David Michalowski

Hey I'm Dave! I've been a therapist since getting my masters in counseling from The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology in 2008. I've always thought deeply about the nature of this world and the human mind - wondering about why and how things work the way they do. I've studied theology and philosophy along side psychology to develop a larger perspective of our existence and specific sufferings we face in our journey. I work with a broad range of individuals and couples on things like anxiety, depression, parenting issues, relatinship issues, ADHD, and trauma.

Technically I was trained as Psychodynamic Psychotherapist - which means I help you find answers to the larger story of your life. Our present suffering - whether it be depression or anxiety or something else always forms from specific events and patterns in our life. I find that getting a very clear understanding of your mind and how it came to work the way it does is the first step towards healing. I also use Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Family Systems therapy as core paradigms for my work. I'm very open and direct with you - if I observe something, I share it with you. I'm not the type of therapist that just passively listens to you. I believe saying the hard things challenges my clients to find the best in themselves.

The goal of therapy is for your mind to be fully integrated with itself and its past. Most of the time, clients will come to therapy, tell me a story of their life, and then articulate a very inaccurate conclusion about what they just told me. This is what a brain regression looks like - where your visual memory is not aligned with your verbal memory. When this is out of whack, all sorts of psychological issues can emerge, but the good news is that correcting this regression is the first step towards healing. When a person can see themselves and their history clearly, then they can act more in line with their values and have a more meaningful life.