FAQ

I meet with clients once per week initially, until their goals are met, and they have gained skills to maintain their well-being. After that time, we might schedule every other week or another amount of time.

Many people enjoy coming to therapy and continue the process for months or even years. Others come with a more specific issue and feel that a shorter time is appropriate.

I check in regularly with all clients to make sure you are getting what you want/need out of the therapy. One of my goals is for us to create a collaborative relationship in which you feel empowered to ask for what you want and give me feedback on how the therapy is going for you.

Let’s start with a phone call to see if we are a good fit. This is a free 20-minute consult call; you can call or text me at (360) 287-4391. You can also email me at annegustphd@gmail.com.

I would like to talk with you, get to know what you are looking for help with, and answer questions you have!

Alternatively, if you feel you are ready to go ahead and schedule a first appointment, send me an email at annegustphd@gmail.com or call me at (360) 287-4391, and we can set up an appointment for a first session.

I typically schedule either in-person or online appointments between 10 am and 5 pm, Monday through Friday.

Occasionally, I have other appointment times available as well. Many of my clients can make their sessions during the daytime with their work schedules, especially for telehealth sessions. Many workplaces are fine with you taking an hour for a weekly medical appointment; often you can make up the time by adding an hour to the day in the morning or evening.

Yes. I consider myself LGBTQ+ allied and affirmative. Parts of my identity are:  cis-gender heterosexual female of northern-European descent, from a middle-class background.

I continuously strive to operate out of a stance of cultural humility regarding anyone who identifies differently from how I do (in fact, I try to be humble even with people who identify the same as I do in these matters).

I also work toward continuous education and awareness of emerging social and identity issues. It’s important to me personally and professionally that people of all genders and sexual orientations receive high quality, respectful, and inclusive mental health services.

Yes. As mentioned above, it’s important to me to be culturally humble. I have a lot of experience working with a wide range of diverse people (both clients and colleagues), as well as a diverse group of friends throughout my personal life. I hope to always be learning in this regard.

I also strive to be actively anti-racist in my thinking, actions, and interactions in both my professional and personal life.

Ask questions and trust your gut. Do you feel comfortable with me? Do you feel like you can trust me? Does it feel like I am truly listening to you? Does it feel like I get you?

One of the most important factors determining success of the therapy is the quality of the therapeutic relationship. So, you’ve gotta feel like you can trust me or that you can trust whoever you decide will be your therapist.

If we have been working together and you feel that I am not understanding something, I hope that you will tell me! I’m intuitive, but I’m not a mind-reader.

And, I welcome feedback and am always honing my skills to become better at what I do. So, if I’m not getting something about you, I genuinely want to know. In fact, discussions like that can be some of the most important that you have in therapy.

I work with individuals primarily using a therapeutic modality called Acceptance and Integration Training (see AAIT for more details). The therapy work I do is also informed by my studies in depth psychology and Jungian Psychotherapy, art therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, trauma-informed therapy, systemic family therapy, the recovery model, positive psychology, as well as mindfulness meditation and yoga.

After earning my MA from Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles, CA) in Clinical Art Therapy/Marriage and Family Therapy, I worked for about 15 years as a therapist and then a supervisor, program manager, and director in urban community mental health centers that served children and families.

During this time, I also earned a doctorate from Pacifica Graduate Institute (Carpinteria, CA) in Depth Psychology/Emphasis in Psychotherapy, as well as a nine-month training certificate from the Los Angeles Jung Institute.

As a therapist, I worked with children, adolescents, and adults, primarily focusing on trauma, using art therapy, systemic family therapy, and Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies.

After earning the doctorate, I was the administrator of a 24/7 peer-led mental health crisis program for adults in suburban Riverside, CA. Then I moved to Washington, where I started up and was the administrator for a 24/7 locked adult acute Psychiatric Evaluation and Treatment Center in rural West Washington.

I have had many years of direct clinical experience with children, adolescents, and adults experiencing intense mental health crises, addiction, and suffering from trauma and mental illness symptoms.

I have years of experience supervising new therapists for their hours toward licensure, as well as general leadership experience in running programs and managing staff to keep morale high in intensely challenging mental health situations.

I am now thrilled to be able to focus entirely on the passion that brought me to this profession in the first place, which is providing direct 1:1 psychotherapy service to individuals in my private practice.

Yes, it’s not uncommon for people to cry in my office during our work. I welcome tears; they are usually a sign that things are moving, and movement is a good thing.

People have all kinds of emotions in therapy, and I welcome them all. If there are any emotions that you don’t want to have or don’t like, I would like to know more about that and how that is for you.

Originally, I studied psychology because I wanted to understand myself and the people around me better. I also wanted to work in a field in which I would always be learning, growing, and figuring out how to help make the world a little bit better.

I am deeply grateful to be able to do this work.

According to https://community.cbr.com/showthread.php?84247-What-s-your-superhero-name I have a few, the best of which is Captain Arrow! What is yours?