Mara Applebaum

Ph.D in Mythology and Depth Psychology, Pacifica Graduate Institute
M.A. in Systems Counseling, Bastyr University/LIOS
B.A. in Journalism, Western Washington University
Specialties: Culture and abuse/trauma, depression, anxiety, family systems, individuation

Mara strives to help abuse survivors find and celebrate their inherent wisdom and strength. She sees therapy as a sacred space for survivors to claim their tenderness, vitality and creativity.

"Looking for support is truly a sign of health," she says, "and it is a great honor for me to accompany my clients on their journey of healing from trauma. I see this as stepping into one's whole self, the self that's been there all along."

Mara's training is systems counseling and depth psychology acknowledges survivors' rich inner landscapes as well as the influences of family and culture. Since 2002, she has provided care in a variety of settings, including state agencies, inpatient acute care, and her ongoing private practice. She also volunteers with preschoolers and takes great delight in the brilliant sparks of all children - and the adults they become.

Lynn Bernstein

MA, LMHC
B.A., Sociology/Social Work at California State University at Los Angeles
M.A., Counseling, Seattle University
Specialties: Abuse, trauma, chronic illness, grief and loss, family systems

Clinical Supervisor

The paths of working with people have taken Lynn Bernstein from the canals in Venice Beach, Calif., to the juvenile justice systems of Washington state, to specialized welfare projects including working with addicted mothers, to a community mental-health agency children's emergency program, and into a private practice of more than 18 years.

Today she brings to Shepherd's Counseling Services the developed and enlightened belief that those who seek relief from internal pain come to counseling when they are ready to go down their own path. "I meet them on that path," she says, "where I listen, hold and respect each story and move with each toward personal healing and relief."

Barbara Brodsky

MSW, LISCSW
BA in Sociology, UCLA
MSW, Virginia Commonwealth University
Specialties: Abuse issues, sex therapy, family systems

As people grow and develop into themselves, many experience anxiety and fears based on patterns they learned as children, says Barbara Brodsky, who has led groups for Shepherd's since 1991. Barbara has, in addition to a specialization in treating abuse, formal training in sex therapy and believes in a "systems" approach to counseling.

Life presents great challenges. Barbara believes in the importance of the therapeutic alliance where new patterns can develop and previous assumptions can be tested in an atmosphere of trust and safety. "It is an honor to be there when this happens," she says.

Outside of Shepherd's, Barbara combines private psychotherapy practice with teaching responsibilities at Seattle Community College. She is on the faculty at SCCC as a Parent-Education Instructor, consulting with families of young children in the cooperative preschool community.

Barbara enjoys working with couples, families and individuals and is dedicated to helping people explore their frames of reference in the hopes of aiding them to alter the strongly held childhood beliefs which are negatively impacting their lives as adults.

Toshio Hayashi

M.Div., LICSW
B.A. in psychology, University of Illinois
Masters of Divinity, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Masters in Social Work, University of Hawaii
Specialties: Trauma and abuse

Toshio (Tosh) Hayashi knows it is not easy to share information that has been silenced for decades. That's why he appreciates the long-term approach to therapy at Shepherd's: People get the time they need, he says, to learn to trust and to understand what's going on for them. The symptoms of surviving sexual abuse are like the tip of the iceberg – there is often much more going on.

When he was in Hawaii, where he was a pastor for a Presbyterian church and then earned his master's degree in social work, Tosh led group therapy for children 8 to 12 who had been sexually abused. He also worked with non-offending parents and did one group with offenders. Working with children who are freshly dealing with the trauma has likely made him more effective with adults, says Tosh, who is thankful for the insight. "I see just how much weight people who have gone through this carry and how appreciative they are when they get some freedom from these feelings."

Tosh's extensive experience in multicultural, educational and pastoral mental health settings are all valued at Shepherd's, which he joined in Shepherd's in 2008 and where he is known for the care and wisdom he brings to his work.

Marcia Herivel

MSW, LICSW
BA, Romance Languages and Literature, University of Washington
MSW, University of Washington
Specialties: Women and Mental Health

Marcia Herivel believes that each client is the real expert on his or her life, making effective therapy a collaborative process between therapist and client. "Therapy is an exploration that can transform past harms and conflicts into future strengths and wisdom," she says.

Marcia was a therapist at Harborview Center for Sexual Assault and Traumatic Stress for 16 years, working with children and adults in individual and group therapy. She came to Shepherd's in August of 2005, and is now a Neurology Social Worker at Seattle Children's Hospital. She has recent specialized training in therapy approaches designed to address sexual assault and trauma. That includes prolonged exposure and cognitive processing therapy, as well as grief and loss, attachment disorders, motivational interviewing, and emotion regulation.

Janice Palm

MA, LMHC
BA, Education, Seattle Pacific College
MA, Psychology, Antioch University
Specialties: Abuse and trauma, depression, anxiety

Janice Palm, who is also executive director at Shepherd's, believes that the combination of therapeutic setting and relationship offer a place of safety in which reflection, revelation and healing may occur.

"It is the process of change, rather than the 'solution' to suffering, through which true personal healing and transformation may occur," she says. She believes while pain and confusion are inevitable consequences of living, they may also serve as a powerful catalyst for initiating a healing journey and lasting change.

Janice has been an individual and group therapist at Shepherd's Counseling Services since 2000. She also maintains a private practice in Kirkland. She has specialized training in the areas of abuse, trauma and depression, and in the use of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).

Brenda Smyk

MA, LMHC
BA, Organizational Behavior, the University of San Francisco
MA, Counseling Psychology, Antioch University
Specialties: Trauma, ADD/ADHD in adults, grief and bereavement, attachment

Brenda Smyk, who has specialized training and expertise in the treatment of trauma and its associated symptoms, views the therapeutic relationship as collaborative in which her role is that of facilitator supporting clients in their healing and individuation processes.

This involves becoming more fully aware of what the psyche is trying to communicate to us by way of psychological, behavioral, and physical symptoms - so the healing work of integrating conscious and unconscious material becomes possible. This integration leads to changes in attitudes and emotional responses.

In addition to her work at Shepherd's, which started in 2004, Brenda is a trained practitioner of EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, a technique used to treat disturbing life events and trauma) and maintains a private practice in Seattle and on the Eastside.