Relationship Counseling in Bellingham, Washington and Online

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

“There are few words to convey the impact of the IFS therapy and the safe and compassionate space you create. My time with you has shifted my way of “being” in the world to a far more hopeful, authentic, gentle, grateful and peaceful state of “self”. Many thanks to your responsive and positive-spirited team as well!”

Welcome!

I’m Heather Varnau, MA, LMHC, Founder and Executive Director of Inside Passage Relationship Counseling.

I am honored you are here.

At Inside Passage Relationship Counseling, we believe that the quality of your life is only as good as the quality of your relationships, beginning with the one you have with yourself. Our team of counselors and client care coordinators are here to serve you!

I am honored to have spent the last 20 years practicing and supervising therapists in the gold-standards of evidence-based couples and individual therapies. As a Certified IFS Therapist and Approved IFS Clinical Consultant for the IFS Institute, Certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist and Supervisor, Level-3 trained Gottman Method Couples Therapist and veteran provider of Intensive/Marathon Couples Therapy, Inside Passage Relationship Counseling has its roots in these models.

In 2021, I expanded Inside Passage Relationship Counseling into a group practice with the help of our assistant director, Chris Aiken, and clinical director, Dr. Laura Gambrel.

Inspired by our values of quality, integrity, clinical excellence, connection, community, and customer service, Inside Passage quickly became a career destination for other high-quality therapists who have expanded our scope and offer additional areas of expertise, such as EMDR, Walk-and-Talk Therapy, Pre-Marital Counseling, Prepare Enrich for couples, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Spirituality-Focused Counseling, and support for non-traditional relationship structures. Our therapists can help with a wide variety of challenges that couples and individuals face such as help for anxiety, depression, PTSD and recovery from infidelity. We are inclusive of all identities and utilize a skillful blend of art and science in our work.

We are proud to offer our signature Inside Passage Couples Therapy Training Program: Integrative Experiential Couples Therapy to a select group of therapists on our team. The clinicians in this program learn an integrative approach to couples therapy that combines EFT, Gottman, IFS, Polyvagal Theory, the Satir Method, Interpersonal Neurobiology, and Interpersonal Mindfulness.

It is my deepest wish that you may experience the joy and meaning that comes with authentic connection. We, at Inside Passage Relationship Counseling, would love the opportunity to help you reach your goals.

About Us

Inside Passage Relationship Counseling provides a welcoming, healing space where motivated clients can receive the highest level of skilled therapy and customer service. We are dedicated to the practice of inclusive, evidence-based and trauma informed relational therapy to help couples and individuals experience a lasting felt-sense of security, connection, and trust in their lives.

In addition to providing high-quality therapy services, Inside Passage Relationship Counseling is a hub in the North Puget Sound area for therapists and clinicians to receive high-quality training and supervision in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, Internal Family Systems Therapy, Integrative Experiential Couples Therapy, and Intensive/Marathon Couples Therapy.

Our Specialties

We welcome couples, relationships, families, and individuals with a variety of sexual orientations, gender identities, love styles, and relationship configurations.

Couples and Marriage Counseling

Your relationship is strained and you feel frustrated by the same arguments that never get resolved. You long for a closer emotional or sexual connection but everything leads you back to the same old habits.

You need someone outside of your relationship, a professional, an experienced guide—who can help you get clearer on what’s happening and show you a way out of your struggles and into positive, new patterns.

We can help. Inside Passage therapists have proven success in evidence-based couples therapy methods such as Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT), Gottman Method Couples Therapy, PREPARE-ENRICH, and our signature Integrative Experiential Couples Therapy.

Trauma-Informed Individual Therapy

You feel stuck and alone. There’s a nagging feeling that something isn’t right, that there is more to life. You feel uncomfortable in your own skin, anxious, depressed, and longing to feel joyful and at ease.

You can start your healing now by scheduling an initial session with an Inside Passage therapist. We have a team of highly skilled therapists who can help you find peace within yourself and a positive path forward.

Inside Passage therapists have proven success in research-based therapy methods such as Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), EMDR, Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT), Walk-and-Talk Therapy, mindfulness instruction, and relational therapy.

Inside Passage Therapists strive to:

Encourage you to show up, be honest, and stay open-minded
Motivate you to persevere when you inevitably have a difficult session
Hold space for you to share your hopes, challenges, and feelings about your sessions
Express praise for your positive results

Meet Our Therapists

Therapists are listed in alphabetical order.

Inside Passage Relationship Counseling is a group of WA State licensed counselors and therapists. The therapists on the Inside Passage team boast a wide variety of training in evidence-based therapies such as Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT), Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), Gottman Method Couples Therapy, and EMDR Therapy.

Our therapists are hand-selected by our founder Heather Varnau, LMHC for their quality of character and dedication to mindfulness-based, attachment-oriented, trauma-informed approaches to working with individuals and couples.

Larke Blanton, M.Div, MA, LMFTA

Gottman Method, EFT Couples Therapy Informed, Communication, Intimacy, Betrayal &...

Bridget Burns, MA, LMHCA

Gottman Method, EFT Couples Therapy Informed, IFS Therapy Informed, Communication,...

Merry Capozzolo, MS, LMHC

ASSISTANT CLINICAL DIRECTOR Certified EFT Couples Therapist, Certified EFT Individual...

Kelley Flynn, MA, LMFTA

Gottman Level 2, EFT Couples Therapy Informed, Communication, Conflict Resolution,...

Laura Gambrel, PhD, LMHC

CLINICAL DIRECTOR Certified EFT Couples Therapist, PREPARE ENRICH, Gottman Method,...

therapist specializing in anxiety and depression in Washington state

Colton Hoggarth, MS, LMHCA

Advanced Training in EFT Couples Therapy, Advanced Training in EFT...

Evan Holmstrom, MS, LMHCA

IFS Therapy Informed, Integrative Approach, Anxiety, Depression, Identity and Development,...

Kathy Larsen, MA, LMHC, NCC

EMDR Therapy, Anxiety, Depression, Chronic Illness, Older Individual Issues, Grief...

Gretchen V. Miller, MA, LMFTA

Gottman Method, PREPARE ENRICH, EFT Couples Therapy Informed, Pre-Marital Counseling,...

Julia Mumford, MA, LMHCA

Advanced Training in EFT Couples Therapy, Gottman Method, EMDR Therapy,...

Megan Rhea, MS, LMHC

Advanced Training in EFT Couples Therapy and EFT Individual Therapy,...

Suzanne Strisik, PhD

Advanced Training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Advanced Training...

Heather Varnau MA, LMHC

FOUNDER/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Certified EFT Couples Therapist and Supervisor, Certified IFS...

Keri Wallace, MA, LMHC

EMDR Therapy, Advanced Training in EFT Couples Therapy, IFS Therapy...

Meghan, Chris and Molly: our extraordinary client care team.

Call
Today

Our professional client care team will answer your questions and help you find the right therapist.

Initial Session

We’ll schedule an initial session with your therapist so you can discuss your goals and how the therapist can help.

Recurring Sessions

If it’s a good fit, we’ll schedule recurring sessions weekly or biweekly to help you meet your goals.

Click To Call: (360) 300-2123

Professional Endorsements

“Heather is a dynamite clinician. She is that wonderful blend of very smart and deeply intuitive. Heather exudes warmth and compassion while handling any situation put before her with grace, skill, and competence. I refer to her frequently with the utmost confidence.”

Connie Feutz, MA, LMHC

"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 children, teens, families, adults and couples who are experiencing challenges in behavior, emotional regulation and relationships."

Joe Bavonese, PhD

"If you are looking for a successful couples therapist Heather Varnau is an excellent choice! As a psychotherapist working with individuals I often need to refer my patients to a qualified couples counselor and for over 10 years it has been an absolute relief to be able to recommend Heather Varnau. She has put her self through the most effective, gold standard trainings for couples therapy and it shows. The work that Heather does is so effective that I see rapid change in the people I work with as a result. She is passionate about helping couples find lasting ways through their challenges. She is compassionate, open minded, curious and helps both partners feel seen, heard, understood and supported. Her work is rooted in the best science and approaches we have about why couples end up in conflict and how to help them find their way back to loving and respecting each other. We are very lucky to have Heather in the Pacific Northwest!"

Charlotte Underwood, MA, LMHC

"What I know from personal experience is that Inside Passage Relationship Counseling is very responsive, and scheduling an appointment is easy. They provide such high quality care -- and offer a true lifeline for couples going through challenges. Thank you Inside Passage! Your top-notch services are a gift!"

Ken Urie, MA, LMHC

Rates and Insurance

The fees for 50-minute sessions range from $160-$225, depending on the service type and therapist. We are not contracted with health insurance companies and do not bill health insurance directly. We provide insurance receipts for individual counseling, only. We’re sorry but we do not provide insurance receipts for couples therapy.

Are you ready for lasting change?

Schedule an initial session today.