Borderline Personality (BPD) Therapists in Des Moines, WA

I work with all kinds of people, but I especially welcome queer, trans, and Jewish people. I also specialize in working with neurodivergent people, people with trauma, and people with BPD or related traits. My goal is to help you navigate hard times, and to assist you in your journey to a deeper understanding of yourself.

My ideal client would be searching for a counselor who is genuine, empathetic, unconditionally holds them in positive regard, and can connect to their experiences. They would have a goal of learning new skills, working on behavioral and cognitive change, and are willing to look at multiple solutions to achieve their goals. They would want to strive for success as they see it and want support in removing any barriers for a better and healthier future.

Seeking therapy can be a daunting process, while also being one step toward greater wholeness/healing. Relationship is where we are both wounded and healed. I work with individuals seeking relief from distressing symptoms such as; demanding too much of yourself, finding it hard to trust self, trust your own experience, self-soothing through addictive behaviors, pleasing others at your own expense, anxiety, depression, CPTSD. Our patterns of relating develop early within our first attachments, so our journey might include visiting some of those relationships to wonder how they impact you in the here and now.

What we control in life is limited to our own inner world. While trying to process and reconstruct the inner world, there are coping strategies that can help you through the process. We do influence those around us, but how we do is not up to us. Resilience is the top predictor of a contented and peaceful existence, in spite of the influence of past experiences, current situational factors, and real future prospects. I want to help people find and build their inner core. When we feel grounded, balanced, and aware of the human chemistry around us, we can feel more confident navigating that space.

I am continually inspired by the depth and breadth of the human experience. With a passion for learning about individuals, groups, and systems across varied backgrounds, I seek to support clients in being heard, understood, and empowered. My bachelor's degree in language studies and master's degree in social work allow me to carefully consider the socio-emotional experience of an individual, while accounting for the unique ways in which we express, perceive, and develop meaning. I offer tools and resources for practicing coping strategies outside of sessions, based on client interest. I am open to new and eclectic approaches.

I welcome people who are facing any number of challenges including life transitions such as divorce, job loss, illness, death of a loved one; all shifting the ground beneath us in dramatic ways. What worked no longer works. My trMy training as a Mindfulness Meditation Teacher complements training and practice in psychotherapy addressing a dysregulated emotion system resulting in various symptoms such as anxiety, panic, depression, and identity disturbance and sometimes even a desire to die or hurt oneself. There can be a painful sense of isolation and feeling unmoored. There is a way out; first understanding, then tools to heal.

I specialized training in EMDR and I have experience working in a variety of settings, including outpatient and inpatient treatment centers, since 2019. I have experience working with diverse populations in the social services sector since 2018. Every person is unique and has the capacity to change for the better in order to become their ideal selves, in my opinion. To help you comprehend the value of both positive and negative experiences that contribute to the development of strength and resiliency, my main strategies include EMDR, hypnosis, motivational interviewing (MI), CBT, and DBT.

Belen Martinez, Psy.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist who has extensive experience providing English and Spanish individual psychotherapy to adolescents and adults of all ages. She works with individuals from diverse populations and cultures, with a wide range of concerns. Dr. Martinez’ approach to therapy is collaborative, authentic, empathic, active and caring. She integrates empirically driven methods, including dynamic psychotherapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) , cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and relational frameworks, with a highly personalized approach.

As an organization we recognize that QTBIPoC folx tend to experience disproportionate amounts of mental health disparities due to large gaps in our current mental healthcare system. Here at MEND we believe that part of addressing those gaps is through the consistency of our intersectional feminist lens. In an effort to promote equity, we are expanding our team and client population to include members who hold identities that have not traditionally been offered at MEND. And while we center supporting QTBIPoC folx, we also offer services to those who do not hold these identities.

I believe therapy is most effective when clinicians welcome the expertise clients have about their own lives. Treatment is collaborative! My hope is to take the relationship we build and extend it to the rest of your life outside of the therapy room. I approach therapy with the assumption that clients aren’t trying to make their lives harder, but often that our attempts to manage distress may increase suffering. Through our work together, we will focus on identifying strengths and values that are guiding behavior, and then challenging and changing the unhelpful aspects and thought patterns that make reaching your goals difficult.

I utilize Motivational Interviewing with a Humanistic/Existential approach as a foundation to my therapy. Which means understanding that a "whole" person is more than the sum of his or her parts. I understand people by examining their interpersonal relationships. That people have many levels of self-awareness, that can be neither ignored nor put into an abstract context. I also believe individuals have free will and are participants rather than observers in their own lives; and that people's lives have purpose, value and meaning. I choose to submerge myself into the world of the person; I am working with.

To say that life is hard is an understatement; what a time to be alive and to be human! Life has an interesting way of "just" happening when we least expect it. Everyone has a story or a burden to bear, some heavier than others. Regardless, seeking a therapist midst those things can add another layer of hardness or stress. My goal as your therapist is to help you find healing. Whether I am the right fit or not, you will leave our consultation one or two ways; ready to dive in together and do the work or help with finding the right therapist.

Life right now might feel difficult and grueling for many of us. The current state of the world may have opened up old traumas, anxieties, difficulties with depression, and relationship distress; or perhaps you are struggling with these challenges for the first time. Regardless, you are probably searching for a therapist because you are at a loss for how to cope with the wounds and demands of life that can so often feel overwhelming. I work with teens, adults, veterans, and monolingual Spanish-speakers and immigrants.

Hello, I am Dr. Stew. I am an AAMFT Approved Supervisor and available to assist other MFTs in the pursuit of this designation. I have been a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist since 2011. I am actively looking for Marriage and Family Therapy Associates in need of supervision in Washington State.

Are you experiencing anxiety, fatigue, numbness, sadness, insomnia, disordered eating, or have survived abuse, neglect, domestic violence? Perhaps you are starting anew in midlife or addressing a wide range of issues such as grief, depression, OCD, spiritual conflict, work stress, and matters affecting the LGBTQIA2S+ community? Regardless of your reason for entering therapy, I am here to offer compassionate support, understanding, and recovery and stand committed to also assisting individuals through systemic challenges and life transitions, offering guidance to those grappling with guilt, anger, or self-doubt.