Jen McCormick, LICSW

Thank you for visiting this part of the website! My hope is that exploring this page will allow you to feel well-equipped with an understanding of my practice approach and experience.

Ultimately, it is the relationship between the counselor and the client that creates an environment where change is possible. In order to ensure a positive working relationship, I offer a complimentary 30 minute consultation via phone or in person prior to beginning counseling.

My Approach

 Meeting with a counselor is a delicate process, and my job is to make sure you feel comfortable and safe enough to explore challenging aspects of your life. I believe that taking part in counseling is a decision one comes to at a time of change and opportunity. The work of counseling  can shed light on areas of your life and relationships that you may have had trouble seeing before. 

In our time together, my goal is to help you identify your own innate strengths. I approach the counseling relationship with a deep reverence for your personal history and narrative. 

In supporting you as you find your own path, I see my role as one of witnessing, respecting,  and reflecting your process. 

“Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change".

                    -Brene Brown

My true passion lies in the intersection of trauma, grief, and mental health. I work with both children and adults that are experiencing concerns including (but not limited to) the following:

• Traumatic  grief and loss 
• Anticipatory grief and navigating a terminal diagnosis 
• Depression and Anxiety 
• Parenting Difficulties
• Family Relationship Challenges
• Career and personal transition

While working with you or a child in your life, I pull from a variety of methodologies including:

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT),
•  Mindfulness 
• Self-Compassion
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
• Restorative Retelling
• Trauma-Focused CBT
• Positive Discipline Parenting
• Creative Play 

A Note about Working with Children

I believe that children know how to guide their own healing process. Children need to be given choices and power in their play, and it is my job to help that happen.  We will work together to find creative expression through art, writing, games, and sand tray play. My hope is that the child I am working with finds safety and solace in his or her creativity. From there, they can develop a sense of empowerment and the strength to navigate life's challenges.

Additional Services:  

• Clinical Supervision: I am an approved supervisor for the State of Washington and have several years experience providing clinical supervision to student interns and post-graduate clinicians seeking licensure.
• Trainings/Presentations:  Please visit this page to learn more about services I can provide to your agency, school, or community.

I am originally from Michigan, yet I fell in love with the Pacific Northwest and moved here many years ago. The water, mountains, and community has allowed me to gratefully call Seattle home.

 I started off in the social service field in 1994 as an undergraduate working on a suicide crisis line in Kalamazoo, MI. From there, I earned my Bachelors Degree in Family Studies from Western Michigan University. Eventually I made my way out to Seattle, where I was a case manager for Sound Mental Health (back then it was Seattle Mental Health), working with adults facing severe and persistent mental illness, drug and alcohol dependence, and homelessness. While employed as a case manager, I earned my MSW from the University of Washington in 2002. As an MSW, I have worked in inpatient psychiatric units with both adolescents and adults. In addition, I worked in the Emergency Department of the University of Washington Medical Center.

 I later moved into working as a hospice social worker and served as a volunteer at Camp Erin, a bereavement camp for kids and teens. This experience refocused my career in the arena of grief and loss with both children and adults. My work in the bereavement field includes co-facilitating the Survivors of Suicide group at the Crisis Clinic, working as a Program Coordinator for a children's grief program in Ann Arbor, and serving as the Clinical Director for the Healing Center, a grief and loss support group community in NE Seattle. In 2013, I earned a post-graduate Certificate in Psychological Trauma and Treatment from the University of Washington.  These roles and my education have allowed me to work with many families and children after they have experienced the sudden and traumatic death of an important person in their lives. 

Throughout every step of my career, I have been honored to witness the incredible resilience children and adults possess when faced with life's most intense challenges. 

Please contact me for a free 30 minute consultation : jen.cedartree@gmail.com/ 206-855-3835