Staff Therapists
MEND Staff Therapists have completed their graduate-level training, are associate or fully licensed therapists, and work with our clinical team for ongoing supervision, consultation, and training.
Unlike our Intern Therapists who commit to MEND for a limited period of time, our Staff Therapists work at MEND long term, so there’s no program-specific end date for your therapist. With more training and experience, the fee for individual therapy with a Staff Therapist is $70-$150 per session and $85-$165 for relationship therapy. We understand that many people come to MEND in part because of our low-cost counseling, and we hope with the varying levels of experience and fee ranges, we can better serve our communities.
Ann Thompson, LMHCA *only accepting telehealth clients*
she/her | Black | queer | cis
Ann sees therapy as a space to explore people’s narratives and contextualize their stories. She believes including the context enables meaning-making and empowers new possibilities. Ann's work is about engaging collaboratively with clients and understanding each person's unique and intersecting identities. She utilizes the therapeutic relationship, polyvagal theory, and DBT among other tools to chart a course towards wellbeing.
Audrey Yang Carlsen
she/her | mixed-race | second-generation immigrant | cis | female
Audrey approaches therapy as a collaborator in her clients’ healing, centering liberation, dignity, autonomy, and the body’s innate wisdom. Drawing on an integrative approach that includes somatics, mindfulness, and Internal Family Systems (IFS), she supports clients in navigating life’s complexities with curiosity and care. Before becoming a therapist, Audrey spent over seven years as a journalist, where she developed a deep appreciation for listening to people’s stories and making meaning of complex experiences. Her clinical interests include identity formation, anxiety, trauma, attachment, and burnout. Audrey earned her MSW in clinical social work from the Smith College School for Social Work. Outside of work, she enjoys birdwatching, hiking, and solving the occasional crossword puzzle.
“What are the words you do not have yet? What do you need to say?” – Audre Lorde
Angelina Moneir, LMHC, ATR-P, Eco-Therapy
she/her | Southwest Asian North African (SWANA) | bilingual | cisfemale | humanitarian
As a North African individual (SWANA), liberation is true to Angelina’s soul. Passionate by the power of art and nature, she believes that merging psychology, ecology, and art is imperative in balancing our mental well-being while embracing a relationship with the earth and a better sense of self. Providing us with a unique opportunity to explore, express, and discover. Through somatic attunement and demonstration, her approach is consent-focused, here-and-now, and with the application from the primary lens of intersectional feminist theory. Her integrative counseling approach examines trauma-informed care, drawing on frameworks such as anti-oppression/liberation psychology, person-centered, HAES, and much more. She provides individual therapy, art therapy, walk-and-talk, or eco-art therapy sessions to explore a want or need for an alternative form of expression, with accommodations if needed. Angelina believes that when we engage in healing individually and within community, we are moving one step closer towards social justice and liberation for all.
“ In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans; in one aspect of You are found all the aspects of existence.” – Kahlil Gibran
Barb Haupt, LMHC
she/her | white | queer | cis | woman | bilingual
Many of us have learned to alter or set aside important parts of ourselves. Therapy is a space where we can remember our wholeness. Barb offers a warm, connected presence. She works from an intersectional feminist and attachment approach, which centers the real relationship between therapist and client.
Session focus is often on present-moment emotional and bodily experiences, as well as exploring early experiences with caregivers and other attachment figures that may have taught us how we are allowed to show up, and what parts of ourselves are or are not welcome. She draws heavily from somatics, Internal Family Systems (IFS/”parts work”) and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). Many of her clients are neurodivergent, gender diverse and hold complex trauma.
Barb has received feedback that she is active and direct, as well as gentle and playful. Her work is also informed by her background in community healthcare, working with individuals dealing with chronic illness, chronic pain, systemic racism and oppression. Barb is fluent in Spanish and English.
“Trust the people and they become trustworthy.” – Adriene Marie Brown
Chris Long, MSW, LSWAIC
they/he | asian | second-generation immigrant | genderqueer | queer
Chris brings a non-judgmental, client-centered approach to therapy. They come from a background in crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and relational healing. Chris believes that we all are the experts in our own lives and can only be understood within the contexts of our environments. They view therapy as a mutual partnership based on trust and communication. As a queer second generation immigrant, Chris understands the complexity of navigating generational and cross-cultural divides. Chris earned his Master’s of Social Work at the University of Washington.
“ My mission, should I choose to accept it, is to find peace with exactly who and what I am. To take pride in my thoughts, my appearance, my talents, my flaws and to stop this incessant worrying that I can’t be loved as I am.” - Anais Nin
Dee Ure, LSWAIC
she/they | white | femme/nonbinary | queer/bisexual | neurodivergent
Dee is dedicated to emotional, psychological and relational healing through spirituality, nature, community and positive relationships. Dee is a direct communicator and brings a feminist, decolonial and anti-racist approach combined with joyful wisdom energy to the therapy space. Dee earned a Bachelor's of Applied Behavioral Science at Seattle Central College and a Master's degree in Social Work with a concentration in Health/Mental Health at the University of Washington. Dee has experience in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), strengths-based counseling, working with queer and transgender youth and young adults, crisis intervention, community mental health, housing case management, and resiliency. Dee practices Tibetan Buddhism and has over 14 years of experience in mindfulness and meditation.
“ You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop” - Rumi
Eddyson Darisme
He/Him | Black | Haitian/First-Gen. Immigrant | Cis | Male
Eddyson is Haitian-born and has lived across borders and cultures, shaped by life in both Canada and the United States. Rooted in his Haitian heritage and informed by diverse cultural experiences, he brings a deep understanding of immigrant, diaspora, and bicultural identities. He earned his MA in Counseling from Saybrook University and draws on his background as an educator and spiritual care provider.
He approaches therapy as a collaborative process grounded in connection, empathy, mutuality, and authenticity. Rather than positioning himself as an expert there to fix, he sees therapy as a
shared space for healing, exploration, and growth. His clinical interests include trauma and intergenerational trauma, gender and sexuality, racial identity development, spiritual and religious trauma, depression, anxiety, grief and loss, attachment, and existential concerns related to meaning, identity, and belonging.
Outside the therapy room, Eddyson is an old soul at heart who collects vinyl records and practices film photography.
Jenn Dela Cruz, MSW, LSWAIC
she/they | first-gen filipina | bilingual | cis | het
Jenn leads with an open heart when sharing space with folks and welcomes the vastness of the human experience and all that comes with it: identity exploring, generative conflict, and reflective self-analysis. She enjoys working with service providers, youth, and first responders in navigating transitions, moral injury (burnout), and complex trauma. With Jenn you can expect transparency and direct communication, which contribute to her therapeutic approach including client-led conversations, collaborative goal setting, community-centric applications, trauma-informed care, and a liberation-focused lens. She completed her Master of Social Work with a clinical track: Integrative Health-Mental Health Advanced Practice at the University of Washington in June 2023 and has a background in domestic violence advocacy, housing case management, crisis stabilization, and triaging acute mental health distress in clinical settings.
“I don’t see a sick person coming to be healed, I see a perfect spirit coming to be recognized.” - Ruth J. Beard, founding member of The National Association of Black Social Workers
Laur Edwards, MSW, MPH, LSWAIC
they/them | chinese | transracial and transnational adoptee | trans/nonbinary | queer | neurodivergent
Laur was adopted from Kunming, China and grew up with two white parents. Their experiences as a transracial and transnational adoptee have deeply shaped how they understand identity, belonging, relationships, and systems of care. As a Chinese, queer, neurodivergent person and adoptee, Laur is passionate about providing culturally responsive and identity-affirming care, particularly for BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, and transracial adoptee communities. They are interested in the intersection of individual healing and larger systems, and strive to approach this work with humility, openness, and curiosity.
Laur’s clinical background includes working with children, adolescents, adults, and families across hospital, community, and research settings. They have supported patients and families navigating eating disorders at Seattle Children’s Adolescent Medicine, worked with high-risk youth and families through Wraparound with Intensive Services (WISe), and provided exposure therapy to children, adolescents, and young adults with primary OCD and anxiety at Bradley Hospital’s Pediatric Anxiety Research Center (PARC). Laur draws from a variety of modalities, adapting their approach to align with each client’s needs and goals.
Outside of therapy, they enjoy spending time outdoors, playing mahjong, strength-training, making art, and organizing within the Chinese adoptee community.
Lulu Sifferman, LMHC, ATR-P
she/her | white | queer | neurodivergent | chronically ill | cisfemale
Lulu is a Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Art Therapist with specialized certification in trauma therapy. She collaborates with each client to create a therapeutic space that is safe, non-judgmental, and creative. As an intersectional feminist, Lulu uses a narrative approach to critically examine the roles that oppressive systems and institutions have in perpetuating mental illnesses. Lulu believes that when we engage in healing individually and within a community, we move toward social justice and liberation. She has extensive experience working with the LGBTQIA+ community, trans and gender-nonconforming individuals, and those navigating multigenerational trauma. Additionally, Lulu is versed in working with neurodivergent populations, including individuals with ADHD and Autism, bringing an attuned and compassionate approach to their unique needs. With a passion for using fiber arts as therapeutic tools, Lulu supports clients with warmth, creativity, and somatic attunement, helping them through challenging and painful moments.
“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare” - audre lorde
Maya Pak 박마야 Gorstein, LMHC
they/them | Biracial (Korean-white) | Queer | Non-binary | Neurodivergent
Maya’s work is informed by the fact that illness scarcely emerges spontaneously; instead, our nervous systems react normally to abnormal and oppressive circumstances. Maya’s therapy style is integrative, informal, cultural-affirming, and person-centered; they don’t ascribe to the medical model or a ‘one-size-fits-all’ framework. They work with their clients to forge a therapeutic approach conducive to their specific goals, interests, and learning styles; and they pull from multiple orientations (e.g., DBT, CBT, psychodynamic, polyvagal) to ensure their care is as holistic as possible. Maya works primarily with QTPOC adults and adolescents (ages 15+), and they have been counseling since April, 2022. They specialize in complex trauma and neurodivergence (ADHD and Autism), and operate from a decolonial, anti-racist, and HAES/body-liberation lens. They received a BA in Psychology from Bryn Mawr College in 2020, and an MA in Counseling from Northwestern University in 2023.
Nefeteria (Nefie) Bolin, LMFTA
she/her | Black/Native/Creole/White | hetero | cis
Nefeteria (Nefie) is a first generation student and ciswoman of color with a masters of arts degree in marriage, couples, and family therapy at Seattle University. She believes therapy to be a process that helps people recreate the narratives of their life story. She believes in discovering the humanistic side of people and knowing who they are at the heart to understand what's important to them and how it shapes their personal identity. With empathetic teaching, active listening, and compassion, she hopes to provide a safe space for people from everywhere to share their stories authentically with no judgement or shame.
"I've learned that people will forget about what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel" - Maya Angelou
Pao-Yin, Ph.D., LMHCA, Advanced Intern
She/Her | First Gen - Taiwanese | Cis | Hetero | Multi-lingual
Pao-Yin believes that authenticity, transparency, vulnerability, and humor are critical in building rapport with clients in counseling. She believes a strong therapeutic relationship is the key to healing. She identifies feminist and person-centered therapy as her approaches to therapy, and integrates cognitive-behavioral-based therapies as needed. The core concept of feminist therapy is to take into consideration the impact of gender, power, and culture on an individual’s life. Consistent with this lens, Pao-Yin does not see herself as an expert in the room. Instead, clients are the experts in their own lives. She highly values an egalitarian counselor-client relationship. There might be times when she may challenge you or when your work together may challenge you. Pao-Yin sees these challenges as opportunities for both personal growth and relational growth as they foster relationship building. Pao-Yin is fluent in Mandarin (native), proficient in English, and conversational in Taiwanese. She received a bachelor’s degree in educational psychology and counseling from National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan, a master’s degree in Counselor Education at the Pennsylvania State University, and a PhD degree in Counseling and Counselor Education.
Renee Dionisio, MA, LMHCA
They/She | First Gen - Jamaican/Filipino | Queer | Genderqueer
Renee believes we heal through sharing our stories and working together as a community. We often think we are alone fighting against oppression and dealing with our trauma, which is why their approach to therapy is through a relational-cultural lens. Renee works with QTBIPOC folx (age 15 and up) and other communities to help them gain insight into their lives, feel validated in their experiences, and develop tools to create a meaningful and sustainable relationship with those around them and themselves. Renee earned their Bachelor’s degree at Clarke University and completed their Masters degree in Counseling at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology with concentrations in addictions.
“Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced,” – James Baldwin
Ryan Rose Rubythroat Vinson-Jacobs
they/'em | mixed-race | Black | queer
Ruby is driven by a loving curiosity and a genuine appreciation for all the parts that each human is. Their time as a teacher and parent, along with their own personal journeys through race and gender, have fueled their passion for accompanying folks through identity development and relational growth, becoming and rebecoming. Ruby’s therapeutic approach is most directly informed by the narrative therapy traditions, as well as improvisational practices and intuitive ritual.
In their experience, ‘problems’ are often a result of one aspect of a person’s identity or experience being held as the only story, obscuring their view of themself as a whole and complex being with a varied and intricate history. This fast world often condenses us into shallow summaries, bite-sized bits and boops. With this in mind, Ruby collaborates with folks to broaden their concept of themselves, creating a space in which their whole self is explicitly seen, known, and welcomed. Similarly, Ruby’s aim with intimate partner and family clients is to help them build ways to acknowledge, accept, and reconcile their differing realities — growing together and as individuals.
“All of you who love with a depth beyond recognition, nurturing freedom over understandability, valuing life as so much more than simple comprehension. Thank you. Thank you for loving me without even knowing what on Earth I am.” - Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine
Mammals
Sandra Saldivar, LMFTA, ATR-P
she/her | filipina mixed-race | cis | hetero
Sandra offers a welcoming space for creative exploration that is collaborative, strengths-based, and trauma-informed. She uses an integrative systemic approach primarily integrating Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Art Therapy with individuals and couples. Her practice is rooted in Kapwa (shared identity); a Filipinx value that considers the wellbeing of others with the intent to establish connection. Sandra believes true healing is an interconnected process between an individual and their community. She completed her Master’s in Couple and Family Therapy and Art Therapy at Antioch University Seattle.
Shane Baguyo, LMHCA
he/him | second gen Filipino immigrant/fourth gen Okinawan / stutter / asthmatic | single father | Queer | cis
Shane was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he lived with grandparents who immigrated from the Philippines. Their home was surrounded by a closely-knit, multicultural community. His childhood upbringing directly influenced his beliefs of compassion, wisdom, and love. Shane believes therapy is an intentional and safe space where individuals can feel seen and heard to make the wisest decisions for their lives. Throughout his 25 years of supporting children, youth, families, and educators, Shane has gained experience in crisis intervention, short-term counseling, assessments, and system advocacy. Over the past several years, he has also provided brief interventions to adults who have experienced grief and loss, trauma, and burnout. In his practice, Shane offers a client-centered approach with a combination of evidence-based practices from cognitive behavioral therapies alongside identify-affirming and culturally responsive frameworks.
“If we are not fully ourselves, truly in the present moment, we miss everything.” - Thich Nhat Hanh
Sher Roberto, LMHCA *only accepting telehealth clients*
she/they | CHamoru / second-gen Filipino / Mexican | Queer | Genderfluid | Veteran
With a warm and empathetic approach, Sher strives to create a therapeutic environment that fosters trust, collaboration, and empowerment. She is dedicated to helping clients navigate their unique journeys, discover their authentic selves, and cultivate a greater sense of well-being and fulfillment.
Drawing inspiration from their background in music, Sher believes in the therapeutic value music can offer and encourages clients to explore its potential for improving mood and self-expression.
Additionally, Sher is passionate about psychedelic integration therapy, recognizing the profound impact that non-ordinary states of consciousness can have on personal growth and self-understanding. They provide a safe and supportive space for individuals who have had psychedelic experiences, helping them integrate and make meaning of those experiences in their daily lives.
“Heal yourself, with beautiful love, and always remember: you are the medicine.” - Maria Sabina
Talya Rozenberg, M.Ed, LMHCA *only accepting telehealth clients*
she/her | jewish | canadian | american | cis | previvor | parent
Talya brings a warm, non-judgmental, and collaborative approach to therapy. She believes cultivating a safe therapeutic relationship is essential to help support clients move towards desired change, healing, and fulfillment. Talya earned her BA in Psychology from McGill University and her Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Toronto. She previously worked at Stanford Outpatient Psychiatry before joining the MEND team as a Staff Therapist. Talya uses a client-centered, integrative framework to help clients cope with anxiety, depression, and navigate grief.
She incorporates a variety of evidence-based modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Talya is also trained in Gottman Method Couples Therapy and Sex Therapy. She enjoys working with couples to help them improve intimacy, relationship satisfaction, and navigate health challenges. She is LGBTQAI+ affirming and considers it a great privilege to support individuals and couples in their unique life journeys.
“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we’ll ever do.” - Brené Brown
Tomás Aguilera, LMHCA
he/him | Mexican-American/Chicano | gay | cis
The therapeutic relationship is key to psychological understanding and well-being. Tomás believes these aspects are complementary and deepen one another. Together client and Tomás address psychological and emotional distress, and recognize the impacts of trauma, marginalization, and the social contexts of the client’s lived experience. In this way the client’s fullness can be appreciated and cared for in a meaningful way. Working together you can expect respectful humility, thoughtful curiosity, and humanistic compassion. For Tomás, healing means a greater sense of stability, harmony, self-understanding, and dignity in life. Tomás earned his Masters in Psychology at Seattle University where they teach an existential-phenomenological approach to psychotherapy.
“Honesty and openness is always the foundation of insightful dialogue." - bell hooks