Everyone wants to be happy. Everyone wants healthy and satisfying relationships. Everyone wants to be at peace with the world and find his or her right place in it. I assume you have come to this website because you are seeking one or more of these things! Congratulations on taking the first step.

I strongly believe that the key to achieving any of these goals is very simple — increased self-knowledge. I also believe that the only way to obtain self-knowledge is to examine and experience relationships with other people. Based on these ideas, there are two fundamental tenets at the core of my counseling practice. One is that the quality of the therapist/client relationship is key to successful therapy. Therefore my approach to therapy is compassionate and interpersonal, curious and respectful. The second fundamental aspect of my approach is that self-exploration is the key element of the therapeutic process. Self-awareness greatly improves our relationships with the world and other people, and indeed it is only through working with these relationships that we can begin to know ourselves. Self-knowledge and interpersonal joining go hand in hand in helping liberate ourselves from suffering.

I have an MA in Counseling from Pacifica Graduate Institute and hold a License as a Mental Health Counselor with a private practice in Seattle. I see clients with a vast array of concerns including depression, anxiety and relationship problems, to name a few. Although I work with people of all ages, I have particular expertise in working with adolescents and younger adults, from age 16 to 40. Many of my clients come to therapy because they are trying to navigate the difficult tasks of young adulthood: forming serious relationships, establishing careers, or developing their identities. These tasks become especially difficult if there is a history of trauma, or complaints of depression or anxiety. I work with people individually, and I also occasionally offer groups for people in their 20’s and 30’s.

Congratulations on taking the first step of selecting a therapist. Deciding to begin therapy can be exciting, and choosing a therapist is an important part of the process. I encourage you to read through this website, including my therapeutic approach, to determine whether you and I would be a good match. If you have any remaining questions please feel free to give me a call.

Jemila Dwyer MA, LMHC, Seattle