Mary Stanton-Nurse, MA LMFTA

I remember the look on my student’s face, her wide eyes pleading for help over our computers. She had some of the strongest skills in the class of older adults learning about office work, yet her anxiety was constantly getting in her way. My team did our best to help her access resources like counseling, and to develop some skills to slow down and manage her anxious thoughts. I found it highly rewarding to see her grow, but I wanted to be able to do more. This was my first taste of how a therapist could make a difference in someone’s life, and I finally found my vocation.

 

Fast forward five years. I achieved my Master of Arts in Couples and Family Therapy from the Seattle University School of Theology and Ministry. This included a twenty-month clinical internship at Atlantic Street Center in Seattle working with individuals, children, and family groups. The opportunity to support couples and families, to better connect and communicate through life’s twists and turns is highly rewarding for me. Sharing ways to lower and beat anxiety, cope with change, and stay on the same team is where my expertise is. Since my own story includes a life full of huge twists and turns, this isn’t a surprise for me.

 

Growing up I moved around a lot: I lived in nine different houses and attended six schools before graduating high school. This personal history has given me an understanding and compassion for the distress that comes from transitions. Individuals and couples often find that the way they’ve been living, coping, or getting along (in other words: the way that works), suddenly does not work anymore. This is a common time for them to seek an outside viewpoint and where my work begins. In the counseling room, I work together with an individual or family to identify what might be at the root of new (or old) conflicts and points of tension, and how they can grow together toward new patterns that better fit their new situation.

 

While my counseling degree is from a school of Theology and Ministry, my therapeutic approach is not Christian-specific. I am trained to notice and draw on any strength that a client or family brings with them to therapy and be guided by their values. Using the heavily researched and highly effective model of Emotionally Focused Therapy, my focus is to help clients identify their emotions and their strengths and better understand how to navigate those emotions and tap into those strengths for more rewarding relationships.

 

Although I have advanced training in therapeutic methods, I believe you are the expert on your life and your experiences, and I look to you to guide me on what matters to you. Together we can find an approach that speaks to you.