Who Are You
If you’ve experienced a recent life change…
SUCH as:
move
job change
break-up
becoming a parent
new health diagnosis
losing a loved one
financial stress
that’s been difficult to manage…
WHICH FEELS LIKE:
overwhelm
anxiety
worry
fear
uncertainty
sadness
irritability
loneliness
and you’re ready to feel empowered, let’s talk.
IDENTIFIED AS:
intention
clarity
steadiness
awareness
peace
contentment
engagement
alignment
ease
WHO ARE WE
View Ellen’s Full Profile
Ellen Hokit, MA, LMHCA
Specialties: relationship dynamics, navigating difficult change, LGBTQ+
View Emily’s Full Profile
Emily Fitch, MA, LMHCA
Specialties: self-doubt, uncertainty about the future, motherhood
Carter Gwinn, MA, LMHCA
Specialties: anxiety and emotional overwhelm, difficult life transitions, trauma
View Jennifer’s Full Profile
Jennifer Petty, MA, LMHC
Specialties: anxiety in high achievers, relationship patterns, meaning-making
Therapy for the moments when life feels heavier than it should
At some point, it becomes clear that something isn't working.
Sometimes that realization comes after a significant life event. A difficult diagnosis, an unexpected loss, a relationship ending, or a major transition can bring questions you can no longer ignore. Other times, it develops slowly. You begin noticing that the patterns that once helped you through life are leaving you anxious, exhausted, disconnected, or feeling unlike yourself.
You are still showing up. You are still meeting responsibilities. You are still doing what needs to be done. But something feels harder than it should.
Therapy offers a space to understand what is happening beneath the surface, explore the patterns that shape your experience, and begin creating meaningful change.
At Seattle Counseling Center, we work with adults navigating:
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When your mind won't leave you alone.
Have you ever noticed that the more important something feels, the harder it becomes to stop thinking about it? Maybe you're replaying conversations, anticipating problems, or trying to find the "right" decision before you've even made one. What if anxiety isn't just something to get rid of, but something worth understanding?
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When doing less somehow feels impossible.
When was the last time you rested without feeling guilty? Or finished one thing without immediately thinking about the next? Burnout doesn't always happen because life is too busy. Sometimes it happens because we've forgotten how to stop taking care of everyone else long enough to notice ourselves.
Learn more about burnout therapy →
More specific support
Learn more about therapy for relationship imbalance → -
When the past still feels present.
Have you ever wondered why you feel on edge when everything seems fine? Or why certain relationships bring out feelings and reactions you thought you'd left behind? Sometimes the ways we learned to protect ourselves become so familiar that we mistake them for who we are. Therapy can help us understand what we've carried with us, and what we may no longer need to hold onto.
Learn more about trauma therapy →
More specific support
Learn more about complex PTSD therapy → -
When life starts to feel smaller.
Does life feel like going through the motions? Wondering why everything feels like it takes so much effort? Feeling disconnected from others? Depression isn't always loud. Sometimes it quietly convinces us to expect less from life than we once did.
Learn more about depression therapy → -
When life doesn't look the way you thought it would.
What have you lost? A person? A relationship? The future you imagined? Grief has a way of showing up in places we don't expect. Sometimes the hardest part isn't letting go, it's figuring out how to carry what happened while continuing to live your life.
Learn more about grief therapy →
More specific support
Learn more about grief therapy for loss of a parent →
Learn more about grief therapy for divorce →
Learn more about grief therapy for a break-up → -
When relationships leave you feeling exhausted.
Do you find yourself wondering why you're always the one reaching out first? Why saying "no" feels so uncomfortable? Or why you keep ending up in relationships where your needs somehow end up at the bottom of the list? Those patterns usually have a story worth understanding.
Learn more about relationship therapy →
More specific support
Learn more about therapy for relationship uncertainty →
Learn more about therapy for imbalanced relationships → -
When you don't feel as connected as you'd like to.
Have you ever been surrounded by people but still felt alone? Or noticed yourself holding back parts of who you are because you're not sure they'll be understood? Sometimes loneliness isn't about being by yourself. Sometimes it's about not feeling known.
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When you keep missing each other.
Do you ever leave an argument wondering, "How did we end up here again?" Maybe you're having the same conversation on repeat, even though neither of you wants to keep hurting the other. Couples therapy helps us slow those moments down so we can understand what's happening before we try to fix it.
Learn more about couples therapy →
More specific relationship support
Learn more about queer couples therapy →
Learn more about betrayal recovery therapy →
Learn more about couples therapy for new parents →
Learn more about couples therapy for ADHD → -
When your best never quite feels good enough.
When was the last time you felt proud of yourself before moving on to the next thing? Or made a mistake without wondering what it said about you? Perfectionism isn't always about wanting everything to be perfect. Sometimes it's about working incredibly hard to avoid feeling like you've fallen short. Therapy helps us understand where those expectations came from and what it might feel like to measure yourself by something other than achievement.
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When your whole day belongs to everyone else.
You spend the day keeping things moving: meals, messes, schedules, feelings, one small need after another. By the time everyone else is taken care of, you can barely remember what you needed for yourself. And somewhere along the way, you may have started wondering where the person you were before parenthood went. Therapy offers a place to make room for that person again.
Learn more about therapy for parents →
More specific relationship support
Learn more about therapy when your child is struggling →
Learn more about couples therapy for new parents → -
When the old version of your life no longer fits.
Have you ever reached a point where nothing is exactly wrong, but nothing feels quite right either? Maybe life has changed. Maybe you have. Either way, transitions tend to ask us questions before they give us answers.
WHAT IS PSYCHOTHERAPY?
counseling, psychotherapy, talk therapy?
All names for the same thing: a conversation with a trained listener designed to identify, challenge, and adjust the way we move through the world. Our foundation is in Psychodynamic and Relational therapies, and we use techniques from Cognitive Behavioral, Mindfulness, Existential, and Humanistic therapies to help clients identify goals and move closer toward them.
Psychotherapy can be as rich or deep as we want it to be. Some of our clients’ needs are resolved within a handful of sessions with coping skills, problem-solving, and new ways of thinking. Others have invested in therapy as a platform for exploring beliefs about themselves, the world, and relationships. Part of our initial contact will be identifying goals, including measurable outcomes, and determining the length of treatment.
what to expect
Weekly 53 minute sessions in our Queen Anne or virtual office.
Questions like, “How does that make you feel?”: Cliche? Yes! Relevant? Yes! Part of our job is pushing you to identify how to feel without asking you to change it. Yes, there will be an emotion wheel.
Mindfulness exercises like deep breathing, grounding, and body scans.
Problem-solving. Maybe the solution is right in front of us, it just took a fresh set of eyes to see it?
Accountability. Did you do what you said you were going to do? Are you skirting away from a difficult topic? Are you showing up? Putting in the effort?
Confidentiality. Your private thoughts are safe with us.
Flexibility. Sometimes what we think is the problem isn’t actually the problem.
Feeling heard, supported, and cared for. We’ve got your back. We’re in this together.
what psychotherapy isn’t
Magic
We don’t have magic wands and are still trying to figure out how to get ourselves and others to do what we want all the time. We can’t get the other people in your life to do, or not do, particular things. But we can explore how it makes you feel and how you can start getting what you want, or grieving what you can’t.
Comfortable
If we’re cruising, we aren’t doing good work. We’ve got to push ourselves to stretch and grow. We can move through this process together at your speed, pushing you only into a level of discomfort that you can tolerate.
Easy
If it was easy, everyone would do it. Many of our clients report feeling exhausted after sessions. It isn’t easy to “hear” your thoughts, stories, wounds, and fears. Good news is that you won’t have to face it alone.
How to Get Started with Therapy in Seattle
1. Request a free consultation.
Choose a therapist and request a time on our online calendar. It’s the fastest way to find a time that fits your schedule. Not sure who to choose? Call 206-395-8004 or email us, and we’ll help you find a good fit. We reply within 24 hours.
2. Meet your therapist.
Your 20-minute consultation happens in our office or by telehealth. Share a little about what’s bringing you in, ask questions, and talk through scheduling, fees, and insurance. You don’t need to tell your whole story or decide on the spot.
3. Decide, then schedule your first session.
If it feels like a good fit, you’ll book your first 53-minute session and complete a short intake packet at that point. If you’re not sure yet, take the time you need.
Prefer to talk to a person? Call or text the office at 206-395-8004 or email at office@seattlecounselingcenter.org.
Curious to know how long therapy takes or how to tell if it’s helping? Read the FAQ.
LET’S GET STARTED
Fees
Licensed Mental Health Counselors are $165 per hour, and Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associates are $145 per hour, and Jennifer Petty’s rate is $200 per hour.
We are paneled with Premera, Regence, and First Choice health insurance companies and can offer in-network billing for the following health insurance companies:
Out of State Blue Cross Blue Shield
Anthem
United (some providers)
We are considered an Out of Network provider for all other insurance companies and provide a Superbill for insurance reimbursement.
Location
200 W Mercer St, E307
Seattle, WA 98119
Telehealth appointments available to clients within the state of Washington
Scheduling
HOURS: Monday - Friday between 8am and 7pm, by appointment
Appointments can be requested in the following ways, from most responsive to least:
Online Calendar
office@seattlecounselingcenter.org
206-395-8004
All therapists offer a free, 20 minute consultation to determine fit.