Area: Providers

Who I work with:
I work with students in the School of Public Health and the School of Dentistry, supporting individuals across a wide range of identities, backgrounds, and lived experiences.

How I work with students:
Empathy and active listening are central to how I support students. I aim to create a collaborative, welcoming space where students feel heard and understood. Together, we explore concerns, identify patterns, and discuss practical tools and resources that may be helpful for navigating academic, personal, and relational challenges.

Professional interests:
My professional interests include trauma, relationship trauma, life transitions, and holding space for students as they process complex emotions and experiences.

What therapy and consultation can look like:
Support can take many forms, including brief consultations, Let’s Talk conversations, and short-term therapy. These spaces may involve open conversation, reflection, and problem-solving, with a focus on helping students gain clarity, feel supported, and connect with next steps that fit their needs.

Approach to wellness:
I view wellness as holistic and shaped by personal, relational, and systemic factors. I strive to support students in building self-awareness, resilience, and sustainable approaches to well-being that align with their values and current circumstances.

Elia (she/her) uses an integrated, strengths-based and interpersonally focused approach to therapy, attending to the whole person within their relational, cultural, and lived context. Her work creates space to explore sociocultural influences, and spiritual or meaning-based values as central components of healing and growth. Elia values connection as a catalyst for self-understanding and empowerment, and collaborates with clients to build insight, resilience, and agency. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her horses, gardening, and trail running in the incredible old growth forests in Washington state!

Who I Work With: All students

How I work with students: I believe our most meaningful healing happens in community and relationship with others, and the therapy relationship is no different. I use a relational and interpersonal approach to help students gain new understandings of themselves. I aim to create a space that is both affirming and challenging: affirming to clients’ identities and lived experiences, while challenging harmful systems and unhelpful thinking styles/habits. My hope is that therapy can provide a supportive space for clients to practice self-compassion, unlearn harmful internalized beliefs, reconnect with their own internal wisdom, and work towards their best self.

Professional interests: Neurodivergence, LGBTQ+ identity, body image & body liberation, relationships & interpersonal skills, self-compassion, multiracial identity development, 2nd generation immigrant experiences, graduate student experiences, art therapy, nature therapy, tabletop roleplaying game therapy

What Therapy Can Look Like: Interpersonal, Relational-Cultural, Art Therapy, Somatic/Sensory, Multicultural, Supportive

Approach to wellness: My personal wellness practices involve spending time in nature, gentle/fun movement (e.g. walking, hiking, dancing), cooking/baking, reading, making art, making music, playing tabletop roleplaying games, and gathering with friends/community.

Who I Work With: 

All students

How I work with students:

I view therapy as a collaborative process. My goal is to support students in identifying their values and finding ways to lead their lives with those values. I want to meet each student where they are, helping them explore and process their feelings in a supportive space. I also bring a cultural lens to my work, considering how culture and systemic factors shape students’ experiences and identities.

Professional Interests:

Anxiety and panic attacks; Mood concerns; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD); Tics and Tourette’s; Relationship issues; Gender-affirming care; Life adjustments and transitions; Stress management; Multicultural concerns.

What Therapy Can Look Like: 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT); Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills; Mindfulness-based strategies; Solution-Focused Therapy; Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP); Habit Reversal Training (HRT); Social Skills Training; Safety Planning; Stress management and relaxation skills;  Assistance with referrals.

Approach to wellness:

I enjoy creative and artsy things. I also like playing video games and spending time with people. At the same time, I value giving myself space to grow, putting myself first when I need to, and continuing to understand myself more deeply.

Who I Work With: All Students

How I work with students: At the core of my practice is a fundamental belief that healing, growth, and change are possible even under the most challenging circumstances. My aim as a therapist is to help you recognize your strength and feel empowered to make the changes necessary to achieve your goals. I will support you by listening to your stories with curiosity and making a space for you that is safe, accepting, and comfortable. I also think that therapy can be fun and that, sometimes, laughter is the best medicine.

Professional Interests: Gender Affirming Care; Gender Affirming Care Specialist; Depression; Grief and Loss; Relationships; Self-Esteem; Trauma and PTSD; Burnout;Systemic Oppression; Immigration and Acculturation Issues; Men’s Issues; Polyamorous or Open Relationships; Religion/Spirtuality;Suicidality; Life Transitions; Anxiety Disorder; Family Conflicts; Interpersonal Effectiveness; Neurodivergence; working with LGBTQIA students.

What Therapy Can Look Like: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Stress management / Relaxation skills; Psychoeducation; Lifestyle management; Existential; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Consultation; Medical withdrawal / Course load reduction consultation; Assist with referrals; Interpersonal.

Approach to Wellness: I often stumble upon a sense of wellness in its pursuit which, for me, involves paying close attention to what my wants and needs are. Some days I may want to hike up a mountain and other days I might need to shapeshift into a potato and play Animal Crossing. I love my job but when I’m not at the Counseling Center I enjoy hiking, playing tennis, traveling, Nintendo games, karaoke, analyzing every episode of Rupaul’s Drag Race, and spending time with my partner and our cat Papi.

Who I Work With: All Students

How I work with students: I strive to create a safe, judgement-free space to explore patterns of thoughts and behaviors that are of concern to the students. Together we identify the most appropriate goals for short term counseling to improve their current quality of life. I carry a feminist social justice lens to critically explore systems of power/privilege and the impact they have on student experience. A collaborative approach in counseling is the best way to manage stress, reframe distorted thought patterns, improve interpersonal relationships, and live holistically.

Professional interests: Anxiety Disorder; Life Transitions; Depression; Relationships; Stress; Racial; Cultural Competency; Women’s Issues; Religion/Spirtuality; Family Conflicts.

What Therapy Can Look Like: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ;Interpersonal; Mindfulness; Supportive; Psychoeducation; Social Skills Training;Stress management / Relaxation skills;Sleep hygiene;Academic Support;Assist with referrals.

Approach to Wellness: We travel a lot as a family and have lived and worked in many different cities. Family games are super fun but I do tend to get a little competitive. Other things I love are watching movies, trying new restaurants, and chilling with my dog.

Who I Work With: All Students

How I work with students: My style incorporates a feminist/multicultural lens, and I strive to create a warm, nonjudgmental, and supportive atmosphere where you feel seen and heard. I aim to work collaboratively with you to develop meaningful goals, explore your concerns within your unique individual and cultural context, reinforce your strengths and resilience, and help you implement changes that make sense for you, in your own time and in your own way.

Professional interests: Gender-Affirming Care; Anxiety Disorder; Life Transitions; Depression; Relationships; Sexual Abuse; Trauma and PTSD; Systemic Oppression; Women’s Issues; Parenting.

What Therapy Can Look Like: Cognitive-Behavioral; DBT; Existential; Interpersonal.

Approach to wellness: I believe in the power of connection with others, and enjoy spending free time with family, friends, and my many pets. I also love to laugh, read, appreciate nature and explore our beautiful city.

Who I work with: School of Business/School of Pharmacy

How I work with students: I believe all of us deserve to be seen, heard and respected. My goal in therapy is to create a safe space for you to express who you are now and who you hope to become in the future so that I can support you on your journey. 

Professional interests: Life Transitions; Trauma and PTSD; Chronic Pain or Illness; Traumatic Brain Injury; Grief and Loss; Stress; Burnout; Attachment.

What Therapy Can Look Like: Art Therapy; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Existential; Mindfulness.

Personal Approach to wellness: I’ve found wellness to be all about balance- some days for me that means a long hike and other days that means watching TV with my cat. 

“Emma holds Let’s Talk for the School of Pharmacy and the Foster School of Business.

Let’s Talk is a program that connects UW students with support from experienced counselors from the Counseling Center without an appointment.

Counselors hold drop-in hours via videoconference to provide insight, solutions and information about other resources. Let’s Talk drop-in visits are free, confidential and there is no appointment necessary.

Let’s Talk offers informal consultation – it is not a substitute for regular therapy, counseling or psychiatric care.

If you are a student associated with one of these schools, feel free to register below:

Foster School of Business | In-Person Wednesday 12:30-1:30pm Founders 132

Foster School of Business | Virtual Thursday 5:00-6:00pm

School of Pharmacy | Tuesday Let’s Talk 5:00-6:00pm

School of Pharmacy | Friday Let’s Talk 12:30pm-2:30pm