Who Are We?

My name is Maggie (Gigi) Ishaq. I am the owner and a therapist of Balanced Living Therapy. I believe every person has core value as a human being and it is my role to work together with you to access what you need to heal.  Seeking therapy can be a very difficult and personal decision. It is extremely important to me that our clients feel safe, cared for, and validated.

I feel that it is very important that you find the right fit!  We look forward to hearing from you and working with you to begin your healing process.  Life is a journey and we are grateful to have the opportunity to provide a safe space for healing.  I am committed to helping you pursue health and happiness.  Together we will find forgiveness and overcome shame and guilt.  I honor your individualism and belief system and I hope to help you achieve balance and a renewed sense of peace in your life.

I utilize Experiential theory including Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples and individuals, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Techniques and Psychodynamic Therapy.  Another technique I utilize is called Client Centered Therapy from a Supportive Therapy Model.

There will be times when the therapy becomes difficult and you may feel like giving up. This is often the point where you will put forth great effort, and change will occur.  I am committed to seeing this process through with you in every way that I am able to offer support.

Eating Disorders

Grief and Loss

Past Trauma

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Marriage Therapy

Career exploration and life skills building

Individual Therapy

Attachment Disorders

Master of Science in Marriage and Family Counseling from Seattle Pacific University. Bachelor of Arts in Professional Studies/Psychology from Seattle Pacific University. Associate of Technical Arts Degree in Alcohol and Chemical Dependency Counseling; Edmonds Community College. The University of Washington, Behavioral Research Therapy Clinic; Chemical Dependency Counseling. Supportive Therapy Model for Teens Research at the BRTC and Children’s Hospital.

Behavioral Health Agency License BHA.FS.60874155 

Licensed Mental Health Counselor State of Washington LH60200522 

Substance Use Disorder Professional Certification  CP00005296

State of Washington  

Marriage and Family Therapist  

Certified Clinical Supervisor  State of Washington

Hello, my name is Mayra Sanchez. I believe that therapy is a vehicle for change and I am honored to be a part of the journey as each individual learns new ways of thinking, doing, and being. I am bilingual: speaking Spanish and English. My personal and academic experience has given me the knowledge needed to become an ethical and effective therapist that encompasses diversity and inclusion. I look forward to helping my clients through compassion, authenticity, empowerment, validation, respect, and acceptance. 

I provide therapy to individuals and couples using a systems-oriented and culturally sensitive approach to help each individual achieve their goals, develop strong relationships, create deeper meaningful connections, and interrupt unhelpful patterns.  I have experience working with individuals and couples from a variety of backgrounds, including pregnant and postpartum women, Spanish-speaking clients, teens, and adults.  I am committed to maintaining a brave space for individuals to feel heard, seen, and understood by dedicating my attention to understanding each personal narrative and working collaboratively towards individual goals so that productive change prevails.  

Depression & Anxiety

Relationship Issues

Life Transitions

Maternal Mental Health

Self-esteem

Women’s Issues

Emerging Adulthood

Trauma

Cultural Challenges

Identity Issues

Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy,  Pacific Lutheran University

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, University of Washington

Training in Best Practices in Prevention, Identification, and Treatment of Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders, June 2019 

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate 

State of Washington # MC61027794

My name is Jesse Dunn, and I’m a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate. I’ve worked in mental health since 2017, most recently as a crisis worker serving high-risk and vulnerable populations. My experience includes counseling individuals, families, and couples. An advocate of equity and social justice, I believe that inclusion is crucial; as is examining my own privilege, power, and presence on a regular basis. I view therapy as one vehicle to address systemic issues and pressures of which we all experience. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, I have a one-eyed dog, and am doing my best to live my life in the present. 

Stripped of its bells and whistles, therapy is a person (or people) entering a space with a willingness to be vulnerable and move toward growth. I do my best to foster safety and comfort so that this can be easily achieved. I’m down to earth, I like to make jokes, I don’t easily judge. Our quality of relationship will be the biggest determinant of therapeutic success, so that’s what I prioritize.

My therapeutic perspective is most similar to “Humanist Psychology.” It’s taught me a few key things:

1) You are the expert on your own life. 

2) Humans are destined to grow (if they can get out of their own way). 

3) Problems are far less relevant than people.

Keeping these things in mind, much can be accomplished in a supportive environment.

Grief and Loss 

Mindfulness (& meditation) 

Unpacking Oppression 

Family Dynamics 

Self-worth 

CBT and DBT for depression and anxiety 

Crisis 

Existentialism 

End of life, terminally ill, people with disabilities 

Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling, Seattle Pacific University

Bachelor of Science in Psychology, University of Portland

Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate 

State of Washington # MC60945651 

 PRIMARILY OFFERING FAMILY/COUPLES SESSIONS AT THIS TIME. 

Hello! I'm Enas Albar. I am a clinical intern at Balanced Living Therapy, working towards my Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Seattle Pacific University. I am bilingual: speaking English and Arabic. I have a deep-rooted love for diversity and believe that everyone has the right to feel accepted, healthy, and able to find meaning in life. I also think that everyone deserves to grow and flourish, and I have faith in psychotherapy’s ability to do that. I strive to provide a safe and judgment-free environment in which your feelings can be validated and understood.

أهلاً! أنا إيناس البار، درست علم النفس في المملكة العربية السعودية، وأدرس حالياً ماجستير علاج زواجي وأسري . أؤمن أن كل فرد يستحق أن يُمنح الفرص التي تساعده على النمو والنضج. أرى أن العلاج النفسي رحلة مشتركة بين المعالج والعميل لها ميزاتها وصعوباتها، كما أثق في قدرة العلاج النفسي على ترميم النفس وتسهيل العقبات. أحب أن أساعد الآخرين ليشعروا بشعور أفضل تجاه أنفسهم وأن ينظروا للأمور من أبعاد مختلفة. أتطلّع إلى سماع قصتك وتوفير مساحة آمنة لك وخالية من إطلاق الأحكام. 

من مجالات اهتمامي: العلاقات، العائلة و الزواج، الطلاق، العيش في ثقافة مختلفة، إيجاد معاني للحياة.

 I am interested in your story. I would like you to feel listened to, appreciated, and understood. The therapeutic journey is two-sided. I would love the opportunity for you and I to work together towards your goals. I can help untangle the healing process from all of its sides, from the big picture to the small details. I provide a safe space for you to express your feelings and articulate your thoughts. 

Relationships

Marriage and Family

Intimacy

Teens of Divorce

Cultural Barriers/Diversity

Anxiety

Depression

Self-Esteem

Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, King Adbul-Aziz University, Saudi Arabia

Master's Candidate in Marriage and Family Therapy, Seattle Pacific University

Marriage and Family Therapist Intern

Seattle Pacific University Internship Program

Hello! I am Gwen Sipes and I am a clinical intern at Balanced Living Therapy, LLC, working towards my PhD in Clinical Psychology from Saybrook University. I am also a licensed massage therapist, artist, and have a love of nature.  With this background I bring to therapy a strong holistic awareness of how the mind and body work together to maintain wellness. I employ creativity in thinking, problem solving, and finding new perspectives as well as creative expression as a therapeutic tool. I find never-ending inspiration, awe, and healing from the natural world and am heartened by research discussing the simultaneous physical and psychological benefits of interacting with nature.  As appropriate, I encourage some type of connection with nature, whether physically or through imagery, to promote and support mind-body healing and wellness.

Each client contains within them the seeds (or knowledge) for their own healing. My role as a therapist is to provide the right conditions for those seeds to develop and sprout. Based on the tenets of Person-Centered psychotherapy, I use empathy, presence, and unconditional positive regard to create the conditions necessary for a client’s own innate healing capacity to arise. Additionally, each person is gifted with a unique set of strengths that, once discovered and developed, become great resources for overcoming challenges and pursuing dreams.  Part of my approach includes spending time collaboratively identifying personal, relational, and community level strengths to draw on both during the therapeutic process and in life beyond the therapy room.

Grief/loss/complicated bereavement

Existential concerns (death, loneliness, meaning, freedom/responsibility)

Life transitions

Motivation

Self esteem

Anxiety

Depression

PhD Student in Clinical Psychology, Saybrook University

MA Clinical Psychology, Saybrook University

BS Multimedia and Web Design, Portland Art Institute

Licensed Massage Therapist

PhD Clinical Intern at Saybrook University