About
I utilize holistic, evidence-based methods to uncover not only how you think but how your body reacts. Our work will seek to understand how those reactions influence the way you think and respond, and empower you to develop healthier responses and behaviors. I believe that life is a series of relationships, and I seek to co-create a relationship with you of trust, honesty and courage. Together we’ll seek new ways of relating to yourself and others. I particularly enjoy working with couples and partnerships because relationship therapy presents the opportunity to witness relationship dynamics in real time. In working with relationships, I will help you identify and leverage what works to meet your individual and mutual needs, and how to more effectively respond to what doesn’t.
My goal is to support you in connecting with your fundamental values and needs to create the clarity and resilience to live an empowered, authentic life as an individual and in the context of your relationship with the world.
My work as a therapist is strongly informed by the philosophy that awareness leads to choice and choice presents the opportunity for change. Compassionate but not coddling, I lead with candor and curiosity to ensure you feel seen and understood without forfeiting your agency and accountability in addressing patterns of thought and behavior that no longer serve you.
For those of you already fluent in the language of therapeutic philosophy and methodologies, I draw primarily from Gestalt Therapy and am strongly informed by the approaches of Internal Family Systems, Relational-Cultural Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy, and the Gottman Method.
Deciding to become a therapist came only after doing the work to provide myself with the permission and support needed to live in alignment with my needs and values. These personal and professional experiences helped me recognize the need for more accepting and healing spaces for people that may outwardly look like the picture of success and privilege but struggle with unseen challenges or private pain.
A cis-white woman, I am half of an interracial, child-free marriage. I am the product of a midwestern upbringing in a family of origin that includes intergenerational trauma and divorce. I grew up with limited financial security but incredible educational privilege. My expansive family includes numerous siblings and step-parents gained through both love and country lost and renewed. I am supported by a bevy of global and local friendships that challenge and support me to think beyond the limits of myself and my perspective.
I feel most alive when I’m connecting with people and with nature; in deep conversation around a dinner table or in deep powder along mountain ridges. I live mostly in Seattle and part-time in Leavenworth. I thrive off of Type-2 fun and am constantly searching for dog friendly routes through the mountains. Starting new art and home projects without finishing the ones I’m half way through is a favorite pastime. I love dressing up for a night out with oysters and a fancy beverage as much as I do digging in the garden and chasing my motley crew of chickens through the yard. Each and all of these parts accompany me in my role as a therapist and I’m excited to get to know what parts and experiences bring you here as a client.
After more than a decade as an attorney and tech professional in Washington, DC and San Francisco, I understand what it’s like to want to connect with someone who intimately knows what it’s like to live in the personal and professional pressure cooker of modern life.
Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate #MC61566691
State of Washington Department of Health
Certified Gottman Method Level 1 Couples Therapist
Current Student in GATSEA Gestalt Training Program
Masters of Arts in Education, Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Seattle University, Seattle, WA
Juris Doctor
American University Washington College of Law, Washington, DC
Bachelor of Arts, Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs; Minor of Economics
Miami University, Oxford, OH
Mary Robinson
MAED, JD, LMHCA
She/Her
Credentials, Training, and Education
