I’m delighted to share that our new Self Space Kirkland location is open and ready to welcome clients in person!  This is a dream come true for us that has been years in the making, and we are grateful.

When Jessica and I started Self Space in December 2018, we had a huge vision of creating the most trusted place for therapy in the Seattle area.  A name synonymous with excellence in counseling and support from beginning to end - starting with helping people find the right therapeutic fit and ending with a meaningful and impactful therapeutic relationship.  And of course all the vulnerable steps in between.  We envisioned a space where people could bring their whole selves, become more curious and compassionate inside, and could learn to trust their own process of healing and growth.  We also imagined a place where therapists were as well cared for as their clients - the whole organization, both therapists and clients, moving in the same direction towards health and with genuine support.

We landed in downtown Seattle in May 2019, excited to be in an urban area close to many of our clients.  For many this meant easier access to therapy - being able to come before or after work; in the middle of their busy lives, making space for themselves.

After just 9 months in our downtown location Covid hit, and as a team we shifted to all online therapy sessions, working to meet the needs of our clients and each other to stabilize in a very unstable landscape.  In one way it felt like we had built Self Space for just this moment - we had a strong team and were ready to use our training and experience to come alongside people during this fear and uncertainty.  We were grateful as therapists to have meaningful work to come to every day, and to get to work alongside trusted colleagues and friends.

The pandemic also meant that many more people reached out for therapy - both due to exacerbated symptoms but also because culturally it seemed to become more acceptable to not be ‘ok.’  No one was fully okay! and there was a normalizing of needing and wanting support.  Our team grew faster than initially expected in order to meet the needs of our community, and by 2021 had maxed out our offices on 6th Ave and expanded to another suite in our building.  This allowed us to treat more clients coming for therapy, and to expand our low cost therapy program to meet the need in our city for affordable therapy options.

Now, as more people are again looking for in-person therapy and the need for mental health services continues to grow, we are at an exciting moment of expansion again and are opening up a 2nd location on the Eastside in Kirkland!  We are thrilled to have a beautiful light-filled space, and we have brought on exceptional therapists to join that team and help us plant in this neighboring community.  We have room to grow into this new location, which means we will be hiring alongside the need for services, and therefore expect to be able to help new clients be seen immediately for some time.

As we put the finishing touches on the offices - adjusting plants and testing light bulbs - I envision the thousands of precious hours that will be spent in these rooms.  Listening. Connecting.  Opening up.  Growing down.  Breaking apart and building something new.  We are grateful for each person who comes through the door, and honored to be front-row witnesses to so many incredible lives.  Thanks for being on this journey with us!

Rachel Lund started Self Space out of the deep belief in the power of therapy to change people’s lives from the inside out. Her hope is to help people find more safety, care and love in their lives. Rachel is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Clinical Supervisor in Washington state, and focuses on treating clients through a neuropsychotherapy approach to therapy that connects mind+body.