Walter Gray
LSWAIC Clinical Social Work Associate
Going to a new therapist can be a vulnerable experience. You sit across from a total stranger and are expected to let out your deepest, darkest secrets to them. The assumption is that they will be able to help you with the problem that's currently consuming your life. Anyone who has spent time as a client in the mental health profession can tell you that this is far from a guarantee. Some therapists carry themselves as experts and will give you the details of a recently published study, but you don't feel listened to when you describe to them a trauma from your childhood. Some therapists provide a caring ear, but you don't feel a sense of progress after meeting with them for 6 sessions.
My approach to therapy is to listen to a client's experiences and honor them. I view them as the experts when it comes to their own life experiences and that they have a lot to teach me about where they are and where they have been. I can provide evidence-based therapy techniques and skills to the client and work with them to address the problems they are facing.
Anyone who has had a session with me will know I am not shy about quoting scientific research, but if you leave a session with me and don't at least feel heard, I clearly haven't been doing my job.
Areas of Expertise
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing
My first exposure to the mental health profession was as a client, and while I had many outstanding mental health professionals who made a difference in my life, I was beset by long waitlists, difficulties with insurance, and a feeling like my care wasn't at the top of the list when dealing with mental health agencies.
I established Living Better Counselling to help with the soaring demand for mental health services in Washington State where I could provide the care and understanding to clients I did not always get when I was in their shoes. My education and training have been geared towards helping clients who were like me: folks struggling to deal with a complex knot of emotions and not having the skills to do so.
I have been trained in Dialectic Behavior Therapy, and I use it to teach skills that have helped me and can help you sort out difficult emotions, effectively interact with difficult people, and create a life where we can each live better than the day before.
Contact Me
If you are interested in setting up an appointment, please reach out to me via phone or email.
Tel: 1-253-247-6725