Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) therapists in Bellingham, WA

Bonnie started Bonfire Healing, an insurance based private practice, in 2021 and has unlimited excitement and passion for healing the impacts of trauma, particularly developmental trauma, through utilizing evidenced based bottom up modalities. Bonnie’s Current Completed Trainings: Internal Family Systems (IFS) Level 2 trained through the IFS institute Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) certified therapist through EMDRIA. Somatic Experiencing (SE) Beginning 1-3, Intermediate 1-3, and Advanced 1 completed through Somatic Experiencing International. Bonnie graduated in 2011 from Bastyr University with a MS in Nutrition and Clinical Health Psychology. The first decade of her career was spent in inpatient and outpatient eating disorder, addiction, and mental health treatment centers and with transgender females within a male prison system which has emphasized the need for social justice oriented inclusive therapy and the need for not only trauma informed care, but trauma treatment within mental health, addiction, and eating disorder treatments. Bonnie's clinical focus areas: Complex Trauma and resulting Panic/Anxiety, Mood Disorders, BPD, Addiction, Eating Disorders, and Chronic Illness. Loss of control when eating in adults and adolescents including Binge Eating, Bulimia, and Emotional Eating LGBTQ+ including Gender Affirming Transitions Nuerodiversity and the connection to developmental trauma Addiction Recovery and Chronic Relapse Chronic Illness & Autoimmune Issues Fertility Issues & PCOS Therapy for Therapists  

My approach to therapy is warm, collaborative, and grounded in genuine connection—with a touch of humor along the way. I support clients through life’s challenges, including anxiety, depression, unresolved trauma, relational struggles, and major transitions. Together, we’ll explore the patterns that support your well-being and those that may be holding you back, always with a focus on your unique values, needs, and goals. Drawing from evidence-based therapies, I tailor our work to help you feel empowered, deepen self-understanding, and move toward meaningful change. Taking this step toward healing is courageous, and I’m here to walk alongside you as you create the life you want.  

Our practice is grounded in a deep appreciation for the diverse experiences that shape each person’s life. Our founder grew up in Jamaica, Queens, surrounded and supported by three generations of remarkable women—an experience that continues to inform the values of care, resilience, and community that guide our work today. Across our practice, we have the privilege of supporting individuals from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, gender identities, and socioeconomic experiences, each bringing their own unique perspectives and concerns. As a practice founded by a Black, queer, first-generation college graduate, we hold a strong awareness of how power, privilege, and systemic forces shape daily life and mental health. We also recognize the vulnerability it takes to seek therapy. Our work is informed not only by clinical expertise, but by a deep respect for the courage and commitment involved in pursuing healing and meaningful change. This perspective shapes our intention to create a space that is thoughtful, affirming, and responsive to the full complexity of our clients’ lived experiences.  

We know that feeling understood matters just as much as clinical skill. We take care in matching clients with therapists who not only have strong training, but who also bring lived experience that helps them truly “get” what you’re going through. Our therapists work in a way that is both clinical and deeply human—offering evidence-based support while honoring identity, context, and real-life experience. We focus on creating a relationship where you feel safe, respected, and supported, so therapy feels meaningful, not mechanical.  

Hi, I’m Ryan. I became a therapist because I know how powerful it can be to have someone genuinely in your corner. Someone who sees the good in you when you’re struggling to see it yourself, who stays grounded when life feels overwhelming, and who believes that your current circumstances do not have to define your future. I believe people are capable of meaningful change, even after years of feeling stuck, lonely, anxious, disconnected, or shaped by painful experiences. Sometimes we simply need a relationship in which we feel safe enough to be honest, supported enough to take risks, and gently challenged enough to begin doing things differently. I hope to offer that kind of relationship to my clients. My path to becoming a therapist has not been entirely conventional. I grew up in Bellingham, Washington, earned degrees abroad in Italy and Spain, and previously worked as both a marketer and a psychometrist before entering the counseling profession. Living in different countries and moving through several professional worlds taught me to be curious about people. Their stories, cultures, relationships, contradictions, and the experiences that shape how they see themselves. In therapy, I want to know the person behind the symptoms. I want to understand what you long for, what keeps getting in the way, what you learned about yourself growing up, and who you might become if fear, shame, trauma, or self-doubt were no longer making so many of your decisions. You do not need to arrive with the perfect explanation for what is wrong. You may simply know that you feel lonely, overwhelmed, disconnected from yourself, haunted by the past, or tired of repeating the same relationship patterns. You may be outwardly successful while privately feeling insecure or lost. You may want deeper relationships but find yourself withdrawing, avoiding vulnerability, choosing unavailable partners, or questioning whether anyone could truly understand you. Whatever brings you here, you do not have to perform or pretend with me. I aim to create a space where you can speak honestly. Even about the thoughts, experiences, desires, fears, and parts of yourself that feel difficult to share elsewhere. My style is warm, grounded, direct, and deeply human. I will listen without judgment, but I will not simply nod along with everything you say. When helpful, I will gently challenge the beliefs or patterns that may be keeping you stuck. I believe we can be compassionate toward ourselves while also taking responsibility for creating change. Therapy with me is both insight-oriented and action-oriented. We will explore how early relationships, childhood experiences, unconscious beliefs, and protective behaviors may still influence your life today. I take an Adlerian and psychodynamic approach, meaning I am interested in the deeper story beneath your current struggles. However, I do not believe your past permanently determines who you are. Awareness gives us choices. Once we understand why a pattern developed and what purpose it once served, we can begin deciding whether it still belongs in the life you want today. Insight is important, but I also want therapy to extend beyond the hour we spend together. Depending on your goals, I may suggest small behavioral challenges (what I sometimes call “missions”) to help you practice new ways of relating to yourself and others. That might involve initiating an uncomfortable conversation, setting a boundary, reaching out to someone instead of isolating, tolerating the possibility of rejection, making eye contact, expressing a need, or interrupting a pattern of avoidance. These challenges are collaborative and paced carefully. The goal is not to overwhelm you or push you before you are ready. Instead, we gradually build your capacity to do things that once felt impossible. Little by little, you begin gathering evidence that you can survive discomfort, respond differently, and become more secure in yourself. I also use evidence-based approaches such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy, or EMDR, as well as Cognitive Processing Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. These approaches can be especially helpful when painful memories, traumatic experiences, intrusive thoughts, or deeply rooted negative beliefs continue to affect your relationships and daily life. We can discuss these options together and determine what feels most appropriate for you. Therapy is not one-size-fits-all, and I want you to understand and feel comfortable with the work we are doing. Many of the people who feel drawn to my practice are young adults, members of Gen Z and the millennial generation, and people who want to build more meaningful relationships. I often work with men experiencing loneliness, insecurity, relationship difficulties, or questions related to sexual identity. I particularly value working with gay and bisexual men and hope to provide a space where you can explore identity, dating, intimacy, coming out, attachment, and relationship dynamics without having to explain or defend who you are. I also enjoy working with women navigating attachment concerns, dating patterns, motherhood, single parenthood, major transitions, and the desire to form healthier, more secure relationships. Across identities, I tend to connect well with people who are introspective, curious about themselves, and ready to move toward a life that feels more authentic, even if they are not yet sure how to get there. My goal is not for therapy to become the only place where you feel known and supported. I want the trust we build together to ripple outward into the rest of your life. Over time, I hope you become more comfortable expressing yourself, navigating conflict, forming close relationships, recovering from setbacks, and allowing others to truly know you. Ultimately, my goal is to help you build a life so full, secure, and meaningful that you no longer need therapy in the same way. Outside of my work, I enjoy spending time with my fiancé, family, and friends. I love being outdoors, walking through neighborhoods and cities, riding my bike, growing food, and working on DIY and home-renovation projects. I also practice Vipassana meditation, although, like many people, not quite as consistently as I would like. These parts of my life help me stay curious, grounded, and connected to the ordinary moments that make life feel meaningful. Choosing a therapist is deeply personal. Training and therapeutic methods matter, but so does the feeling you have when you speak with someone. You deserve a therapist with whom you can gradually lower your guard and feel more like yourself. A free consultation is an opportunity for us to talk, for you to ask questions, and for you to get a sense of my personality and approach without pressure. You do not need to commit before knowing whether the connection feels right. I would be honored to meet you, hear what has been happening in your life, and explore whether I might be the person to walk alongside you as you begin creating something different.