Meet the Minds Behind Pacific Pines
Clinical excellence meets a holistic, human-centered approach in Tacoma and across Washington State.
Rooted in Resilience.
Growing Together.
Rooted in Resilience. Growing Together.
Pacific Pines Counseling is founded on the belief that every individual has an innate capacity for growth and healing. We all have the strength and skills to weather the storms of life and grow toward the light.
Everyone needs a little support to find their footing sometimes and remember who they really are and who they’ve always wanted to become.
Sessions are tailored to help you cultivate resilience, rewrite your narrative, and grow at your own pace. Your unique story is the map that guides us forward.
Why Choose Pacific Pines Counseling?
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Mental health isn’t one-size-fits-all, so we blend over two dozen evidence-based modalities to create a treatment plan tailored specifically to your unique biology and lived experience. Rather than forcing you into a single mold, we adapt our approach in real-time to ensure every session resonates with your personal needs and goals.
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Our practice is built on a foundation of deep cultural humility, ensuring that survivors of trauma and neurodivergent individuals (including ADHD and Autism) feel seen, understood, and safe from the moment they walk in. We move beyond basic accommodation to actively celebrate your unique identity, creating an environment where your differences are viewed as strengths rather than deficits.
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We do not use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to write your clinical notes or progress notes. We also do not use or allow the use of AI tools to record your sessions, by clients or clinicians. Documentation referencing your personal health information (PHI) is written by licensed mental health professionals who know your story personally. More on our privacy and data policies here.
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We prioritize your privacy by selecting encrypted platforms like SimplePractice that strictly adhere to HIPAA standards for data security and confidentiality. Your sensitive information never leaves our secure processing ecosystem, and our explicit protocols prevent AI training or data leakage.
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Whether you prefer the comfort of a dedicated, soundproof office in Tacoma (coming soon!) or the flexibility of secure video sessions from anywhere across Washington, we offer a flexible hybrid model designed to fit your lifestyle. We enjoy offering clients face-to-face connection, modern convenience, and high-quality care, accessible wherever you are in our beautiful state.
You are not a case file. You are a person. You have an intricate story, and you are worthy of time, caring, and understanding.
Meet The Clinician
Our Core Therapeutic Modalities & Approaches
Healing and growth happen when you’re met exactly where you are, right now. Our work with clients is anchored in these core approaches:
Salutogenic: Focusing on your mental health creation and resilience by asking “what’s well with you?” rather than jumping to diagnosis or pathology or, “what’s wrong with you?”.
Psychodynamic: Exploring unconscious patterns and how your past influences your present behavior.
Collaborative: Working with you, not just for you; we build the plan together.
Clients also benefit from integration of these modalities and therapy approaches…
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Healing Trauma & Regulating the Nervous System
For those navigating PTSD, anxiety, or overwhelm, somatic and safety-focused approaches can help you feel secure in your body and mind.
Polyvagal-Informed Therapy: Understanding how your nervous system reacts to stress and learning to regulate safely.
Written Exposure Therapy: A gentle, structured way to process trauma without re-traumatization
Psychological First Aid (PFA): immediate stabilization strategies for acute crisis or distress
Safety Planning: collaborating to create concrete steps that bolster well-being during difficult moments
Biofeedback: using data and technology to visualize and learn control over physiological stress responses
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Relationships, Attachment & Life Transitions
For navigating relationships, grief, or major life decisions:
Attachment Theory: Understanding how early bonds shape your current relationships and healing relational wounds.
Relational-Cultural Therapy: Healing through connection and understanding the power of mutual empathy.
Discernment Counseling: A specialized process for couples unsure about staying together, helping you gain clarity with compassion.
Task Model of Mourning: Guiding you through the specific tasks required to navigate grief and loss.
Gestalt Therapy: A directive approach that focuses on the present moment and how your body expresses unmet needs.
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Emotional Regulation & Inner Work
For mastering difficult emotions, understanding inner conflicts, or building resilience:
Internal Family Systems (IFS): Compassionately meeting the different "parts" of you to heal internal conflict.
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT): Challenging irrational beliefs to change emotional distress.
Emotion Regulation Therapy: Practical tools for understanding, accepting, and managing intense feelings.
DBT-Informed Skills: Distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness skills.
Motivational Interviewing (MI): Gently exploring ambivalence to help you find your own motivation for change.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT): Clarifying your values and taking action even when difficult emotions are present.
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Exploring Identity, Meaning & Existential Questions
When someone is seeking deeper purpose, navigating life transitions, or exploring who they are:
Existential Psychotherapy & Logotherapy: Exploring your freedom, responsibility, and search for meaning in the face of suffering.
Narrative Therapy: Rewriting the stories we tell ourselves about our lives to reclaim authorship.
(Eco)Feminist Therapy: Examining how power dynamics, gender roles, and social systems impact your well-being and connect to others.
Person-Centered Therapy: A supportive approach that meets you as the expert on your own life.
Positive Psychotherapy: Focusing on strengths, virtues, and what is working to build a fulfilling life.
Meet The Support Staff
