About Lynsey

Mental Health Therapist
Mom of two
Avid Sailor & Mediocre Skier
Pickleball Enthusiast
Pronouns: she/her

I earned my Master's Degree in Mental Health Counseling with a Certificate in School Counseling from Central Washington University in 2012. While my educational training covered all stages of life, I have always been drawn to working with adolescents and focused all of my research interests and training on child & adolescent mental health. Over the past decade in practice, I have continued to pursue ongoing education and have earned the following certifications: National Certified Counselor (2013), International Baccalaureate Certified Counselor (2015), National Board Certified Teacher in School Counseling (2018) & Certified Anxiety-Informed Professional (2022). Through my former work as a High School Counselor, I have advocated for more mental health supports in our schools and have helped create school-based mental health programs. I recently had the opportunity to work within a CoIIN (Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network) where we partnered with the University of Maryland, the School-Based Health Alliance and the National Center for School Mental Health to promote comprehensive school mental health systems.

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Counseling Approach

I don’t believe in labeling and reducing teens to an illness or disability. I believe in empowering teens to take ownership of their mental health and wellness and the work that it requires. I believe that what we often see as mental health issues in teens is a lack of skills, knowledge and insight. Luckily, teenage brains are extremely receptive to new learning and ways of thinking. By teaching them skills to manage themselves better, we can help them build the strong foundations and resilience they need to reach their full potential.

I use strength-based models such as Positive Psychology, Person-Centered Therapy and Reality Therapy to help my clients build self-efficacy. I believe in preparing our teens for adulthood by filling their toolbox with the tools to manage their emotional well-being, to engage in healthy relationships, to weather the inevitable challenges that will knock them down and the resilience to get back up each time. In my work with teens, I take an integrative approach where we explore their self-identity, values, strengths and needs, we work to strengthen their resilience through skill-building and education and we set and work toward meaningful wellness goals. When teens can identify their strengths and skillsets, they learn to value themselves and develop the confidence to dream big.

I truly believe that most often teenagers are doing the best they can with the resources they currently have, but our teens are largely under-resourced to navigate the complex world we live in. My approach is to draw on their strengths and build their resources so that they can believe in themselves and their ability to create a life where they can thrive.

Why College Advising?

In addition to focusing on teenage mental health, I have found that I really enjoy working with families through the college application process because it is one of the biggest transition phases of a parent-child relationship. Deciding what to do after high school is inevitably the next big thing for teens. Of course this period of time can be hugely stressful for your teen, but it also often brings about heightened family conflict due to fear, uncertainty, anxiety and the very complicated mess of feelings associated with your child leaving home! You might be excited, hopeful and relieved that your child is finally heading out on their own and you also might find yourself feeling heartbroken, terrified and questioning if they're ready. This is all normal. My approach to College Advising is to thoroughly orient and support families through the process while also addressing the host of emotions that show up for the teen and parent(s) along the way. My college advising work is firmly grounded in the belief that the goal is not to get your child into the best college but to get your child into the best college for them. I have worked with hundreds of families and have helped students find their way everywhere from community colleges to our nation's most selective universities.