No, it isn’t.
Epiphany Counseling Services is a little two-woman office that is housed at Epiphany Episcopal Church, in Madison Valley. Neither one of the counselors are Episcopalian. The reason we work where we do is that the church has given us free office space so that we can afford to see some clients on a sliding-fee scale – thus putting the church’s resources at the disposal of the community.
You will not experience any religious pressure or indoctrination from me. Most of my clients come from the same background as the majority of Seattle: atheist or agnostic. Others are Buddhist, Jewish (cultural or observant), Christian (all denominations), with a few that are Sufi, or pagan, or some form of New Age. I commit to respecting my clients’ religious beliefs and spiritual values. If a client’s beliefs and values seem to be interfering with their mental health, I will reflect that perception back to the client, and wait with them while they figure out how to reconcile that conflict.
That being said, there are some clients who feel increased safety when they learn that my office is on church grounds, or who prefer to include their relationship with the divine as part of their therapeutic work. When a client is clear they want that, I am very happy to include these considerations as part of our therapeutic work.
From time to time, a client will let me know that they have been injured by organized religion, and can’t meet with a counselor who works on church grounds. I must sadly agree that I am not the right therapist for such a person, if my office location prevents them from feeling safe.
How do you work? What theories do you use?
For a formal discussion of my background and training, please see my disclosure statement.
I am trained as an individual therapist, as well as a family therapist. That means that, regardless of whether there are one or ten people present in the therapy room, I think about relationships: how they make us crazy, and how they keep us sane. I work with clients on how to get into more sane, satisfying, rewarding relationships, and how to set boundaries around and protect everyone from the other kind.
Do you have any special areas of expertise?
Like most therapists, I mainly see individual adults, because individual adults are most likely to come to therapy. These people are likely to be depressed, anxious, going through a difficult life transition (divorce, graduate school, multiple life changes) or traumatized. The trauma can be from some event in the past (childhood neglect or abuse), or from the present day. I do not specialize in clients who are severely mentally ill, though many clients experience transitory periods of great distress as they move into and through their therapy.
I also work with couples, whether married or not, heterosexual, gay, or lesbian. At any given time, couples generally make up about a quarter of my clients. I find this sort of therapy to be among the most intricate and fascinating that I do.
In addition to couples, I also work with children, either alongside their parent(s) and siblings, or sometimes individually. Because I think of family as a primary influence on a child, I always begin seeing a child with as many members of their household as possible, and then determine with the family whether or not to proceed as a group, or whether to see a child alone. Treating a child can involve family therapy, parent support and education, play therapy, psychoeducation, and other modalities as needed.
Finally, I offer supervision and consultation to other therapists, both those seeking licensure, and those who are already licensed who wish to deepen their work in some way. I am qualified to supervise both mental health counselors, as well as marriage and family therapists.
How can I tell when I’ve found the right counselor?
Here are the best guidelines that research has to offer on how to know when you have the right therapist-client fit:
Satisfied clients describe their therapist’s warmth and compassion. You should be able to tell, within the first visit or two (or maybe during your phone inquiry) that the therapist is interested in you, that he or she is curious about and empathic for your situation, and that they are beginning to understand the depth of your emotions. If you like your therapist, and you can tell that they like you, then you’re off to a running start.
Along with the therapist’s empathy, you should be able to see they have feelings of hope for you and for your situation. Even if you feel very badly at the beginning of your therapy – and successful therapy can deepen your distress before you begin to feel better – you should be able to tell that your therapist is hopeful for you. And, in their presence, you should be able to feel (more) hopeful, too.
Clients do best in therapy when they have a positive expectation that their therapy will be successful. So choose the therapist that makes you think, “Yes! This person can help me get to where I need to go!”
Best wishes to you in finding the right fit!
Where are you located?
Please see the link to “directions.” My office is in Madrona, about half a mile (as the crow flies) from the Madison Street entrance to the Arboretum. Another way of thinking about it: if you were standing at Group Health on Capitol Hill and began to slide downhill towards Lake Washington, I’m about where you’d come to rest.
We are on the #2 bus line, and there is plenty of parking.
What do you charge?
My standard fee is $80/hour. I also have a sliding scale, for people whose household income qualifies them for a reduced fee. If you believe you may qualify, please let me know and we can discuss it.
When do you see clients?
I am available to see clients on Mondays and Wednesdays, 1:00 pm - 9:00 pm; Tuesdays, 7:00 am - 3:00 pm; and Saturdays, 7:00 am - 1:00 pm. Please call to find out what openings I presently have.
What’s the next step?
If you think I might be the right therapist for you, or if you would like to talk with me, the best way to reach me is by phone:
(206) 324-0721
I check this line regularly during my office hours, and at least once a day on Thursdays and Fridays.
You can also email me at inquiry@amandafranklin.net
A valuable resource:
http://www.counselingseattle.com/initials.htm