Beautiful overlook on Little Si in North Bend, WA Weekly therapy is the current standard of care, and that is for good reason. There are certain conditions, life events, and needs that are best addressed by long-term, consistent care. Ideally, intensives can support weekly therapy by working as an adjunct treatment. However, there are times when weekly therapy misses the mark. Here are five ways that intensives hold an advantage over weekly therapy sessions: They let you fo

I love being a therapist. I’ve known for longer than I care to admit that offering people support, care, and unconditional positive regard was undoubtedly the correct vocation for me, and even when it has been hard, I’ve never wanted to leave it. That said, I both love it and have seen drawbacks in the traditional therapy model. I have wanted sessions to be longer; I have wanted more variety in scenery; I have wanted to give my clients more than the weekly one-hour structur

Trigger Warning: Some discussion of war and abuse If there's one thing you'll gather from reading this blog long enough, it's that I love, LOVE music, and especially Musical Theater. My husband's joke is that I could be a Jeopardy-level history scholar if they Hamilton -ed most other major historical events. He's not wrong. Naturally, when I heard about Epic, the musical telling of The Odyssey by Jorge Rivera-Herrans, I knew I had to listen to it. And it delivers. The music

Sequalitchew Creek Trail holds a special place in my heart because it is close to me. It is the trail I use the absolute most when I want to escape to nature but don't have a lot of time (and I am not alone: this trail is decently trafficked by locals). Tucked just between the Fire Station and the City Building in Dupont, WA, you will find the Sequalitchew Creek Trailhead. It is easy to miss, because you have to pass through suburbia to get there. However, once you do, it is

Our world has seen no shortage of trauma. Some estimates show that 70% of Americans will experience trauma in their lifetime. But what is “Trauma”? It may seem like a silly question, but many people experience trauma and either minimize it (“that wasn’t ‘trauma’...) or simply question whether it was (“does that count?”). The simplest definition of trauma is any deeply distressing or overwhelming event that devastates your sense of safety, impacting your physical, mental, and

*Disclaimer: This post may be useful for those experiencing mild to moderate depression. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, this is not an adequate substitute for individual therapy from a licensed professional, for calling 9-8-8 (the suicide hotline), or 9-1-1 if you fear you are in danger of harming yourself. Please keep yourself safe. TL;DR: Depression is a natural part of the human experience—a logical response to stimuli. The more we avoid sitting with it and tal

As a neurospicy person, I am frequently under- or over-stimulated. I am either bored and craving novelty and BIG fun, or, when I have found the big fun, I need earplugs, a place to quietly regulate, or, ideally, a deprivation tank after the event. There is not a lot of in-between. Except, of course, in nature. One of the reasons I enjoy being outside so much is that I've found nature to be the perfect amount of stimulating. There is enough diversity of sights and sounds to k

Little Mashel Falls- Bud Blanchard Trail Eatonville, WA How much do you know about Pokémon? I only remember the original 150, myself. Did you know that some Pokémon have different abilities and strengths, depending on the region they are from? This is especially true for those from the Alolan region, apparently. I learned all of this (and more!) on the hike to Little Mashel Falls with my eight-year-old son. Almost five miles in and back, Little Mashel Falls via the Bud Blanch

Cherry Creek Falls Trailhead Duvall, WA The best part of my job is getting to go out and explore. Not only do I enjoy being outside, but it is imperative to me to be knowledgeable about the trails in Western Washington so that I have an idea of which hike will be most appropriate for each individual coming into an intensive with me. Whether clients have differences in physical abilities or stamina, or hold particular concerns or phobias (heights, anyone?), I strive to find th