About

Hello! I'm Solomon Chan, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. My practice is informed by an integrative psychodynamic approach and a wide range of experience working in various settings. My experience includes having worked as a therapist, clinical supervisor, and clinical program manager at non-profit community mental health agencies, a psychiatric hospital, and various academic settings, along with community outreach. As such, I have held the stories of those working through long lasting and intense issues like substance abuse, severe trauma, chronic depression and anxiety, psychosis and personality disorders; as well as difficulties that are just coming to light, such as existential questions, conflict with loved ones, sexual identity, and other issues that become "new" challenges in one's life, which may also have roots extending to the deeper parts in one's story.

Having an integrative psychodynamic approach means that my therapy is based on theories that explore the relationship of the conscious and unconscious mind (what we are aware of and are not aware of), how that dynamic shows up in one's life, and how we may find relief for the journey.

In my own life, I have found much help through therapy to help me navigate long lasting and new difficulties. And through the changes that I have seen in others and me – I wholeheartedly believe that the collaborative work of two people genuinely present to the challenge of understanding and embracing life can lead to healing. I am passionate about accompanying people in their journey towards understanding and living out their unique narratives, and hope to invite you as a guest in my office.

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My Counseling Philosophy

We become who we are, form our identities, and live out the story of our lives as we stand in relationship with one another. We all try to work, play, and love well – to various degrees. Sometimes doing these things well can be harder than other times. And most often, the quality of our relationships (with ourselves in our internal world and also with others) is proportional to the joy we have in life.

The nuances of our relationships reveal information about our core struggles; and the relationship that occurs in therapy is a way to live out, encounter, understand, and make changes in these parts of our lives. We are formed in relationships and healing occurs in relationships. However, therapy is not an end in itself. Our therapy will be an invitation to explore and live out the unlived parts of our life in order that we may embrace a freer, fuller, and more integrated experience of work, play, and love. In short, this is the work and exploration of living genuinely.

Areas of Specialization

• Identity - working through issues of who we "are" with culture, family, sexuality, career, life stages, etc.
• Anxiety & depression - coping with how our emotions have become a part of our lives.
• Relationships - addressing issues regarding life with those who impact us.
• Trauma & abuse - addressing histories and encounters of harm that result in increased stressors, difficulty in daily life, and PTSD.
• Grief & Loss - giving attention to and processing loss and transition.
• Spirituality - working through questions of personal transformation with faith, religion, prayer, and existential concerns.

Modalities & Theories of My Practice

• Relational Psychotherapy
• Object Relations
• Interpersonal Dynamic
• Intercultural/Cross-cultural Counseling
• Attachment Theory
• Narrative
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Education

Masters of Arts in Counseling Psychology from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology (2011)

License

Washington State Mental Health Counselor License #LH60469468