“... find freedom, aliveness, and power not from what contains, locates, or protects us, but from what dissolves, reveals, and expands us”
Eve Ensler
DeAnza J Spaulding, PhD, MA, LMHC
Hello & Welcome!
I hope you know what a courageous step it is to seek support for your mental health! My name is DeAnza and I've been a therapist for over twenty years. I specialize in trauma therapy and it is my life's passion and purpose to help others find meaning and healing.
Mental health is balance and equilibrium within and between our spiritual, emotional, cognitive and physical well-being. Mental health is an intricate component to an individual’s overall health. Furthermore, mental health is a continuum of regulation. For decades, mental health has been stigmatized. Societally we’ve treated mental illness as a condition to fear. Thus, those suffering in their mental health feel that they needed to hide their suffering for fear of rejection or discrimination.
The working definition of trauma I utilize is: a response to any significant impact of force, coercion and/or control to self that undermines a person’s conceptualization of themself. Trauma can render people to experience powerlessness and helplessness when encountering an overwhelming force, which threatens their personal integrity, life and way of being. Trauma-informed care is firstly the affirmation and belief that trauma is a valid response and result to different forms of neglect, coercion and abuse. The care part of trauma-informed care is a set of specific, research-based and peer reviewed therapeutic modalities to treat the trauma wound.
I work with individuals, couples, families and groups. In individual and couple therapy we work together to design a therapy model that meets your felt therapeutic needs. Please contact me for more information!
My Background
-
PhD, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, International Psychology
-
MA, Counseling Psychology, Western Seminary of Seattle
-
BS, Sociology, Central Washington University
-
Fellow, The Center of Multicultural and Diversity Studies
-
American Psychological Association, Division 52 Video Winner
-
Inductee, Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Society, Yale
-
Inhabit Enterprise Challenge Winner, Inhabit Conference
-
-
Adjunct instructor at The Seattle Institute of East Asian Medicine, Present
-
Researcher, Michigan State University, 2017-2018
-
Specialized Populations Consultant, The Emily Program, 2013-2015
-
Justice & Compassion Pastor, Quest, 2003-2012
-
Case Manager, The Church Council of Greater Seattle, 2003-2005
-
Case Manager, Friends of Youth, 2002-2003
What to Expect at Your Visit
Guidance on Your Path to Self-Healing
Perhaps you're down or anxious - maybe you're unsure about the future of a relationship, or just feel that you aren't living the life you were meant to lead. Whatever your needs may be, I am here to offer support. Therapy is a process of growth and self-discovery, and in my sessions I promote behavioral transformation by encouraging a positive outlook and the adoption of new attitudes and reactions. I have the tools and professional experience to help you get back on track.
Folks I work with:
-
LGBTQIA
-
Women
- Folks of Color
- Multi-racial / Bi-racial
- APIHDESI American
- Filipino / Asian Diaspora
Services Offered
Individual Therapy
I believe that therapy is a personal journey and that a one-size-fits-all model is inadequate to meet our changing needs and desires. Together we develop a therapy approach that meets your present needs and desired outcomes. You are an essential part in the development of your care and your feedback is incorporated throughout the process.
-
Depression / Anxiety
-
Trauma
-
Sexuality
-
Identity
-
Life Transitions
-
Body Relationship / Mindful Eating
-
Grief / Loss
-
Adapting to a new culture/Acculturation Process
-
Multi-cultural/Bi-Racial Identity
-
Domestic Violence / Sexual Assault Survivors
-
Racial Trauma
-
Intergenerational Trauma
-
C-PTSD / PTSD
-
Religious/Spiritual Abuse
Therapies Offered:
-
Story Healing
-
Neuropsychological framework
-
Psychodynamic Processing
-
Embodiment
-
Integrative (Mind, Body, Soul)
-
Cross-Cultural / Multi-cultural
-
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Processing)
-
Parts Work
-
Systems / Developmental
-
Genograms
-
Somatic Attachment
-
Nervous System Regulation
-
Deconstruction & Reconstruction
Couples Therapy
If you’re looking for quality Couples Therapy sessions with a trained Mental Health Service Provider that cares, then you’ve come to the right place. I guide my patients every step of the way and implement various methods to help them develop new skills and attitudes towards all of life’s most complex matters. Schedule an appointment today and let's see what I can do for you.
-
Premarital counseling
-
Life Transitions
-
Becoming & Reconnecting
-
Co-regulation & Attachment
-
Conflict skills
-
Learning Clean Communication Strategies
-
Understanding & Incorporating Boundaries
-
Consent & Respect in Partnership
Family Therapy
-
Blended Family Systems
-
Multi-cultural Family
-
Family Transitions
