Ruthie Kovanen

Is anxiety holding you back from living life the way you want? Let’s be real, there’s plenty to be anxious about. Anxiety is a natural and normal experience, but sometimes it goes into overdrive. Whether it’s social anxiety, generalized anxiety, or fears about specific things or situations, together we can make a plan to face your fears, build skills to tolerate the feelings and sensations of anxiety, and begin taking action towards the life you want (even if anxiety tags along for the ride). Sometimes anxiety brings along depression, has its roots in trauma, or comes alongside different types of neurodivergence like ADHD. If this is the case for you, we’ll address these aspects of your experience too and explore the unique impacts they have on your life.

I am a licensed mental health counselor in the state of Washington. I received my Masters in Counseling from Saint Martin's University, and throughout my clinical practice experiences I've worked with clients in community mental health, group private practice, and Tribal health settings. I currently provide individual counseling via telehealth to adults across Washington state.

I work primarily from an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) framework. In ACT, we focus less on getting rid of anxiety or other (often unwanted) experiences and instead explore new ways of relating to these experiences so they get less in the way of living your life. Together we’ll learn to approach anxiety with a stance of curiosity and acceptance while finding ways for you to make it back into the driver’s seat of your own life and let anxiety rest in the backseat.

In our work together, we will:

• Explore who you are, what really matters to you, and how you want to embody this in your life
• Encounter tender or painful emotions with curiosity and respect
• Learn new ways to relate to anxiety and other difficult experiences
• Connect with and anchor into a larger sense of safety and steady calm in your life, freeing you to be authentically you​