Individual Therapy

The quality of your life is only as strong as the relationships you nurture, starting with the one you have with yourself.

Individual Therapy in Bellingham, Washington.

Do you struggle with anxiety, depression, or the effects of trauma?

Are you feeling lost or confused about what to do in your relationships?

Are you ready to finally heal and find internal freedom from stuck emotional or mental patterns?

Hi, I'm Heather Varnau, LMHC

Over the course of the past 15 years, I’ve helped hundreds of people find internal balance, contentment, and the empowerment they need to navigate difficult emotional states.

By developing a healthy internal relationship with yourself, you will gain the tools you need to change troubling emotional, mental and behavioral patterns.

Working Together

We’ll start by creating a supportive working alliance with so that you can feel safe to open up and explore your inner and outer world. I will give my suggestions for what to focus on to help you reach your goals, but you are ultimately in the driver’s seat in determining where we go in our sessions.

Throughout the therapy process, I will stay attuned to how you’re feeling, the therapy’s effectiveness in helping you meet your goals, and the leading edge of where to focus next as we continue forward.

As the healing takes hold, you will feel more confident in using the tools on your own. This is something to be celebrated! We can then space out the therapy sessions until therapy is no longer necessary on a regular basis. At that point, we can shift to an inactive status, where you’re welcome to check in with me as-needed.

It is common for me to hear from clients many years after their therapy is complete that they are grateful for the therapy experience and thriving in their lives. This brings me great joy!

If you’re ready to explore working together and how I can help you, start now and you’ll be one step closer to happiness.

I regularly treat:

Relationship Problems

When you are in the midst of intimate relationship problems, I generally recommend beginning with Couples Therapy. However, Individual Therapy is recommendable in the following cases:

Your partner is not ready or willing to attend couples therapy.
Your relationship recently ended and you want help in the process of grieving/recovery.
You are experiencing abuse in your intimate relationship and you need a safe place to get help.

Trauma

Whether it’s recent or past trauma, healing from it is essential. When we don’t, we carry it into each new experience we have.

Utilizing Internal Family Systems Therapy, I’ll help you:

Make peace with what’s happened
Acknowledge emotions and unmet needs.
Make sense of negative patterns so you can finally feel good about yourself and your life.

Family of Origin

Do you wonder how your family experiences shaped some of your core beliefs and behaviors? More importantly, would you like to be free to choose who you are and how you behave now?

I can help you respect where you’ve come from and create a strong internal relationship with yourself.

What to expect

In individual therapy, I foster a safe, non-judgmental, relationship with you that supports your growth so you can take emotional risks and face the challenges that are required for lasting change.

In order to do this, I draw from Mindfulness Psychology, Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), and attachment-focused psychotherapy.

Client Gratitude

"I think about it all the time but it is certainly worth letting you know that my time of growth with you was such a gift. Thank you so much for your caring heart and expertise in my place of need."

"When I first met Heather, I was in crisis mode, and she immediately helped me through the most difficult time in my life. I feel comfortable telling her anything. I have gained the wisdom to not only love myself again but have the confidence to love someone else without reservation. Heather saved my life, gave me hope, and a purpose again.”

“Heather creates a safe, non-judgmental environment to talk openly about things I would never otherwise share. I look forward to our meetings because they have helped me work through difficult emotions and relate differently to my family and coworkers.”

Pricing and Fees

Investing in yourself is a gift that keeps on giving.

Improve your emotional well-being and the quality of your life TODAY.

$150 per hour

Insurance: While I’m not currently contracted with insurance companies and don’t bill insurance directly, you may be eligible to receive reimbursement from your insurance company for a portion of my fee. I can help you with this.