Inside Passage Counseling: A Sanctuary for
Healing and Connection.
Click on the button above to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.
About Inside Passage Counseling
The #1 Choice for Individual and Couples Therapy in Bellingham, WA
Inside Passage Counseling is a thriving group practice now located in our
professionally designed “forever home” on Cornwall Avenue.
We offer a sanctuary space for clients, staff, and our wider community to access high-quality mental health services for couples, individual adults, and adolescents.
Our therapists and client care coordinators are hand-selected for:
- Quality therapy services
- Exceptional client care
- Clinical excellence
- Professional integrity
- Inclusive, affirming care
- Compassion and committment
Weekly Therapy
Our weekly therapy offers steady, supportive care to help you navigate a varity of issues, from anxiety and trauma, to relationship challenges and life transitions. We are committed to helping you build insight, develop new patterns, and make meaningful, sustainable changes at your own pace.
Intensives
Support Groups
Our support groups offer connection, community, and shared healing. Guided by trained facilitators, groups provide a safe space to learn, reflect, and grow alongside others facing similar experiences—reducing isolation and strengthening resilience.
Founder and Executive Director
Certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist and Supervisor
Certified Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapist
IFS Institute Approved IFS Clinical Consultant
Level 3 Trained Gottman Method Couples Therapist
Our Values
Hi, I'm Heather Varnau, LMHC, Founder and Executive Director at Inside Passage Counseling
I’ve spent more than 20 years growing an inclusive therapy practice built on the belief that healing happens when you feel safe, seen and supported by clinicians who are both deeply trained and deeply human.
That’s why every clinician at Inside Passage is:
- Highly trained in evidence-based, trauma-informed therapy
- Committed to inclusive care, where every part of you is welcomed with respect and compassion
- Specialized in specific areas of care and gold-standards of therapy modalities
- Deeply supported in both their personal and professional growth and development
- Dedicated to growing a healthier community
These are the things that truly set Inside Passage Counseling apart.
Whether you’re navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, or relationship challenges, you don’t have to do it alone. Our therapists offer a safe, welcoming space where you can understand yourself more deeply, shift long-held patterns, and build a more connected, fulfilling life.
Click on the button above to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.
“I have known the founder of Inside Passage Counseling for many years, and know her to be an exceptionally talented clinician, who has assembled a team of clinicians with high levels of integrity and clinical skill.
Highly recommended for teens, families, adults and couples who are experiencing challenges in behavior, emotional regulation and relationships.”
Meet the Inside Passage Clinicians!
Our team is comprised of hand-selected professional therapists, client care coordinators, administrators and trainers. All of which exhibit dedication to mindfulness-based, attachment-oriented, trauma-informed approaches to working with individuals and couples.
Gottman Method Couples Therapy
The Inside Passage Counseling Approach
How We Work
Our goal is simple but profound: to help you cultivate security, trust, and connection—both within yourself and in your relationships. No matter your identity, relationship structure, or life experience, we welcome you with the highest level of care.
When you walk through our doors, we want you to feel confident that you have come to the right spot.
We vow to:
- Create a safe, non-judgmental space for you to share your feelings
- Inspire and challenge you to explore new perspectives
- Help you focus your attention on what is going to help you heal
- Guide you to practice new tools for relating that can lead to positive outcomes
- Encourage you to show up, be honest, and stay open-minded
- Motivate you to persevere when you inevitably have a difficult session
Click on the button above to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.
Our Leadership Team
Heather Varnau, MA, LMHC
Founder & Executive Director
Chris Aiken
Assistant Director
Laura Gambrel, Phd, LMHC, LMFT
Clinical Director
Merry Capozzolo, MS, LMHC
Assistant Clinical Director
Meghan Frendahl
Operations Director
Where Clinical Excellence Meets Ongoing Growth
A Leading Training Center for Evidence-Based Therapy
Where Clinical Excellence Meets Ongoing Growth
A Leading Training Center for Evidence-Based Therapy
Inside Passage Counseling is more than a therapy practice—we’re a regional center for advanced training and clinical development. Our team includes the highest concentration of Certified EFT Couples Therapists north of Seattle, multiple EFT Supervisors, and one of the few Certified Level 3 IFS Therapists and Approved IFS Consultants in Washington State.
We offer ongoing EFT supervision, IFS consultation, and mentorship in 3-Day Couples Therapy Intensives, fostering a learning culture where clinicians deepen their skills, refine their craft, and contribute to a thriving therapeutic community.
Welcome to Our Newly Renovated Therapeutic Space
Our rates for 50-minute individual and couple’s therapy sessions range from $160-$215, depending on the provider. 80-minute sessions are available upon request and cost 1.5 times the 50-minute amount. Please inquire about rates for individual and couple’s therapy intensives.
For individual therapy: Some of our providers are in-network with Premera, Lifewise, and other select Blue Bross/BlueShield plans for individual therapy only. All of our counselors provide individual therapy out of network with all other insurances. For out of network counseling, payment is due at the time of service and we will provide you with a “superbill” (insurance receipt) to submit to your insurance for reimbursement directly to you.
For couples and family therapy: This is a private pay service only. In couples and family counseling, we identify all members of the relationship jointly as our client. We do not identify an individual client with a mental health disorder diagnosis. This means that our couples and family counseling services are not considered to be “Medically Necessary” by insurance companies and are not covered by insurance.
For therapy intensives: IFS individual therapy intensives and EFT couples therapy intensives are private pay only and are not covered by insurance.
Your scheduled time is reserved just for you. If you need to cancel your session, we kindly ask that you notify us at least 48 hours before your appointment so there is time for that opening to be filled by another client. Sessions cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice are charged the therapist’s full rate for the session. As a courtesy, you can always reschedule to another time within the same week and apply that session charge.
We always start with an initial session. Over the years, we’ve learned that a full 50-minute therapy session works best to figure out if you and your therapist click. During your initial session, you can share why you’re seeking help, hear how your therapist plans to assist, and make sure it feels like a good fit for everyone moving forward. While the initial session does cost the full rate, think of it as an important investment in making sure you’re on the right path for your therapeutic journey.
After the initial session, if both you and the therapist decide it’s a fit to continue working together, we schedule recurring sessions for the same day and time, securing a dedicated ‘time slot’ on your therapist’s schedule. This not only streamlines the scheduling process, sparing you from the effort of constant rescheduling, but it also ensures consistency and prioritizes your continuity of care by reserving a specific time for your sessions. If for some reason your schedule does not allow for this way of booking, we can also help you schedule in another way.
Questions About Pricing and Scheduling
Book a FREE 15-Minute Consultation
Our team of client care coordinators, Meghan, Chris and Molly, are ready to help match you with a therapist who can help you feel better fast.
