About Mario
Simply stated, I’m a guy who likes to provide professional therapeutic services with a personal touch. Here are some areas that I focus in:

• Individual Counsling
• Marriage Counseling
• Premarital Counseling
• Anxiety
• Depression
• The Effects of Childhood Sexual Abuse
• Parenting and Family Concerns
• Midlife Issues
• Work and Career Issues
• Stress Management
• Military Family Issues

Family
I grew up in a naval family in the Kitsap area and have remained on the Peninsula for the past 30 years. My wife, Michelle, and I have been married for the past 15 years and we have two fun, energetic boys. If it is a sunny day, you’ll likely find us playing near some body of water.

Education
I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LH60656337) in the State of Washington. I received an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. I have also double majored with a B.A. in Psychology and a B.A. in Biblical Studies from Northwest University.

 

Experience
My experiences have prepared me well to be both professional and personable. I have been counseling in various capacities for the past 18 years and it has been an honor to be a help to people along the way.

I also have a separate counseling office in Bremerton where I see clients on Monday evenings. If you are coming from the south and location is a concern, you may want to consider seeing me there at Fully Alive Therapy.

When not in counseling sessions, I am serving our church, Gateway Fellowship, as a staff teaching pastor. Prior to this role, I served as the student ministries pastor for 8 years in which I had the opportunity to lead and counsel adolescents along with the parents of teens and pre-teens.

My pastoral roles have allowed me to see and experience different cultures such as India and Indonesia. In addition to these cultures, I’ve served in the inner cities of East L.A. and Washington, D.C. These experiences have helped me to be more culturally-conscious as I enter into new relationships.

I completed an extensive internship with Catholic Community Services of Western Washington, which is located in Bremerton, Washington. I had the opportunity to work with a vast array of clients to prepare me for the diversity that Western Washington offers.

Fees
My current fee for services is $70 per session for individuals; and $80 per session for couples and families. I offer a limited number of reduced rate options for those who are facing financial hardship. I currently don't bill insurance companies, but most insurance companies will reimburse you for services you receive from me.

Life is too short to live in an unhealthy way.  Make the most of your life by becoming your best self.  It could impact your family and the world.  I would like to walk with you through this journey to wholeness and healing.  Here are some of my areas of focus:

• Couple's Therapy
• Marital and Premarital Counseling
• Individual Counseling
• Trauma
• Adolescents and Teens
• Family Therapy
• Parenting
• Boundaries
• Anxiety
• Relationship Issues
• Mental Health Issues
• Supervised Visitation/Counseling
• Supervision of Therapists for License

Family
For 37 years, I have been married to my husband, Tim. We have four terrific children (plus loved spouses of our kids) now ages 21-31; and six wonderful grandchildren. We enjoy spending time together, walking our three dogs, riding our tandem, walking on the beach, music, studying, writing, and traveling. Our family is multi-cultural which has been a very rich experience and has helped me to understand the world differently.

Experience
For over 25 years, I was involved in Christian ministry and worked with children and adults before officially entering the Clinical and Christian Counseling field. Ten of these years, I served together with my husband in a collegiate setting, as a missionary to Guatemala, and in church ministry. Through this, I have come to believe that Jesus is our healer.

Since 2007, I have enjoyed sitting with people of any age (5 - 105) in private practice. I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with the State of Washington and an approved Supervisor for Licensing.

Prior to becoming the Gateway Counseling Director and Counseling Pastor, I worked as a Clinical Supervisor at Kitsap Mental Health Services (KMHS) in Bremerton for nearly seven years where I earned the recognition of Mental Health Professional.  I helped to start and lead the first Thinking About Smoking Cessation group at KMHS.

Education
I earned my Masters in Counseling Psychology from Northwest University in Kirkland, WA; and I earned my B.A. from Michigan State University in Religious Studies, with minors in Theater, Non-Formal Education, and Spanish.  I regularly attend trainings to keep up-to-date with the latest research for therapeutic interventions.

Fees
My current fee for services is $70 per session for individuals; and $80 per session for couples and families. I offer a limited number of reduced-rate options for couples and family counseling for those who are facing financial hardship. I currently do not bill insurance companies but do work with several employee assistance programs.  Most insurance companies reimburse my clients for my counseling services.

Areas of Focus
I work with children ages 5 and older, families, couples, and individual adults. I have experience with individuals dealing with:

• Anxiety
• Grief
• Eating disorders
• OCD
• ODD
• ADHD
• Depression
• Anger
• Spiritual issues
• Family issues
• Relationship issues

Modality

• Narrative Therapy
• CBT
• Family Systems
• Motivational Interviewing
• Reality Therapy
• Spiritual Integration
• Creative Arts

Profile
My goals as a therapist are to be able to connect with people in a way that is meaningful to them and to create a safe space for people of all ages to share. My desire is for my clients to be able to find peace in their situations, to gain understanding where there may have been confusion, to find healing in areas where they are experiencing pain, and to develop a new sense of self-awareness that will set them free to be their true selves.

I offer you the space and safety to share your story and to begin where you'd like to begin. After listening to you share your experience with me, I will encourage you to look for some of the natural techniques you've been using and work with you to come up with ideas for new techniques to achieve the outcomes you'd like to see. Before we end our session, I'll encourage you to share something meaningful that you can apply in your life until we meet again.

I enjoy using Narrative Theory when working with clients because it gives them the opportunity to create and share their stories in a way that feels meaningful to them, regardless of the stories the world has already constructed for them. I also infuse my work with family system theories. I use the Bowenian Theroy when helping family members with self-differentiation, anxiety, and overall functioning within the family. I am always thinking from a holistic viewpoint, as I intentionally listen for spirituality and integrate it into my work with clients.

Experience and Education
I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Brandman University, Irvine in 2012 and a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from Seattle University in 2017. I have obtained these certificates and licenses: Certificate of Completion in the "Draw It Out' children's grief material training in 2016, Certificate of Completion in Motivational Interviewing Training in 2017, Washington State Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate 2017, Washington State Mental Health Practitioner (MHP) 2017, and Washington State Child Mental Health Specialist 2017.

Family
I am married to someone I consider my very best friend. We have three children we are having fun raising and teaching about life. My family and I enjoy spending time together by traveling to new places and revisiting places we love.

Fees
My current fee for services is $70 per session for individuals; and $80 per session for couples and families. I offer a limited number of reduced rate options for couples and family counseling for those who are facing financial hardship. I currently work with a limited number of insurance companies.

Areas of Focus
Ashlee is a devoted Christian who specializes in children, adolescents, family, and issues specific to women.

 

• Anxiety
• Adolescent/Teen Issues
• Relationship Issues
• Coping Skills
• Depression
• Divorce
• Family Conflict
• Grief
• Peer Relationships
• Self Esteem
• Self-Harming
• Sexual Abuse
• Women's Issues'

About
All people long for connection. It is through relationships, or lack thereof, that we often experience the deepest hurt. I see therapy as a journey we will be taking together to help bring lasting change in areas where you may be experiencing the most stress, sorrow, or unrest. It is my passion and honor to help those in my community identify their inner strengths and find meaning within the chaos.

To assist in this process, I may draw on several therapeutic methods including a system perspective and cognitive behavioral therapy. Within this context, we can examine how you can be a separate person while also remaining connected to others.

Experience and Education
I am a graduate student of Liberty University. In 2014, I completed my Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, with a special emphasis in Christian Counseling. For the past decade, I worked as a family advocate in academic, foster-care, and in-home settings.

Fees
My current fee for services is $70 per session (individual) or $80 per session (for two or more people). I offer a limited number of reduced rate options for couples and family counseling for those who are facing financial hardship.

Areas of Focus
Ashlee is a devoted Christian who specializes in children, adolescents, family, and issues specific to women.

 

• Anxiety
• Adolescent/Teen Issues
• Relationship Issues
• Coping Skills
• Depression
• Divorce
• Family Conflict
• Grief
• Peer Relationships
• Self Esteem
• Self-Harming
• Sexual Abuse
• Women's Issues'

About
All people long for connection. It is through relationships, or lack thereof, that we often experience the deepest hurt. I see therapy as a journey we will be taking together to help bring lasting change in areas where you may be experiencing the most stress, sorrow, or unrest. It is my passion and honor to help those in my community identify their inner strengths and find meaning within the chaos.

To assist in this process, I may draw on several therapeutic methods including a system perspective and cognitive behavioral therapy. Within this context, we can examine how you can be a separate person while also remaining connected to others.

Experience and Education
I am a graduate student of Liberty University. In 2014, I completed my Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, with a special emphasis in Christian Counseling. For the past decade, I worked as a family advocate in academic, foster-care, and in-home settings.

Fees
My current fee for services is $70 per session (individual) or $80 per session (for two or more people). I offer a limited number of reduced rate options for couples and family counseling for those who are facing financial hardship.