Comments on: Menschy Seattle Therapist, please

Question: Menschy Seattle Therapist, please

ArgyleSockPuppet — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 23:28:42 -0800

Recommendations for a good (please note my definition of good) therapist in Seattle

I know similar questions have been asked, but I don't feel like they are quite exactly what I am looking for.

I am looking for a personal recommendation (meaning, you or a close loved one has seen this therapist) for a therapist in Seattle who could help with the fallout of a very traumatic failed relationship. I am looking for, for lack of a better word, a mensch. I don't want to be plugged into someone's cognitive behavioral framework, or Freudian framework, or religious framework, or any framework--I want to converse with an open-minded, unconventional, empathic, genuinely good listener who will make me feel understood. I'm allergic to "practical problem solvers" who want to give homework or have ideas about "improving" my life or trying to manipulate me into feeling or behaving the way they want me to (or even the way I want me to!!). I don't want to be changed, fixed, manipulated, or acted upon in any manner. I want to be listened to, deeply, and understood. That is all. That would be enough.

Please no generic referrals to King County resources, or general web sites like apa--I can find those on my own, and have already looked through them for many hours as well as test-driven two therapists I found through these methods. One was utterly uninspiring and mundane and the other, though clearly knowledgeable and good at what he does, was too research- and practical-results-focused based for my tastes.

I'm poor, and cannot afford this, but I am going to do it anyway. So, money is (gulp) not an object. I just need the absolute best fit for me.

Thanks.

By: batmonkey

batmonkey — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 23:47:15 -0800

I recommend Carole Anne Coryell. If you are explicit with her about what you need, she will give you precisely that, from my experience.

By: E3

E3 — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 00:03:53 -0800

Tracie Carlson. I think what she does is called insight therapy or some term like that. It's a lot of me talking and her listening. And whether I think I've been coherent or not, when she responds she usually hits the nail on the head for me.

By: rmd1023

rmd1023 — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 04:26:27 -0800

If the eastside isn't too far, I found Barbara Sewell in Bellevue to be a great therapist. She was great at helping me be more compassionate towards myself, and while she asked me many challenging questions, she did not direct me towards a particular sort of "better". I don't know if you have any non-mainstream stuff going on, but she didn't blink at any of my lifestyle stuff.

By: sweltering

sweltering — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 08:37:13 -0800

Wendy Smith, all the way. She is incredible. She used to be a medievalist (trained at Yale) and is an incredibly gentle and intuitive therapist. Worked wonders for a friend. She is completely non-dogmatic. Also, she has a generous sliding scale to help your pocketbook.

By: matildaben

matildaben — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 11:03:43 -0800

Peggy Shafer north of U. Village is the menschiest mensch compassionate female therapist you will find. She has a sliding scale.

By: ArgyleSockPuppet

ArgyleSockPuppet — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 03:37:36 -0800

Hi, thanks for the suggestions thus far.

First, I wanted to mention: it's not at all necessary for it to be a *female* therapist. I am incredibly open to seeing a male therapist. And in fact,
for personal reasons, I'd have serious trouble spilling my guts to a conventionally attractive female such as Dr. Coryell.

Location is secondary; I am willing to travel a bit if the fit is extremely good.

On the lifestyle stuff: the issues at hand for me don't involve anything shocking, just a really bad breakup that didn't happen soon enough and that has done a lot of damage to me emotionally (more the actual relationship than the breakup, methinks). But I think the therapist I would find compatible would be open-minded enough that they wouldn't blink at alternative lifestyles, so that is still good to know.