People come to counseling for all kinds of reasons including but not limited to: needing help processing a big life change, how to live and cope with a new diagnosis, wanting to understand themselves better or improve communication, etc.

For queer and trans individuals, counseling may be helpful when trying to understand gender identity and/ or sexual orientation and how we want to relate to ourselves and others. Navigating daily life as a trans and/or queer person has unique stressors, challenges and dangers. It can be helpful to have someone to talk to about your inner world and lived experiences who understands.

There are many modalities counseling can incorporate depending on the specific need. My training and orientation is in Somatic Psychology, Sex Therapy, Non-Violent Communication (NVC), Mindfulness and Person-Centered Therapy, Liberation-Based Therapy, and Coaching. I see each client as an autonomous individual and counseling as a collaborative experience.

I am a Certified Counselor (CC), licensed in Washington State. I work under the supervision of Rives Thornton, LMHC, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. He can be reached at rives@gaiawellness.org.

While sex counseling often focus on longer term treatment, addressing past trauma and it’s impact on the present, coaching is more goal-oriented focusing on working through a current challenge or barrier and is usually shorter term, meaning 1-12 sessions.

Similar to counseling, sex coaching can be so many things!

Some examples where sex coaching can be useful are:

-Customized sex education!

-Learning or improving new skills

-Wanting to improve your self-intimacy

-Wanting to improve or “spice-up” sex within a partnership

-Guidance in exploring a kink or fetish

-Guidance in opening up a relationship

-Polyamory support

-Help identifying and communicating your desires

-Navigating neurodivergence and sex

-Navigating transition and sex

-Disability and sex support/ tools to make sex accessible

The sex coaching I provide is verbal, educational, and narrative. The conduct and boundaries are professional and similar to that of a therapy session. I only provide sex coaching to legal adults 18+.

Soma stems from the greek word σῶμα or sōma, meaning body.

The theory behind somatic psychology is that the body and mind are not separate entities. This modality combiness mindfulness with movement and grounding techniques for a holistic approach to healing trauma that gets stored in the body. This modality can also be helpful for people who experience anxiety, depression, dissociation, have sensory processing differences, etc.

I recognize that mental health cannot and should not be treated as entirely separate from the larger societal and political factors that impact your life.

Mental wellness is interconnected with access to food, healthcare, housing, and community safety as well as disability, gender, sexuality, race, religion, etc. I disagree with any therapeutic approach that places sole responsibility on the individual.

I see therapy as a tool for processing the emotional, physical, and relational impacts from the on-going horrors of violence and oppression in the U.S and globally. Additionally, I believe therapy can be a resource for learning the skills for self-regulation, communication, and conflict resolution that are necessary for building and maintaining community which is vital to co-creating a better world.

I also recognize my positionality as a white somatic practitioner. As Abigail Clarke said, “The embodiment industry as a whole and Somatics as a field of study, have a whiteness problem. And without carefully dismantling the ways our relationship to the body are tied to these ideals of white supremacy culture, Somatics will emphasize calm and silence in ways that align with the oppression of class divisions and racial divides supported by the state.”

I am committed to the ongoing work of dismantling systems of oppression over bodies especially within the field of embodiment.

I understand that there are complexities to “coming home” to your body when systems of violence, or chronic illness, or trauma have made your body an unsafe place to be.

My approach to embodiment work is a gentle one that takes into account your lived experiences, traumas and identities that impact your physical and emotional body.

In this world we live in, I see becoming embodied, taking back our agency, and learning to love ourselves as an inherently radical act.

I provide counseling to individuals In Washington State. However, I provide sex coaching to more than one person at a time, located anywhere. This can include couples and people in relationships with more than two people.

While my specialties pertain to queer/disability/non-mongamy, that is surely not a requirement and am happy to work with anyone who seeks counseling or sex coaching in an area I can be helpful in!

If you are curious if I’d be a good fit for you, you can set up a free 15 min consult where you can ask any questions!

All sessions are telehealth.

I accept most insurances for individuals in Washington State only. I also accept private pay at $200 per session.

Sex Coaching is private pay only on a sliding scale of $125-200 per 55 minute session for individuals, and $175-250 for 2+ people. Sessions with more than one person are 75 minutes.

Aetna

Coordinated Care of WA – (Medicaid and commercial plans)

Cigna/Evernorth

Community Health Plan of WA – (Medicaid)

First Choice Health

HMA – Health Management Administrators

Kaiser Permanente

Lifewise of WA

Meritain Health

Molina Healthcare of Washington – (Medicaid and commercial plans)

Premera Blue Cross

Regence Blue Shield

Regence Group Administrators

United Healthcare/Optum - (Medicaid plans only; not commercial plans)

Wellpoint – (Medicaid)

I can only provide counseling to those residing in Washington state.

However, I can provide sex coaching to people residing anywhere in the world!