true when you add in ADHD, PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, chronic illness, and Queerness, cultural, and relationship issues. We hold so many identities and struggles that influence who we are and how we move through our place in the world. It is essential to find yourself among those identities and move into the whole version of yourself that finds comfort in the here and now. This includes finding your community and support through all that life throws at us. As a therapist, I move through sessions with a person-centered, feminist, and multicultural lens.

I am especially passionate about working with teens and adults who are navigating trauma, dissociation, eating disorders, and/or any experience of marginalization. For me, it’s an honor to walk alongside you in your wellness journey, and you can expect me to meet you wherever you are in the process with a nonjudgmental stance. I bring warmth and an authentic enthusiasm to witnessing you as already whole, just as you are.

I am taking new Telehealth patients at this timr

At Bluebird Counseling, I enjoy working with individuals, families, and youth. My areas of expertise are Mindfulness Practice, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Neural Therapies (LifeSpan Integration and EMDR- Eye Movement Desentization Reprocessing) and Gestalt - In the moment awareness.

Are you feeling stuck in your life, and seeking transformation to help you heal, thrive and live a more fulfilling life? I specialize in working with individuals struggling with obstacles to fuller living: be it experiencing anxiety/panic or depression, living with trauma, body image issues/eating disorders, or experiencing marginalization due to one's identities or background. I offer an inclusive and affirming approach in working with clients from all walks of life. A life lived more richly and authentically is possible, and I'm here to support you with this journey of self-exploration, self-care and growth.