Where are we headed?

Toward wellbeing

One of the first questions I ask prospective clients is “What brings you to counseling?” They often struggle to answer, not sure exactly how to name the combination of suffering, dissatisfaction, and hope that nudged them toward scheduling a consultation. I’ve come to believe that when we seek therapy, we’re saying simply, “I don’t feel well, and I want to feel better.”

Individual Therapy

Individual therapy is the most common format for mental health counseling. I work with clients either in my downtown Bellingham office, or via telehealth. No matter what setting you choose, our work together will focus on discovering the obstacles in your life, and navigating a course toward genuine flourishing.

Group Therapy

Group therapy is a powerful catalyst for change. Participants build a community of earned trust by speaking honestly and listening respectfully. Even when conflict happens, it’s an opportunity to move through it in a safe-enough space. Opportunities for group therapy will be available soon.

Toward clarity

The prevailing wind these days may push us toward chaos, but we don’t have to give in and give up. We can adjust our sails—and use its immense energy to propel us toward a strong, clear sense of who we are, what we value, and how we will choose to act.

Psychoeducation Groups

The primary goal of psychoeducation is to provide information and develop skills. The therapist acts more like a teacher, and while sharing and discussion may occur, the focus is not on interpersonal process or deep emotional work. Again, psychoeducation group opportunities will be available soon.

Professional Consultation

Behind the scenes, counselors are always learning, usually from one another’s areas of expertise. Drawing on my personal and professional knowledge of religious trauma, I am available for professional consultation in that area.

Toward Home

In a world that feels unstable, home is not a place you find. It’s a place you build. You build it with friends, neighbors, colleagues, and even strangers who also long for safety and belonging.

Make Good Happen

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed these days. Many of us feel helplessness, and even despair. We long to make a difference, but feel disconnected from the skills, tools, and partners we need.

The Make Good Happen therapy group specifically targets anxiety and depression by decreasing loneliness and increasing agency. The group’s 90-minute sessions begin with forming connections, and progress through discovery of common concerns and choosing a shared project. In the final stage of the group’s work, members design and complete their project, then celebrate that they have made good happen.

Make Counseling Sustainable

Five years ago, COVID-19 pandemic pushed the demands on mental health professionals well beyond capacity, and the pace has hardly slowed since then. We are not untouched by the stressors our clients feel.

The Make Counseling Sustainable mutual support group for Whatcom County mental health professionals addresses the unsustainability of our current situation. It is a space for unburdening and imagination, and for building strong new systems for ourselves, our profession, and our clients. Make Counseling Sustainable meets monthly at times agreed upon by its members.