When it comes to politics and existential dread these days - many of us have a lot of questions.
If I disengage, am I giving up?
If I stay engaged, will I burn out?
What does it mean to care in a sustainable way?
There isn’t a simple answer - but there is a more compassionate way to hold the question.
Read MoreMany families search for family therapy in Seattle because communication at home feels tense, repetitive, or exhausting. The same arguments keep happening. Someone shuts down, someone else raises their voice, and everyone leaves the conversation feeling misunderstood.
The good news is that meaningful change in families often starts with small shifts in communication. In family counseling, therapists often focus less on solving every problem and more on helping families talk to each other in ways that create understanding rather than escalation. We want to explore the way families are relating, not just solve for one particular conflict.
Read MoreFor much of my adult life, I believed that my worth was defined by how much I achieved.
Growing up, I learned to perform. I was the only daughter and the middle child in a family of five. My parents provided many opportunities, and in many ways, I felt supported. My mother was loving and kind, but her presence could feel inconsistent, and what worked for my brothers did not always work for me. I began swimming competitively at a young age, and the pool became an important space, one where I could explore a different part of myself and thrive within the structure and competition.
But over time, I began to feel a quiet disconnection from myself…
Let’s be honest: starting therapy can feel a little like a first date… with your entire inner world on the table. You’re sharing personal things with someone you just met, hoping they “get you,” and quietly wondering, Is this worth it? Should I come back?
Read MoreFamilies go through seasons of closeness and seasons of tension. Disagreements, miscommunication, and stress are part of normal family life. But sometimes patterns of conflict, distance, or overwhelm start to feel stuck. When that happens, family therapy can help families reconnect and find healthier ways of relating.
If you’re searching for family therapy in Seattle or Kirkland, or wondering whether family counseling might help your family, you’re not alone. Many families reach a point where outside support creates the space for meaningful change.
Read MoreThe tension between strength and vulnerability has been a big part of my journey, both personally and professionally. In many ways, working in mental health has been my way of pushing back against some of the unhealthy masculine attitudes that were common where I grew up…
Read MoreThere is a particular kind of loneliness that comes from loving someone who is hurting themselves. It doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like an extra drink at dinner. A promise to cut back that never quite sticks. A partner who feels present one minute and gone the next.
Read MoreThere’s nothing weak about being vulnerable. The truth is, it takes tremendous courage to soften when every instinct tells you to armor up.
When I talk about masculinity, this is what I mean. We’re told that to be a man is to push through pain, to hold the line, to be the protector. But what strikes me as far braver is the willingness to crack that shell, to let the world see you as you are, and to accept yourself even when it feels risky.
Long ago, our survival depended on noticing danger quickly. The brain learned to treat negative experiences as more important, more memorable, more worthy of attention.
Read MoreThe COVID-19 pandemic created a rapid and lasting shift in how therapy is delivered, with telehealth moving from a necessity to a viable long-term option. One of the biggest questions for trauma therapists was whether EMDR could be delivered effectively and ethically through a screen.
Read MoreWork stress is something that brings many folks to therapy, but lately we’ve noticed an uptick in anxiety around work here in Seattle and Kirkland.
Read MoreDissociation - the brain’s way of mentally “checking out” during extreme stress - can either serve as a protective mechanism or become a chronic challenge. Learn more in Kayla Ritchie’s Huffington Post article.
Read MorePull up a chair and enjoy our new series Shared Space: Stories from our Therapists. This series is an invitation to get to know the people who may sit with you in hard moments. You’ll find candid conversations, personal stories, and reflections on how each therapist approaches connection and healing. No clinical jargon, just real stories to help you get a feel for each therapist’s voice, values, and vibe before you ever book a session or make a recommendation. Enjoy!
Read MoreIn Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), many of the concepts and skills focus on increasing our ability to think flexibly and find balance. One area that I often explore with clients is their ability to balance maintaining the relationships in their lives with maintaining their own self-respect.
Read MoreStress is a large part of the human experience. But sometimes, it doesn’t even seem possible to manage our stress. It’s too big, too uncertain, too quick moving, and too mind-boggling to even begin to sort out. This feeling might actually be overwhelm and not stress, but distinguishing these two emotions can be tricky.
Read MoreIf you look up the definition of health, you will likely see descriptions of a person having total physical, emotional, and mental well-being. But even this definition continues to be updated and built upon. Finding one singular explanation of health is challenging, especially when you include larger cultural ideas regarding health.
Read MoreDefined by the medical community as pain lasting three months or longer, chronic pain is closely linked to mental health, and can have an immense impact on a person’s psychological well-being.
Read therapist Tucker Robinson’s thoughts in this Seattle Times article.
Read MoreWhen I started my journey as a therapist, I carried a mix of excitement and uncertainty. I knew why I was here. I wanted to become the kind of person I didn’t have supporting me while growing up. As an Asian American man, therapy wasn’t something we talked about in my community or in my family. There was a strong message, spoken and unspoken: push through, don’t complain, keep the family in mind. Emotions were often seen as distractions, even threats to harmony. So when I first found the language to describe my own internal experience in college, it was like a dam breaking.
Read MoreTherapists say it's an important way to reconnect with yourself and help combat the anxiety so many of us are feeling.
Read therapist Tychelle Graham-Moskowitz’s thoughts in this Huffington Post article.
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