Karen Hansen, PhD, LMHC - 425 361-3908 / karen@transpersonaltherapy.com
Testimonials
"Karen is safe, knowledgeable, trusting, compassionate, warm, professional, and incredibly skilled. She also has a comprehensive repertoire of therapy styles and educational materials. She has allowed me to find a safe place, free of judgment and full of respect to do the work I need to do. I have recommended Karen to friends and would do so again and again!"
"With Karen I have learned how to connect my emotions to my thoughts.... I am working through old negative thoughts in order to connect with my fears and learn from them. Karen is a great source of information. She provides a variety of books, verbal information and astrological knowledge".
425 361-3908

Therapy Process
Don’t think you’re an exception for anyone and everyone can suffer from anxiety, stress, depression, trauma, abuse or addiction. Life transitions such as loss, moving or divorce may create stress and a need to talk it through. Let us look a bit closer to these needs. Maybe the following examples can tell you something about the therapy process.
Depression occurs when the activity of the mind and body are slowed down. It can affect our habits and the way we feel about ourselves and how we see the world. We often lose interest and pleasure in things that we once enjoyed. We feel we fell into a hole and we want to climb out again.
Anxiety seems to go the other way, it speeds us up. Our mind, thoughts and body are very active and we feel often nervous. Rapid thoughts and anxiousness use up a lot of our energy and create the need to find peace of mind. Sometimes depression and anxiety take turns, even more reason to find relief.
Trauma appears from painful life experiences. A car accident, death, violent crime or rape, physical, emotional or sexual abuse can cause emotional shock. Often "splits" occur and we can feel scattered. Healing from trauma starts with restoring a sense of safety, grieving the loss and rebuilding one’s sense of wholeness.
Life changes can force us through a rough time. Life changes constantly, but sometimes just a bit too much. There can be trouble in the family or problems in school, a relationship can come to an end, jobs can be lost and sometimes we have to move and relocate. We may feel overwhelmed by what's been happening and we need help sorting out our feelings and finding solutions to our problems.
Addiction is a deep craving that grows and becomes part of our brain’s automatic pilot. Learning about how the brain works and how addiction is a biological problem is part of recovery from any addiction whether it be alcohol, drugs, gambling or food. Assessment and developing a relapse plan are important steps towards healing.