Women therapists in Mercer Island, WA

You might be someone who has done a lot of inner work already. You understand your patterns, you’ve reflected deeply, and yet something still feels stuck — in your body, your relationships, or your creative life. I work with highly sensitive, creative individuals who are often over-functioning on the outside but carrying a quieter sense of overwhelm, disconnection, or burnout within. Many of the people I work with are navigating anxiety, trauma, relational wounds, or creative blocks, and are looking for a kind of therapy that goes beyond coping skills into something more meaningful and lasting. My approach is gentle, collaborative, and grounded in deep listening. I’m trained in psychodynamic therapy and Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy, which means we pay attention not only to your thoughts and experiences, but also to the subtle, body-based knowing that often holds the next step forward. Rather than rushing insight or forcing change, we create space for something more organic to unfold. I believe healing happens in a space where you feel safe enough to slow down, curious enough to listen inward, and supported enough to be exactly where you are. From there, change tends to come in ways that feel more integrated, more sustainable, and more like your own.  

I'm a licensed clinical psychologist with over a decade of experience helping clients make sustainable change for the better. With extensive training in motivational interviewing, I help clients explore and understand the impact behaviors like substance use, overeating, and others are having on their well-being, and guide them in making an individualized plan for change. Taking into account your life context and environment, we'll work together to address underlying issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression in order to reduce unwanted behaviors and develop coping strategies that work without causing their own problems.  

I specialize in helping young adults and millennials grappling with anxiety, perfectionism, low self-esteem, trauma, unfulfilling/unhealthy relationships, and life transitions. Whether you're wrestling with racing thoughts, the weight of self-doubt, grappling with the aftermath of trauma, or feeling lost in the midst of life's changes, I am here to support you. I am committed to creating a safe and compassionate space where you feel heard, understood, and accepted so that you can openly explore your thoughts and emotions.  

You may be used to keeping things together on the outside while feeling overwhelmed or not good enough inside. Maybe part of you feels responsible for everyone else, while another part is exhausted and wants a break. Or you want to feel close to others but find yourself pulling away when you feel vulnerable. I help people understand these different parts of themselves. Even the parts that criticize, shut down, or push you too hard often developed for reasons like helping you cope or protect you from being hurt. My style is warm, down-to-earth, and collaborative. There’s room for whatever you’re feeling, including mixed feelings about change.  

Welcoming the Smart and Unusual! I provide counseling and coaching services for adults as individuals and in various relationship groupings, including couples, extended and 'chosen' families, and alternative family structures such as polycules. Contact me for a free consult, and let's see if we're a fit.  

Do you worry, overthink, feel anxious, have panic attacks, PTSD, or avoid certain situations because of anxiety/trauma? Your thoughts may be racing, spiraling, or making you feel like you’re experiencing painful situations all over again. You may be left feeling overwhelmed, terrified, out of control, and not knowing how to cope. You may avoid people, isolate yourself, find it hard to trust or connect with others, worry about others judging you, or become stuck in unhealthy relationship patterns. At times, it can feel hard to function.  

Are you or your child struggling with anxiety, mood swings, depression, or lingering effects of past trauma—even though you’ve tried traditional treatment and it just hasn’t been enough? I'm Dr. Janelle Louis, and I use a unique combination of holistic interventions, medication management, and psychotherapy to help children and adults with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, or a history of traumatic experiences find lasting emotional wellness. As both a licensed naturopathic doctor (Vermont) and a psychiatric nurse practitioner (Arizona, Washington state), I bring a unique, integrative perspective to psychiatric and medical healthcare. My background includes experience supporting individuals with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, hormonal mental health disorders, autoimmune and metabolic conditions that affect mental health, and trauma-related concerns. With a foundation in holistic, root-cause medicine and hands-on experience in emergency and inpatient behavioral health settings, I provide compassionate, evidence-based psychiatric and medical care that respects my patients’ values, while addressing the full complexity of their needs. I blend evidence-based therapy—including CBT and trauma-informed approaches—with thoughtful medication management and holistic interventions to help children, teens, and adults live their healthiest and best lives.  

With over two decades of experience working in diverse therapeutic environments—ranging from outpatient clinics to psychiatric hospitals, adventure programs, residential treatment facilities, schools, juvenile corrections, and a military hospital—I bring a wide-ranging perspective to problem-solving and overcoming life's obstacles. As the Founder & President of two award-winning mental health centers with a staff 150, I've gained a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to care.  

I believe therapy should be a space where you feel comfortable, understood, and supported as you navigate life’s challenges. My approach is compassionate and empowering—I work collaboratively with you to uncover patterns in your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that may be holding you back. Together, we’ll identify these cycles and develop tools to help you break free from them, build healthier ways of thinking, and create lasting change. My goal is to help you strengthen self-awareness, increase emotional resilience, and move toward a more balanced and fulfilling life.  

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.