Careers with Inside Passage Counseling
We care about our clients and are looking for clinicians who share our values of care, connection, compassion, curiosity, creativity, confidence, clarity, and communication.
We’re committed to providing comprehensive administrative and clinical support so that you can do your best work and avoid burn out.
Meaningful Commitment
Supportive Team
Dedicated to Growth
Work Life Balance
About Inside Passage Counseling
Inside Passage Counseling in Bellingham, WA is a thriving private group practice of experienced and caring psychologists, licensed therapists, and associate licensed therapists serving individual adults, adolescents, and couples. We specialize in providing evidence-based, trauma-informed, and culturally sensitive counseling services, with a special focus on Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy, EMDR, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and Gottman Method Couples Therapy.
Founded by Heather Varnau, MA, LMHC, Certified Level 3 IFS Therapist and Approved Clinical Consultant and Certified EFT Couples Therapist and Supervisor, Inside Passage is in an exciting growth phase as we prepare to move into our new Downtown Bellingham forever home and sanctuary space.
We currently have 10 therapists and 2 client care coordinators on staff. Inside Passage Counseling is looking for additional therapists who gravitate toward attachment-oriented, trauma-informed, mindfulness-based, and relational modalities of therapy to join our team.
Clinical Excellence
At Inside Passage Counseling, we prioritize quality therapy and believe that successful therapy outcomes are most likely when therapists are connected, present, and utilize effective and evidence-based interventions. We also believe that client engagement is important in successful outcomes, and we’re proud to be the #1 practice destination in Bellingham for motivated individual and couple clients.
Inside Passage IFS Foundations Graduates, 2025
Our Commitment
We Invest in You
We believe that having opportunities for high-quality supervision, training, consultation, collaboration, and community make practicing therapy fun and sustainable. We care about therapists as human beings and courageous professionals doing challenging work. We do as much as we can to support therapists so they can show up fully for their clients and still have energy left for themselves and their families at the end of the day.
Employment Opportunities
We are a W-2 equal opportunity employer seeking full-time (20+ sessions per week) counselors and therapists to work with us. We accept applications year-round and hire as needed to meet our client demand.
Minimum Requirements
- Fully licensed or associate licensed to practice counseling, marriage and family therapy, clinical social work, or psychology in WA State
- Excellent references, including at least one reference from a direct supervisor
- Available to work in-person at our beautiful offices
- Available full-time = 20+ sessions per week
- Available during peak hours (3:00-7:00 pm) at least 3 days per week to start
- Experience with assessment, crisis intervention, and case conceptualization
- Able to articulate your theory of change
- 3 year commitment to Inside Passage
- Embody the therapeutic relationship skills that foster a strong working alliance between therapist and client, such as warmth, connectivity, consistency, appropriate boundaries, and congruent communication
The Details
Compensation: $45-$60 starting pay per clinical hour for associates; $60-$85 starting pay per clinical hour for fully licensed therapists
Full time: 20+ client sessions weekly
Education: Master’s Degree or Doctorate
Minimum Experience: 1 year
Start Date: open until filled
Schedule: Flexible schedule not to exceed 8 client hours in one day. A typical full-time therapist schedule involves working 4 weekdays with 5-7 clients scheduled each day.
Benefits Include:
- Beautiful, professionally designed office space
- Caring and collaborative group culture
- Top-notch administrative support, including scheduling, billing, client onboarding, intake paperwork and free client consultations handled by our friendly, responsive staff
- Malpractice insurance provided
- Paid Time Off accrued
- Medical, dental and vision insurance available
- 3 paid holidays
- Unpaid time off available
- Excellent individual and group supervision provided for associates
- Weekly consultation group for all therapists
- Individual consultation available with clinical directors and founder
- Access to exclusive and sought-after IFS Therapy Training and/or Integrative Experiential Couples Therapy Training after 6 months of employment
- Monthly modality-specific consult groups in IFS and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy led by Certified IFS and Certified EFT therapists and supervisors
- $200 per year CEU stipend
- Professional marketing done for you
- HIPAA compliant practice management tools
About the Training Opportunities
Integrative Experiential Couples Therapy Training
This comprehensive couples therapy training program is an exciting opportunity for counselors to become competent couples therapists. This approach includes a foundation in systemic experiential therapy (drawing from EFT, IFS, relational mindfulness, and the Satir Model) with intervention tools from polyvagal theory, interpersonal neurobiology, the Gottman Method of Couples Therapy, and other approaches. In Integrative Experiential Couples Therapy the goal is to help couples have new experiences of attunement, authenticity, and acceptance in their relationship that promote an increasingly secure attachment with their partner.
Created by Dr. Laura Gambrel, AAMFT approved supervisor and Certified EFT Couples Therapist and Heather Varnau, MA, LMHC Certified EFT Couples Therapist and Supervisor and Level 3 Gottman trained therapist, The IECT training program includes 9 weeks of couples therapy training, as well as group and individual supervision for counselors at Inside Passage. After the training program is complete, counselors are supported on their couples therapy journey through ongoing group and individual consultation.
About the Training Opportunities
IFS Foundations Training
This comprehensive IFS training for therapists takes place in-person over 4 weekends. Designed to cover similar content as one would receive from an IFS Institute Level 1 training, this training takes place in a small cohort, with didactic and experiential learning and provides lots of opportunities for practice. By the end of the training, counselors will have practiced IFS from start to finish, from assessment through the entire unburdening process in IFS.
Taught by Inside Passage founder, Heather Varnau, MA, LMHC, Level 3 trained and Certified IFS Therapist and IFS Institute Approved Clinical Consultant, this training was created with input from Senior IFS Institute Trainer Dan Reed, PhD.
This high-quality IFS training is a rare opportunity to learn IFS level one content in-person, within a small group, in a safe and supportive environment. Inside Passage counselors receive ongoing support for their IFS journey in our monthly IFS consult group and individual IFS consultation, also led by Heather.
How to Apply
Inside Passage Counseling is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating a safe, non-judgmental space that welcomes all individuals, regardless of race, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, political affiliation, or relationship structure.
To apply, click on the button below to fill out our online application form.
We look forward to hearing from you!