Couples therapists in Seattle, WA

I am coming up on 28 years of clinical experience. Over the years, helping people deal with traumas has become my clinical focus. Helping people heal and cope with trauma is extremely rewarding. Along the way, I was honored to share my research on trauma at national and international conferences.

I have also had the honor of helping military service members, their families and children. I have worked with all branches.

I have a masters degree in Mental Health Counseling. I am a certified EMDR child specialist. (EMDR in person only)

Hello! I'm Lauren Salerno (she/her), a licensed mental health therapist in Washington! I am also trained in art therapy, and love to incorporate creativity into my work with people. My typical client is neurodivergent, creative, and looking for healthy coping skills to learn when to adapt and when to advocate for themselves. I work with adults 18+ and sometimes with groups. Nice to meet you!

I'm a mental health counselor with roots in teaching and social emotional learning; that background shapes the way I show up with clients, with patience, curiosity, and a genuine belief in each person's capacity to grow. At the heart of my work is empathy and deep listening; I want every client to feel truly met, not just heard.

'm a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with experience supporting children, teens, adults, and families through anxiety, life transitions, emotional overwhelm, relationship challenges, and parenting stress. Clients often describe me as warm, authentic, down-to-earth, and easy to talk to. I believe therapy works best when people feel genuinely understood, and I see my role as helping clients make sense of themselves—their experiences, emotions, relationships, and strengths—so they can create meaningful change. As a wife and mother, I understand firsthand the complexities of balancing family, stress, identity, and caregiving.

• I’m a “real” talker, down to Earth + hot takes
• Anticapitalist leftist
• Strengths-based, positive psychology, non-pathologizing
• Frank. I can call people on their crap without judgment.
• Insight-oriented
• Goofy and funny. My clients and I like to laugh and make fun of ourselves sometimes, even in the darkest times
• Likes to take things a bit deeper. Is capable of holding many layers of complexity and conceptualizing the connections- and the way forward
• A visual thinker (lots of stories and images in how I speak)
• Very hard to surprise with regard to human behavior

Hi, I’m Elaine! I’m a Clinical Mental Health Counselor who works with adults, couples, and military families navigating life’s ups and downs. I have a Bachelors of Science in Psychology, and a Masters of Science in Marriage, Couples and Family Counseling with an addendum of Crisis and Trauma Counseling.

Many of my clients come to me struggling with relationship challenges (like communication struggles, Parenting conflicts and infidelity), trauma, PTSD, anxiety, or depression—feeling stuck, disconnected, or unsure how to move forward. My goal is to help you feel supported, understood, and equipped to create the changes you want in your life

I began my career as a Fulbright Scholar, conducting research on traditional medicine in Sochi, Russia. I presented my work at the United States Embassy in Moscow, highlighting cross-cultural perspectives in healthcare and integrative practice.

After completing my grant, I attended New York University (NYU). I then completed a residency at M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas. I went on to earn my doctorate from the University of San Diego, California, where I focused on digital telehealth treatment for psychiatric care.

I am passionate about working with Veterans and individuals experiencing Depression, Anxiety, and Mood Disorders. In 2023, I completed CIIS training in psychedelic-assisted therapy. In 2025, I was among the first providers in Colorado and in the country to become licensed as a psilocybin facilitator.