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    • Individual Therapy
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Gretchen Phillips- Mental Health Therapist

Gretchen Phillips- Mental Health Therapist

 *Gretchen is NOT currently accepting new clients. Please reach out if you would like to join the waitlist. If you would like to get started right away, Justus is currently accepting new clients.* 


Are you struggling to show up in the present? Do you ever feel 'haunted' by past experiences that foreclose your way toward the future you want? I have met such roadblocks myself and believe that building a healthy interpersonal relationship in therapy paves the road to unlocking your goals & desires. I have specialties working with queer women & femmes in addressing anxiety, t/Trauma processing & recovery, sexual assault, and identity exploration.

Join the waitlist today!

To join Gretchen's waitlist, please contact us today at 206-603-0053 (call or text).

About Me

I moved to Seattle in 2014 from Bloomington, Indiana and love living in the Pacific Northwest. Outside of my work as a therapist, I enjoy consuming all types of media: music, movies, television/animation/anime, comics, memes--I generally love pop culture--and I primarily spend my leisure time walking and hiking, cooking, laughing with friends, and playing video games. 

Therapeutic Style

I believe every individual has the right to a joyous, fulfilling life. For many of us, life is also met with experiences of loss, mistreatment, neglect, t/Trauma, and systemic oppression that make us believe otherwise. I want to help change that.  I am committed to anti-racism and dismantling white supremacy, especially examining the intersections of how misogyny, misogynoir, ableism, fatphobia/body shame, cis/het norms, and capitalism continue to tread over the marginalized global majority; and exacerbate our disconnections from ourselves and one another to increase our profitability. You are infinitely more than that.  

  

Gestalt therapy is oriented around building awareness: of ourselves, of our thoughts & behaviors, of our choices, and of our physical systems that are constantly sending us invaluable data about our experiences. I believe that for each of us to increase this awareness brings us more fully into the present; and the present is the only place in which we have true agency & choice.


My training in interpersonal psychodynamic therapy informs the way I'm observing the therapeutic relationship we build together. Not only will I listen to the content you share with me, but I'm also listening for the 'music' behind it--the 'why' of choices, the 'how' of events, and the 'why now' of what comes up in our co-created space. I offer the associations and images that come up for me so we can examine the in-between of our dynamic and be curious together.


Therapy is a dialogue. I describe my approach as 'experiential' because I integrate many perspectives into my practice, and I believe that myself as a human with thoughts and emotions can provide us much more insight than the traditional “blank slate therapist.” Together we can build the skills & practices you need to take authority over your life, including increased confidence & self-esteem, maintaining healthy interpersonal boundaries, and building new neural pathways that concretize the change you want to see & be.

With Whom I Work

I tend to work with LGBTQAI+ adults on addressing anxiety, t/Trauma processing & recovery, sexual assault recovery, and identity exploration & formation. 

Education

 I studied East Asian Languages & Cultures with a focus in Mandarin at Indiana University. I received my Masters in Counseling Psychology from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology in 2018. I continue enriching my education and practice through various workshops, seminars/webinars, and focused trainings.

Previous Experience

 I began my work as a therapist at Seattle Counseling Service, the nation’s first and oldest LGBTQ+ counseling center. My work at SCS included gender & sexual orientation exploration, healthcare support & advocacy, case management, and crisis response. 

Fees

$150 per session payable via  credit, debit, FSA, or HSA account. I am currently unable to bill insurance, but can provide a superbill which you can submit for reimbursement through your insurance provider.  


*Please note that under the federal No Surprises Act, all clients have a right to a written and verbal Good Faith Estimate. For more information about Good Faith Estimates, please click the link below.  

Good Faith Estimate Notice

Optimism Counseling PLLC

206-603-0053

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