Family Systems Therapists in Gig Harbor, WA

I am committed to helping adult individuals and couples find deeper understanding, connection, and peace in their lives. I work with adults on anxiety, overwhelm, loneliness, relationship issues, conflict, life changes and transitions, dating, parenting, friendship, identity work, and more. My work focuses on first identifying and communicating emotional experiences; and then tracking and disrupting patterns that occur individually and in relationships. I believe in collaborating side by side to define and work toward your goals together.

As a systemic therapist, I am dedicated to guiding individuals, couples, and families through their inner complexities, fostering healing, growth, and self-discovery. I approach clients holistically, considering their relationships and connections using the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model as a foundation. This dynamic model identifies and works with inner subpersonalities, promoting self-compassion and self-acceptance. I tailor this approach to individual needs, incorporating additional methods when necessary, fostering transformative change at personal and relational levels.

My style of therapy is warm, accepting, and compassionate. After having trained extensively and been witness to countless stories of transformation, I can say with certainty that healing is absolutely possible. This is an invitation to break free from painful experiences, beliefs, and thought patterns that keep you from living the life you want, and leave you feeling hopeless or weary. I am guided by the belief that what you need to heal is already within you. Together, we will discover your internal source of strength and wisdom.

Clients primarily request services with me to work on communication between partners and other members of their family systems. I am contracted to work in the capacity as an LMHC with Summit Health Management in Gig Harbor. Please contact (253) 858-7056 to schedule an intake. I am currently accepting new clients and will work with you in person or via telehealth at the Summit Health Management office in Gig Harbor, WA. In addition, I also utilize games such as Dungeons and Dragons with families, kids and teens, to roleplay therapeutic scenarios out in a safe environment (I also run a weekly social skills teen group on Thursdays).

At one time or another, we all find ourselves stuck and struggling to move ahead. We have learned to cope and move through our lives using tools and coping mechanisms that have worked in some ways, but have not allowed us to feel grounded, comfortable, or fully happy with our lives as we progress through them. My job is to work collaboratively with you to create safety and trust through which we can help you develop skills and gain insights, allowing you to reclaim happiness and comfort in your life. I am most passionate about supporting people dealing with Anxiety, Grief, and Life Transition issues.

Each of our lives contain periods of both great suffering and great joy. Most of these experiences are unpredictable and beyond our control, but there are resources that can help us reduce our emotional suffering and experience more wellbeing. My hope is to provide a gracious space for clients to authentically navigate the complexities of life and to support them as they access their own inner wisdom. This work often requires sifting through messages we have internalized over the years. I’m here to support my clients in this discovery and healing process and to help them develop concrete resources to utilize in real life.

Do you struggle with depression, anxiety or self-criticism? Do you get overwhelmed by your feelings? Do you often feel lonely and misunderstood, even by those you love most? My goal as a therapist is to provide a safe, accepting and genuine place to help you learn to live your life to the fullest, actually being present...and discovering your strengths and potential. Understanding ourselves more allows us to get the connection and love we long for from others in our lives. Every person who comes to me has unique vulnerablities and experiences as well as unique personal strengths to discover.

I love to help people grow!  This has been a central theme in the different chapters of my life. I am a seasoned counselor with over 30 years of experience helping individuals, couples, families and churches. I am a Christian counselor with an MA in Biblical Counseling from Grace Theological Seminary, a BS in Mathematics from the US Air Force Academy, studied Family Systems at Texas Woman’s University. I served as a pilot in the US Air Force, I served as a field representative for the Navigators, a worldwide Christian organization. I served as a staff counselor at Dallas Theological Seminary before coming to the NW in 1990.

My goal is to assist my clients in navigating challenging situations and working towards self-acceptance and conquering personal growth. I focus not only on the individual, but on the whole family system as well as systemic challenges throughout my work with kids, teens, adults, couples, and families. I bring a unique perspective that involves decades of personal and professional experience in my work with neurodivergent clients around communication and developing the skills and the understanding to be successful socially, emotionally, and relationally.

Struggling to create healthy boundaries but fear others reactions? Has a history of trauma decreased your self-esteem? These scenarios can be isolating and scary; I strive to empower clients by reminding them who they are. I’m Nicole, Marriage and Family Therapist Associate. I enjoy working with clients to build a support system, increase self-worth, and confidence. Together, we'll create coping skills for challenging times so you can be your authentic self.

I am passionate about working with individuals and couples. Navigating live's challenges can be really intimidating amidst the stressors of life, especially when they all start piling up and ways you used to cope before stop working. Before giving up, try seeking help from a qualified professional and learn new ways of understanding and interacting with your environment. By identifying and working through barriers, new patterns can be learned, and healing experiences can be found. Resources can be gained and emotional resilience can be improved. You can find the harmony you desire within your life, and it starts here.

I am a partner in Summit Health Management, a group founded by an eclectic partnership of four established, experienced providers with the vision of offering a variety of therapeutic services to meet the needs of children, adolescents, adults, elders, couples, and families in our community. Our group’s mission is to provide the region with experienced, compassionate, professional, and proficient mental and behavioral health care. We offer a therapy and psychiatric care for all ages, presentations, relationships and disorders, including individual, couples, family and group therapy, as well as substance abuse recovery for all ages.

I believe that each person has a unique story and I stay curious as to what that is. I am Level 2 trained in EMDR and Level 2 trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy. I trust in the power of attunement to my clients; by creating a safe space for clients to be heard and able to express their stories, powerful changes can occur. I love being able to dig deeper into the layers of client's experiences and help them understand the patterns. I use empathy and curiosity to attune to what is being said and also what is not being said. I have a solution-focused lens and work towards relationship repair through compassion.

Hello! Welcome, and thank you for being here. While it’s certainly possible that you enjoy reading therapist profiles just for fun, it’s more likely that you are here looking for help of some kind. Without being indifferent to your suffering, please allow me to say, congratulations! It can be uncomfortable to admit that you are not feeling your best and to decide to ask for help. I hope you are also feeling empowered as you make the pivot towards healing and recovery.

I work with adults and teens (age 16+) on a variety of issues relating to depression, anxiety, relationships and communication. The goal of my work is to help clients overcome difficulties and improve their mental health quality of life. My experience as a therapist will allow you to let go of old habits, fears, and belief systems which have kept them from the joyous and free life you desire. My specialty is working with adult children of alcoholics, depression and anxiety.

Did something(s) really bad happen? Completely stressed out, anxious, depressed or feeling stuck? Is there too much to think about and sort out? Not sure what to do next or if it's even worth it? I would like to help you feel better, and to discover greater meaning and purpose for your life. As a Certified EMDR therapist (attachment focused), I can help you process the traumatic events that have occurred. Together we can find meaning and purpose and work towards creating the new story you want for your life. I partner with teens, parents and individual adults to help sort through the difficult issues your facing today.

Accepting new Clients I believe in the importance of establishing a client/therapist relationship based on mutual respect and integrity. My focus and goal in my work is to help navigate through the personal process of growth and change done through my approach of aligning to provide hope and healing. I use a strength based, client centered and cognitive/behavioral approach to help develop techniques and coping skills.The heart of my holistic approach is centered on truly hearing your story with compassion and supporting you in your healing journey. My ideal client is one who is motivated to seek change and willing to take the steps.

I focus my therapy work with adults, couples and families. I am certified in EMDR. In our sessions, expect to grow, thrive in relationships and learn to healthily navigate life circumstances. Working together, we’ll discover that our lived experiences have shaped how we think about the world. Using a trauma and attachment focused lens we use those experiences to encourage healing and growth.

Feeling isolated in your parenting journey? Is your child having BIG emotions you just don’t know what to do anymore? Navigating the challenges of raising children can be incredibly demanding as well as the pressures that come with parenting. Whether you’re dealing with your child’s emotional, social, or behavioral difficulties, or simply seeking effective parenting strategies, I am here to provide the support and guidance you need. I specialize in providing counseling services to children and adolescents seeking help with addressing issues such as anxiety, depression, social skills deficits, and behavioral issues.