Kim Collier

Kim Collier, Ph.D.

Partner since 1999

  • Individual psychotherapy with adults of all ages
  • Depression and anxiety disorders
  • Recovery from trauma
  • Self-esteem and intimacy
  • Couples psychotherapy
  • Gay/lesbian/bi-sexual affirmative psychotherapy
  • Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing

Theoretical Orientation

My theoretical approach is best described as integrative, meaning I integrate a number of approaches to psychotherapy, including object relations, interpersonal, developmental, gestalt and cognitive behavioral. I try to help you identify current problematic behavior patterns and understand what underlying function they are playing in your life. When you are able to confront underlying fears and anxieties, your sense of choice over old behaviors often becomes much more flexible. For most people, intellectual insight is easier to obtain than emotional healing. I am committed to helping you achieve both because therapy tends to be most transformative when you are able to connect with the adaptive power of your emotions. This in turn, helps you be better able to listen to your own needs and engage in mutually satisfying relationships.

I view psychotherapy as a collaborative working relationship in which your active involvement and honest communication are crucial. My interpersonal style is gentle but interactive. Most sessions I provide "homework" to help bridge the work we do in the therapy to your "real life." I believe there is an inherent striving for mental health within each of us. I try to help you uncover it.

Background

In 1983 I earned my B.A. in biology and secondary education from Otterbein, a small liberal arts college in central Ohio. My career in teaching was short-lived as I quickly discovered that I was more drawn to counseling my troubled high school students than teaching biology to a classroom of thirty students. I returned to school and earned my doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Miami University of Ohio in 1994. I completed my internship at the University of Illinois Counseling Center. My first position as a staff psychologist was at Central Missouri State University Counseling Center from1994-1996. In 1997, I became a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of Washington. In the same year, I joined Associates in Behavioral Health and began my private practice in Seattle.

In 2002, I became a parent and my practice moved from full-time to part-time. Parenting catapulted me onto an amazing and challenging journey, and deepened my understanding of human development and the parent-child attachment relationship. During 2004-2005, I received training in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR is an empirically validated treatment protocol for addressing trauma. EMDR enriched my psychotherapy practice by providing a structured format for my clients to process traumas, confront anxieties and gain access to the healing power of their emotions.

Insurance Panels

I am a preferred provider on the following insurance panels:

I am able to accept insurance coverage on an out-of-network basis for a number of other panels including but not limited to Aetna, Cigna, Magellan, and United Health Care.

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