All people in relationships deal with the same fundamental human dilemma; how to stay connected to another human and maintain a separate self. These two opposing needs, the need for connection and the need for autonomy form much of rhythmic tides that all couples must navigate. Navigating these differences in a way that both promotes the relationship and balances the needs of each individual in the relationship requires a skill set, a practice, and a philosophy, all of which are learnable, but not hardwired in at birth.

 

All of our counselors have advanced training in couples therapy,  and can help you to develop or fine tune your relationship skill set. This includes  communication tools, emotional regulation tools, behavioral tools, and a philosophical perspective that allows for two separate people to thrive in a collaborative relationship.

 

Please feel free to contact us so that we can support you and your relationship.                                   

 

You can click on the image of each therapist to learn more about their background and approach to relationship counseling.

                     

Our Couples Therapists  

 

Ross Kling	Amy Schottenstein	Amiee Burtoft	Cherry McKinstry
C. John Hall	Jennifer Olson	Joe Nelson	Brittany Bacon
Brien Wood	Evonne Noble

 

 

 

Amy Schottenstein (she/her)

Amy in-network info coming soon

Private pay rate: coming soon

 

Words like "growth" and "development" resonate with my underlying beliefs about what is beneficial to clients, rather than words like "change" and "improvement." While there is nothing wrong with wanting to change or even "fix" ourselves, for many of us, our lives do not shift by setting that kind of intention. For many of us there are thoughts, emotions, memories and physical sensations that block us from moving forward in our lives. This feeling of being blocked can mean that an unrecognized part of us needs to be attuned to and potentially healed.

 

Being a therapist is about entering into an alliance, that first and foremost centers around client's inner-wisdom and intuition. In this way, the therapy room becomes a healing laboratory where clients can explore their inner self, beliefs, personal history, cultural, and societal expectations to better understand and develop compassion for their individual struggles

 

My goal is to spark clients' curiosity about their unique challenges. I offer clients an experience that can help organize their oftentimes chaotic internal experience. Sessions can include work with tools and practices that guide emotion regulation, self-understanding and improved relationships. I gravitate toward humanistic and experiential models like Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Internal Family Systems (IFS) and have a foundation in Gottman Couples Therapy and attachment theory. I also work with mindfulness strategies that help clients find balance and attune to the wisdom of their bodies

 

I welcome the opportunity to work with teens, adults, couples and families in both individual and conjoint sessions.

 

Education & Professional Experience
M.A. in Couple and Family Therapy, Antioch University
M.B.A., University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School
B.A., Yale University
Certified Integral Associate Coach, Integral Coaching Canada

Gottman Couples Therapy, Level 1
Training in Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Training in Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT)
Experience with Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

 

Jennifer Olson (Telehealth Visits Only) 

Private pay rate: $150 for individuals, $200 for couples and families

In-network with Premera and Lifewise

 

I offer counseling services to teenagers, adults, couples, and families.

 

I am passionate about working with couples. Working from an Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy model I help couples heal from relationship injuries and build a stronger and deeper connection. This work is deeply satisfying to me and I feel honored to be part of a couple’s healing process.

 

I am also a certified Somatic Experiencing practitioner (SEP) with an interest in treating individuals suffering from anxiety, depression, and trauma. My goal is to create a safe and healing environment where my clients can physically experience and process difficult emotions. 

 

As an empathetic, open, and understanding therapist I have dedicated my academic and working career to be in service. I honor how people’s experiences shape their stories and how their stories shape their experiences. I help these stories be heard, untangled, and retold from a new perspective, and from a voice of empowerment. 

 

Therapy takes bravery and encourages healing through open and honest dialogue. Together we will embark on a journey of empowerment to expand your potential towards betterment and wellbeing. I am here to guide and support you. 

 

Education:

I have an M.A. in Couple and Family Therapy from Antioch University in Seattle. I completed Gottman Level 1 and Somatic Experience Training. I received an M.S. in Education from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from Western Washington University. I obtained an A.A. in Psychology from Bellevue Community College, and I am a certified Health Coach, Yoga Teacher, and an Ayurvedic Counselor.

 

Ross Kling 

Private pay rate: $175

Does not accept insurance

 

When your personal struggles and relationship issues sometimes become too difficult to bear alone, I offer counseling to help you heal, reconnect with yourself, and rediscover your connection with others.

 

Support for individuals:Therapy can help us cope with our life challenges and find deeper understandings about what generates our thoughts and feelings. With these insights into our internal stories, I help individuals develop healthier thoughts and create new actions that lead to a more fulfilling life.

 

Help with relationships: Sometimes relationships become difficult, uncomfortable, or unhealthy. My approach to couples therapy is two-fold. Improving communication within the relationship can help each person deepen their expressions and feel seen and heard. And I believe that an increased sense of individuality within the relationship can lead to healthier intimate connections. For those couples on the brink, I can offer a type of therapy called Discernment Counseling which is designed to help couples make conscious choices about the future of their relationship.

Experiencing grief & loss: Working with grieving people for over 25 years, as a funeral director and now as a therapist, I am witness to people in intense vulnerability. With empathy, understanding, and insight, I provide a therapeutic presence for individuals and families to process their thoughts and feelings in ways that are affirming and clarifying. My approach to grief therapy encompasses helping people cope with their grief so that they can achieve their everyday living and supporting people to adapt to grief so that they can realize a life forward.

 

About me: With empathy and understanding developed over 25 years as an independent funeral director, I have helped thousands of individuals and families navigate deeply distressing feelings of vulnerability and emotion. This informs my approach as a therapist. I embrace a welcoming openness for the human experience and a desire to deeply listen to another. I utilize solution based and narrative therapies as well as Gottman based practices to help people better understand themselves and one another.

Education and Credentials:
 

• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate, State of Washington, License MR61258566
• Master of Arts, Antioch University, Couples and Family Therapy
• Bachelor of Arts, Antioch University, Psychology
• Level One & Two training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Gottman Institute
• Discernment Counseling, Doherty Relationship Institute
• Member of American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists & Washington Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.

Currently, I provide services in person on Mondays and via telehealth Tuesdays through Fridays.

My office is located at:

6869 Woodlawn Ave North, Suite 204

Seattle, WA 982115

 

 

Cherry McKinstry (Telehealth visits only) 

Cherry is in network with Premera and Lifewise

Private pay rate:$150 for individuals and $200 for couples

 

Approach to Therapy

I specialize in working with couples, families, and adult individuals. I am passionate about exploring and strengthening romantic relationships, your relationships with yourself, relationships with others, including relationships with your co-workers, boss, and/or colleagues. As your therapist, I walk with you through the complexities of your life so you may curate more choices and awareness to foster the type of relationship that gives you peace and satisfaction.

I am inspired by Esther Perel, the Gottman’s, Adam Grant, Adler, Yalom, Bowen, and Minuchin. I like to utilize Prepare and Enrich with couples at any stage of the relationship (dating, engaged, married). I approach the therapy process through an attachment and schemas lens. I integrate different theories as well as consideration of cultural recognition to fit your unique experiences. I believe that you are the expert your life. However, stress, anxiety, resentments, grief, and other factors may be disorienting and there may be a momentary loss in clarity for you. I will walk with you to explore the complexities of your relationships and life to help you realign with your values and visions.

During the first weeks of therapy, you can expect a lot of questions as I work to get to know who you are, where you’ve been, who you’d like to become, and what relationships you’d like to have. I encourage that my clients do the “work” between sessions—whether it is contemplation or utilizing specified communication skills/strategies— as experiences have taught us that we cannot cultivate change without a change in habit.

 

Education and Credentials:

Master of Arts, Clinical Psychology, MFT – Azusa Pacific University
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate – Washington/California
Level One – Gottman Method Couples Therapy
Certified Facilitator – Prepare and Enrich
 

 

About Me

 

I used to solo-travel and found a lot of wisdom in that process. During those years, I met my husband, now my favorite traveling partner. Our last exploration was in Nepal where we saw Mount Everest. We have an American Akita— named Lukla, after a town in Nepal— who thinks she rules the roost. My professional life began in higher education where I supported students in the envisioning and planning of their future. I always knew my calling was to be a therapist; in working with students, my interest always circled back to the exploration of the “why” behind their interests, the “how” in which their past, present, and future impact who they are, and “where” they’d like to go from here.

I enjoy reading poems, listening to podcasts, studying comedians, and hanging out by the lake with my girl, Lukla. 

 

 

Nadene Reichert (Telehealth visits only) 

Nadene is in-network with Premera and Lifewise

Private pay rate: $150 for individuals, $200 for couples, $225 for co-parenting

 

I offer therapy to individuals and couples.  I am a client-centered therapist, specializing in the healing and repair of distressed relationships with yourself and others.  By creating a safe and nonjudgmental environment that focuses upon the individual's experience in the present moment trust and hope are created.  The therapist–client relationship, the environmental and social contexts of a person's life, and the self-regulating adjustments people make as a result of their overall situation are vital keys to successful therapeutic outcomes that last outside of the therapy room.   

My therapy weaves together a spiritual, contemplative foundation with traditional and nontraditional therapeutic methodology. I believe in therapy as the process of a person's unfolding the innate wisdom they hold within them as the key to their healing. I see my role in the therapeutic process as a combination of guide and collaborator in your journey towards well-being, integrating mind, body, and spirit towards mental health and wellbeing.   

I have a background in consulting, organization development, training, and technology.  I studied in two separate yet connected masters programs, Organizational Consulting & Coaching through Applied Behavioral Science - the Leadership Institute of Seattle (LIOS) in 2005, and Marriage and Family Therapy - Alaska Pacific University in 2013, when I made the decision to become a full time therapist.

Post-graduate Training:

• Level One and Two Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) framework training-  Externship and Core Skills
• Level one & two training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy (Gottman Institute)
• PICK a Partner, Love Thinks LLC, Certified Instructor (John Van Epp)
• Psychodrama, Sociometry, & Group Psychotherapy, Certificate course with Georgia Rigg
• Relational Life Therapy, Certificate Course
• Sensorimotor Therapy, Level 1 Affect Dysregulation, Survival Defenses, and Traumatic Memory (Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute)
• Co-Parenting Coordination and Facilitation, Parenting Coordination and Facilitation Institute
• Co-Parent Coaching & Mediation Training, Karen Bonnell
• Certified Mediator Training, Dispute Resolution Center of King County
• Appreciative Inquiry, Certificate Course

In addition, I have enjoyed working with and learning from many eastern philosophy, spiritual, and nontraditional healers outside of the US.

 

 

BRITTANY BACON (Telehealth visits only) 

Brittany is not in-network with any insurance panels, but we can provide superbills to you monthly for any OON coverage you can get from your insurance company.

Private pay rate is $250/hr for couples and $200/hr for individuals.

 

I am a relational psychotherapist who specializes in working with couples and adult individuals. I work to facilitate awareness and provide support that is specific to the unique needs of each individual or relationship. I use an eclectic approach that draws from many different schools of thought, but I am primarily a process-based therapist.  This means that I am primarily interested in the process by which my clients interpret, communicate, and make meaning out of their experiences.

 

I have a special interest in helping my clients have fulfilling relationships, as I believe that well-functioning relationships reduce the negative effects of stress and hardship.  I am interested in facilitating my client’s self-knowledge both individually and in relationships; knowing yourself is imperative to making satisfying choices and building meaningful connections with others.  While I have dedicated my post-graduate training towards specializing in working with couples and individuals struggling in relationships, I also very much enjoy working with individuals who are going through major life transitions, who are struggling in relationships, or who experience depression or anxiety.

 

I enjoy working with individuals who are seeking to broaden their understanding of themselves and deepen their personal sense of intentionality and connection with themselves and others. I work with relationships of all configurations, including the LGBTQ community and non-monogomous styles.

 

Education and Professional Experience

• B.A. in Philosophy from University of Portland; Portland, OR
• M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Seattle University; Seattle, WA
• Levels One and Two Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy
• Certified Trainer of Gottman “7 Principles to Making Marriage Work”
• Three years (and ongoing participation) training in individual adult and couples therapy with Gestalt Associates Training of Los Angeles
• Trained in Motivational Interviewing
• Five years of clinical experience
• Four years of experience working with adolescents and families as a behavioral aid and paraeducator 
• One year as YMCA Director of Youth and Family Services

 

AMIEE BURTOFT (Telehealth visits only) 

Private pay rate: Individuals $200 Couples $250

 

I see clients facing a wide range of psychological difficulties. I work with individuals and couples. 

 

My style as a therapist is warm and interactive. I’m a thoughtful observer as well as an active voice in our discussions. I use an integrated therapeutic approach to explore areas of concern, recognize patterns, connect dots, and illuminate areas within you that are often too difficult to figure out alone. 

Our time together is collaborative and designed to foster a growing capacity to navigate your own way, healthily, now and whatever the circumstances to come. You will benefit from expertise based on years of practice, research, study, and real-life experience. The power of our relationship is rooted in connecting as human beings....I show up as myself with curiosity, candor, and humor.

 

Additionally, I specialize in helping folks understand and manage ADHD.

ADHD is often misunderstood and viewed as a set of narrow behaviors, such as misplacing keys and forgetting appointments. What is true is that ADHD can be much more complex, often presenting as high levels of anxiety, emotional outbursts, relationship discord, mood swings, anger, fear/panic, sense of worthlessness, and depressive symptoms in addition to impulsivity, distractibility, disorganization, and lack of concentration. 

 

Targets of treatment:

• psychological education
• understanding YOUR experience  
• accountability 
• strategies, skills, systems
• processing of thoughts and feelings that arise 
• self-awareness and insight
• channeling the robust energy of ADHD

 

Education and Professional Experience

M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Seattle University, Seattle WA
B.S. in Human Services Counseling w/ Psychology Minor from University of Nevada, Las Vegas NV

 

• Psychotherapist in private and group practice since 2013
• Gestalt Training in individual adult and couples therapy with Gestalt Associates Training of Los Angeles (GATLA)
• Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
• Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD)
• Giving Voice to Experience: existential-phenomenological practice and research methods 
• Attachment, Trauma, and Loss
• Parts and Memory Therapy 
• Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy: Mood Stabilization Designed for Bipolar Disorder
• Theme-Centered Interaction: a holistic social and group paradigm

 

Professional LIcenses

Washington: Licensed Mental Health Counselor #LH60561542

Nevada: Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor #CP0199

Virginia: Licensed Professional Counselor #10701008298

 

 

C. JOHN HALL (Telehealth visits only) 

In-network with Premera, Lifewise, Regence, First Choice Health, some BCBS, and Aetna.

Private pay rates: $225 for relationship therapy, $150 for individual therapy

Telehealth Only

 

I have over 10 years of experience providing counseling services across diverse populations. I feel enriched to work in this capacity and I value a collaborative and genuine approach. I often work with individuals and couples to help find clarity, gain insight, discover new strategies, and support healing. My work with couples is heavily influenced by the Gottman method, of which I’ve completed levels 1, 2 and 3 of training.

 

My influence is informed by evidence-based practice and the following modalities: cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing, mindfulness, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT).

 

Areas of clinical focus:

• Relationships and marital counseling
• Divorce
• Family conflict
• Depression
•  Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Grief and loss
• Trauma
• Workplace stress
• Thoughts of suicide
• Life transitions
• Older adult and geriatric wellness
• Caregiver stress/burnout
• Goal development and motivation
• Postpartum depression
• Veteran PTSD and transition back to civilian life

 

Professional Experience:

 

November 2017 – December 2018
The Gottman Institute - Seattle, WA
Practicum in Gottman Couples Therapy: Levels 1-3
 

June 2016
University of Washington – Seattle, WA
Certificate in Guardianship 

September 2015
Robert Douglas and Associates – Seattle, WA
EAP Critical Incident Response 3

February 2014
Humanitarian Assistance Programs – Seattle, WA
Eye Movement and Desensitization Rehabilitation (EMDR): Phase I and Phase II

July 2012
University of Washington – Seattle, WA
Geriatric Mental Health Specialist Certificate

October 2011 - June 2012
Seattle Central Community College – Seattle, WA
Completed recommended coursework towards chemical dependency professional license

 

 

JOE NELSON 

Joe is not in-network with any insurance panels, but we can provide superbills to you monthly for any OON coverage you can get from your insurance company.

Private pay rate is $250/hr for couples 

Please inquire about Joe's rate for couples intensives.

 

I specialize in couple therapy. My focus is on helping couples and adult individuals with communication, connection, vulnerability, and intimacy in their relationships. We experience the most fulfillment in life through satisfying relationships.

I orientate from a collaborative approach, which is experiential and process based. With curiosity and compassion, I am interested in helping clients discover the underlying patterns around what they do and how they do it. This happens through dialogue in the here-and-now, which helps clients raise awareness of their habits and patterns that can cause disconnection and unsatisfying relationships. I hope to bring awareness and greater capacity for choice by creating space for clients to overcome difficulties and access who they truly are.

My background, training and therapeutic approach comes from Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy and Gestalt therapy. My education was in existential-phenomenological psychology. 

 

**Inquire about my weekly process groups for a special and unique growth, awareness, and healing opportunity!

** Please inquire about couples intensives for a deep dive into restoring your relationship!

 

Clinical areas of focus include:

• Couple Therapy
• Relationship Counseling
• Family Therapy
• Process Groups
• Sexual Difficulties
• Intimacy
• Depression
• Trauma/PTSD
• Emotional Regulation and Emotional Intelligence
• Addiction/Substance Use and Abuse
• Anger Management
• Loneliness/Existential Despair
• Life Transitions/Changes
• Adoption/Abandonment Issues
   

Post-graduate Training:

• Certificate Course in Emotionally Focused Therapy with Sue Jonhson: Attachment-Based Interventions for Couples in Crisis, 12 CE
• Emotionally Focused Therapy Externship, 28 CE
• Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy Core Skills - currently training
• Advanced Focusing-Oriented Therapy and Complex Trauma - 2 year program with Seattle Focusing Institute, 120 CE
• Level One & Two training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy
• Mindfulness, Seattle University
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Training, Valley Cities
• Motivational Interviewing, Valley Cities
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• "A Couple of Individuals",  Individual and Couples Therapy Training from a Gestalt Therapy perspective. Gestalt Associates Training Los Angeles, 48 CE each year, annually 2017 - current

Professional License:

• Washington State Licensed Mental Health Counselor # LH 61079941

 

Education:

• Gestalt Associates Training, Los Angeles, 2017 - present
• Seattle University, MA in Clinical Psychology, 2017
• Seattle University, BA in Psychology, 2006

 

Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays: Telehealth or in-person

My office is located at:

2711 E Madison St

Suite 210

Seattle, 98112

 

EVONNE NOBLE - Accepting New Couples for Immersion Therapy

Private pay rates: $250 individual therapy per hour, $350 relationship/family therapy per hour

(does not take insurance)

 

I offer counseling services to adults, couples, and families of all constellations. I also offer business consulting and clinical supervision services to other mental health professionals. 

I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LH.60649659). My education includes a M.A. in Clinical Psychology (Seattle University), a B.A. in Mathematics (Boston University), and a B.A. in Philosophy (Boston University).  I have completed Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy, and I am a Certified Gottman Therapist. I have been participating in annual post-graduate training in individual and couples counseling with Gestalt Associates Training of Los Angeles since 2011. To better serve my clients with trauma and attachment needs, I completed the AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy) Immersion Training which focuses on treating trauma from an attachment and neurobiological model. To expand my skills to support couples, I am also actively training in EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy) which also uses a neurobiological model of attachment.  The goal of EFT is to repair bonds, increase resiliency and promote secure attachment to help create emotionally fulfilling relationships.

I also have over 20 years of training and personal experience with mindfulness and meditation that I also bring to my work. 

I am a member of the American and Washington Mental Health Counselors Associations. In addition to my formal training, I have presented papers on the experience of parenting a child with anxiety and other issues related to parenting and parenthood. I am interested in understanding and supporting the development of healthy relationships and healthy families.

I am primarily a process-focused and experiential therapist. This means that I will work with you to: (a) explore the process of what you are doing and how you are doing it, (b) raise awareness about your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, (c) explore the benefits and limitations of your habitual ways of responding to the environment, and (d) experiment with choices to facilitate deeper and more meaningful interactions with yourself and others.

I work with couples of all configurations, including LGBTQi+ couples as well as couples in non-monogamous relationships.

she | her | hers

Learn more about my background and services and learn about immersion relationship therapy here.

 

BRIEN WOOD - Only Accepting New Couples for Immersion Therapy

(206) 571-3069

brien@pspseattle.com

Private pay rates: $250 individual therapy per hour, $350 relationship/family therapy per hour (does not take insurance)

 

For 15 plus years I have had a special focus and love for relationship counseling.

 

I am an Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist. I specialize in relationship counseling and trauma, i.e. helping individuals heal from the wounds of a difficult childhood. My goal is to help my clients feel at home within themselves while having deliberate, fulfilling, and connected relationships.

 

When working with couples and families I work collaboratively to de-escalate negative cycles of disconnection, develop relationship stability, and construct new patterns that result in connected and satisfying relationships. I teach relationship skills and a relational philosophy for maintaining both a vibrant sense of self and a loving and connected relationship. 

 

I work with relationships of all configurations and sexual orientations, including LGBTQ and straight relationships, non-monogamy, monogamy, married, unmarried, together for decades, newly connecting, with or without children, and blended families.

 

he | him| his

 

Post-graduate Training:

• Certificate Course in Emotionally Focused Therapy with Sue Jonhson: Attachment-Based Interventions for Couples in Crisis 
• Certified Gestalt Therapist (Gestalt Associates Los Angeles) 
• AEDP Immersion Course (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy)
• Treating Affairs and Trauma (Gottman Institute)
• Clinical Supervision: Becoming an Approved Supervisor (Antioch University)
• Certified Gottman Bringing Baby Home Educator (Gottman Institute)
• Emotion-Focused Therapy: Love as an Attachment Bond (ICEEFT)
• Level One & Two training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy (Gottman Institute)
• Emotionally Focused Therapy Externship (ICEEFT)
• Core Skills Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT)
• The Heart of the Matter: A Clinicians Guide to Attachment Theory (ICEEFT)
• Mindfulness and meditation with Pema Chodron

Professional Experience

Gestalt Associates Training Los Angeles, Faculty

Private Practice Psychotherapist, since 2005

Private Practice Clinical Supervisor to Licensure Associates 

Certified Gottman Bringing Baby Home Educator

Ruth Dykeman Youth & Family Services Family Services Therapist

 

Professional License:

Washington State Licensed Mental Health Counselor # LH 60071756

Washington State Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist # LF 60354195

 

Education:

Gestalt Associates Training, Los Angeles, 2005 - present

Antioch University Seattle, MA in Applied Psychology, 2005

The Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA BA in Anthropology, 2000

 

Learn more about me at my website at www.brienwood.com

 

 

---

• Level 1 Gottman Relationship Therapy Training: Joseph Nelson                                                    
• Level 1 and 2 Gottman Relationship Therapy Training: Ross Kling, Brittany Bacon and Brien Wood
• Level 1, 2, and 3 Gottman Relationship Therapy Training: Evonne Noble