Our professional staff is selectively chosen and trained by Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and practice owner, Alicia Rule. Alicia began her first social work role in 1995. Since then, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and in American Ethnic Studies, Master’s in Social Work and an additional credential in School Social Work. She also earned a certificate in youth mental health. She previously worked as a Child Protective Worker, Supervisor, Policy Administrator and Trainer in child welfare. Alicia has managed many social work programs over the years and has partnered with several universities and the Public Child Welfare Training Academy in Southern California to teach and train social work students and professionals. She has been honored with the privilege of being a social worker from birth to death and every stage in between. Her passion for adoption has led to experience with all facets of the adoption experience. She has also supported families through the fertility journey, severe medical needs, special needs, postpartum and hospice.
Each member of the Rule and Associates team, including therapists and coaches. have been carefully chosen to ensure each service is delivered to your family with the highest possible level of professionalism, safety, expertise and care.
With 27 years of clinical mental health experience with folks from all ages and backgrounds, Connie brings a rich tapestry of certifications and practical experience to our team. Trained in Dialectical Behavioral Health, EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and other evidence based modalities. She uses a trauma informed lens in all of her practice. She is extensively trained in ethical LGBTQIA and gender affirming care. She is trained in couples counseling. She has extensive experience working in crisis care as well as ongoing long term mental health and wellness care.
Sarah is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and WA State Approved Clinical Social Work Supervisor. With decades of clinical experience under her belt, mostly in private practice, she enjoys training and mentoring our clinical team as well as directly serving a small number of clients with a variety of clinical issues including women’s issues, self-esteem and body image concerns, sexual assault and abuse, grief and loss, depression and anxiety. In her free time, Sarah enjoys hiking, spontaneous adventures and spending time with her family on their farm. Sarah is not accepting new patients at this time.
Sara (they/she) is our Clinical Manager, overseeing the details of the day-to-day operations of our practice and staff, with a laser focus on delivering the very best care to clients.
She is also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with experience addressing trauma, adversity, anxiety, depression, life transitions, gender identity, and family challenges. She works with children, teens, adults, and families, to enhance well-being, heal trauma, reduce stress, and cope with mental health challenges. Sara has a Master’s of Social Work from Arizona State University and a background in child development, parent education, and case management. Their experience includes affirming trauma-informed services for LGBTQ+, Neurodivergent, diverse families and those living with chronic illness. Sara also provides Lifespan Integration Therapy. In their personal life, Sara enjoys painting and spending time with family.
Alycia has a long and varied history of working with young children and their families, particularly preschool-aged children. while she is a generalist and can work with a wide variety of folks, she is also has been trained in play therapy, sand tray, and Filial (or Child Parent Relationship) Therapy. She is passionate about helping families navigate Individual Education Plans and establishing good family communication skills as well as self-advocacy skills. She has worked with children and families experiencing trauma, many of whom experienced violence such as domestic abuse. As an undergraduate Alycia earned a Bachelor of Performing Arts from Western Washington University and still participates in theater in her spare time. She graduated from the University of Washington with a Masters in Social Work and participated in their Early Intervention Fellowship program. She and her husband also spend time developing a sustainable homestead where they currently have three dogs and three cats.
Alycia is contracted with most major insurance plans.
Grace earned her Master’s degreee in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Saybrook University. She has experience working with children, teenagers, adults, and couples navigating challenges such as trauma, anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues, life-transitions, and family/relationship dynamics, including divorce. She provides trauma-informed and affirming care for neurodivergent and LGBTQ+ individuals. She uses an integrative therapeutic style, drawing from various theoretical orientations and techniques to meet the unique needs of each client. Grace's framework is grounded in a humanistic and person-centered approach that fosters a supportive, non-judgmental space for healing and growth.
Kristal is a highly skilled and empathetic professional with a Master’s in Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy from Chapman University. She has additional certification in Positive Parenting Program (PPP). She has supervised and worked in nearly all facets of family and individual work including substance use disorder. She’s also earned two years toward her Ph.D at Antioch University and has worked for over 16 years in mental health, including in Family Preservation Services. Disorder Treatment and Intensive Outpatient care teams for several decades. She enjoys working with a variety of aged from young children to adults and everywhere in between. She is contracted with most insurances.
Victoria graduated with a Master’s in Social Work from University of Southern California and her Bachelor’s from University of New Haven in Connecticut. Her experience as a Family Victim Advocate with the U.S. Navy brings a high skill level in trauma informed care and her background in community mental health and domestic violence work gives her a well rounded portfolio of professional experience. Victoria works with couples, families and individuals of all ages. She uses evidence-based therapy tools and skills such as Problem-Solving Therapy, Mindfulness skills, and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. Victoria is a bit of a thrill seeker, as she loves ziplining and horseback riding.Victoria is contracted with most major insurance plans.
Christi has a Master’s in Counseling from Northern Arizona University, an EdS in Education from Liberty University, and a Bachelor's of Science in Criminal Justice. She has many years of experience working with folks with all types of mental health challenges, including children living in foster care with behavioral, cognitive, and physical barriers/disorders, people struggling with addiction and those in recovery. She has decades of experience in the behavioral health field.
Christi is contracted with most major insurances plans.
Vince spent over a decade facilitating outdoor programs in Colorado before deciding to become a therapist, which was a natural transition from that role. He has also worked with law enforcement as a mental health crisis partner. He works well with youth and young adults and is in his last year of his master’s in social work graduate degree program.
Charissa’s experience with diverse communities give her skills to practice cultural sensitivity and trauma informed care to clients of all ages. She specializes in treating individuals navigating depression, anxiety, and trauma/PTSD and her background helps her to understand how to best support clients in a meaningful way to achieve a strong growth outcome. Charissa uses a variety of modalities including some DBT and CBT. She enjoys working with people of all ages and different abilities. She is extensively trained in children and youth mental health.
Mel has a very steady demeanor and warm approach that instantly makes you feel comfortable. Her experience with parents and other adults who are navigating anxiety, depression, ADHD, and big life transitions Is helpful to many. She is highly effective at helping people overcome what they believe are insurmountable odds and loves the work.
Mel is only contracted with Molina insurance at this time. Clients report feeling understood and empowered by their experience with Mel.
As a dedicated social worker, Robin’s primary goal is to hold space for and compassionately provide support
to clients during periods of trauma and transition, guiding them through the journey of processing,growth, and healing. Through empathy and authentic engagement, she creates an approachable therapeutic environment that is accessible, inclusive, and empowering. She creates a sense of safety that encourages clients to be open and be vulnerable. Robin offers clients a foundation of educational knowledge and decades of lived experience. She has done work in private practice and im schools and enjoys working with people of all ages. Robin has a Master’s in Social Work degree.
Jake is an experienced clinician that uses a variety of evidence based therapy modalities and has a friendly and engaging approach to therapy. While his background is quite varied and extensive, he specializes in mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. He is experienced and trained to work with clients with OCD. He also has a strong background in working with folks who have been diagnosed with ADD and autism. He earned a bachelor’s degree in clinical psychology and a master’s in clinical mental health counseling. He has been a therapist for youth, adults and families. Jake has openings on his schedule for new clients and Is contracted with most insurances.
Gianna is in the final stages of completing a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Antioch University, Seattle. While she has worked with all ages, she enjoys working with young adults and has worked extensively with parents of young children. She provides her clients with therapeutic tools for transformation based on self-empowerment and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). She specializes in somatic body awareness and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for PTSD, offers a strengths-based approach to support client wellness, and uses internal family systems (IFS) to highlight the power of family history in creating our identities. She is trained in culturally competent counseling and social justice and enjoys working with diverse ethnic identities and communities. Gianna also has a doctorate in Art History from the University of California, Los Angeles, and has taught courses in art, visual culture, and social justice at the University level. Gianna creates photography, spends time in her seasonal garden, loves birds and mason bees.
Casey specializes in pediatric mental health with training in TheraPlay, Compassion Focused Therapy and Functional Family Therapy. You will often find him using tools like the therapeutic sandbox, puppets or games because he understands that play is the language of children. But, his expertise reaches into the family structure as well as using Gottman’s lens to practice couples therapy because he appreciates outcomes based research.
Kelsey specializes in pediatric mental health with extensive experience with childhood trauma, the foster care system and adoptions. Her warm and approachable style tends to help the grown ups feel at ease and supported and her welcomed creative approach meets challenges with practical ideas.
Corie enjoys working with teens and young adults and is experienced in working with families in crisis and that were experiencing homelessness at the local shelter. She gained intense clinical and dual diagnosis experience working at a state residential treatment facility for individuals on chemical dependency/mental health commitments and has been working with a wide variety of clients on our team for the past year. She has completed her Master’s in Social Work and we look forward to her continued presence on our team as an Associate. In her free time she likes to try new restaurants, go on walks with her dogs, and be social.
Clover has experience in a school counseling setting and enjoys working with families and young people to navigate resources and connect to care in our community, as well as providing focused and individualized support. She has been a certified personal trainer for six years and marries her knowledge of the physical body with her training in the social services field. She is passionate about utilizing a strengths-based approach when working with clients to cultivate a positive relationship with themselves and their bodies. Clover loves learning people’s stories and focuses her work with children and youth, women, mothers and athletes. She provides individual, family or couple therapy services. She is continuing her education at Grand Canyon University, where she is earning her Master’s in Social Work.
Kayla’s most recent experience is in the non-profit sector, where they used Motivational Interviewing and Client-Centered approaches with vulnerable adults. Prior to that, Kayla worked with diverse families to mediate conflicts and build relationship intimacy. Kayla uses an integrated approach, with a focus on Behavioral, Cognitive-Behavioral, and Humanist perspectives with ATC, CBT, and Strength-Based modalities at the center of their approach. They look forward to continued work with adults seeking to build and repair relationships, and are especially interested in further work in the Gottman method as it applies to diverse families. Kayla is working with us as an agency affiliated counselor and as a graduate level intern with the University of Washington.
John is pursuing his Masters degree in Mental Health Counseling at Adams State University, and initially joined Rule and Associates for his practicum internship, but we loved having him on our team so much, he will also be working on our team as an agency affiliated counselor for a second year and plans to stay with us long term as an Associate. He has 7 years of experience as a health coach, working with diverse clientele including neurodivergent and LGBTQIA+ individuals facing challenges such as depression, anxiety, disordered eating, traumatic experiences, and Parkinson’s disease. He also has 15 years of experience in Qi-Gong moving meditation and is an instructor in these practices. John favors a person-centered approach, emphasizing the healing power of authentic relationships, as well as mindfulness techniques to foster integration of the holistic self. In his free time, he enjoys practicing Kung Fu and listening to audiobooks.
Noa is a Masters of Clinical Mental Health Student at Lesley University, where she is participatong in a fellowship program to integrate the arts in her clinical work with clients. She is in her final year and will be in her second year of inter with us. She has experience providing support, advocacy, and resources for expecting and post-partum mother’s, as well as survivors of sexual assault. She has worked with adolescents and adults, the LGBTQA+ community, and working with people with depression and generalized anxiety. Noa specializes in mental health treatment with art therapy so that she can help individuals of all ages improve their sense of personal well being through art expression.
Fern (they/them) has a warm, empathetic and nonjudgmental approach with clients of all ages, but especially enjoys working with teens and young adults. They have worked in a variety of counseling roles, including some employment and career planning roles. They often use a DBT framework and uses a trauma informed approach in all of their work. Fern has experience with crisis management and folks who have experienced homelessness. Fern also works well with very young children and their families.
Rebecca is known for her friendly and warm approach. She joins us with a master’s degree in social work from Boise State University and brings a trauma informed perspective. She is trained in EMDR and incorporates elements from multiple evidence-based interventions such as IFS, Narrative Family Therapy, DBT, as well as other modalities that incorporate the power of mindfulness. Rebecca has worked with clients in various life stages and especially enjoys working with middle school, high school, and college-aged clients. Rebecca is passionate about helping people who have untreated anxiety or depression and are struggling from the effects of mental health decline. Rebecca works with a trauma-informed lens and her experience includes helping clients in crisis with anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, and PTSD. She believes in the value of therapeutic interventions that support youth and their families. Clients feel safe, accepted, and supported while utilizing their own strengths. Rebecca is contracted with most major insurance plans.
Eileen’s graduate training from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology is providing her with a solid foundation in Relational psychodynamic therapy. She believes in the guiding intelligence within each person, and hopes to help people delve into how their past and present have impacted their relationships and their whole selves, mind, body, and spirit. She values deep, authentic connections, the wisdom of our bodies, and how beauty and play enhance our lives from birth to death. She is working on additional training in play therapy and a holistic approach (Sensorimotor Psychotherapy) that includes somatic, emotional, and cognitive processing and integration of trauma and attachment issues. She enjoys collaborating with couples and individuals, young and old, in a space of authenticity, curiosity, and kindness.
Prior to my career in therapy, she was an animal scientist and a Waldorf preschool teacher. She is also a mother to four amazing children. In her spare time, she loves to explore the mountains and waterways of the PNW, watch a good movie, or play games with my children, partner, and pets.
Crystal is earning her master’s degree from Walden University, as well as her level 1 practitioner certification from the Internal Family Systems (IFS) Institute. She has years of experience working with children, teens and adults in settings ranging from classrooms, mentorship, career development, non-profit programming and community-based diversity groups. She is well versed in family care and is passionate about empowering people of all ages and identities to create peaceful and fulfilling relationships, families and lives through compassionate and trauma informed and care.
Ethan has a warm, empathetic and nonjudgmental approach with clients of all ages. A former software enginer and life coach, he is building a second-season career in mental health by earning a Master’s Level social work program at Boise State University. He has a Bachelor’s degree in English from Western Washington University as well as a life coaching certification from Seattle Life Coach Training. As a life coach, he supported individuals and creatives of all ages through the use of positive psychology, person-centered, and solution-focused modalities. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, taking long urban walks and engaging with anything to do with storytelling.
With 20 years of experience in massage therapy, movement education and structural integration, Beattie brings a body based approach and a strong foundation of somatic awareness and systems theory to her practice. Grounded in a strengths-based perspective, she believes that thriving comes from embracing complexity. Her approach is integrative, collaborative, relational, and process-oriented. If that sounds like a lot of jargon, don’t worry—it just means she’s here to be compassionately curious with you an uncover what you want for your life. Together, you’ll build trust, create a safe space, and navigate life’s challenges. Her goal is to help you connect with yourself through heart-centered teamwork and emotional integrity.
For close to five years, Alexis has worked in the substance use disorder field, sharing a variety of experience in settings and client population. With experience in an integrated care setting, Alexis prefers a whole person approach to care. Collaborating with her clients, Alexis approaches each client interaction with the individual in mind.
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119 N. Commercial St., Suite 1400
Bellingham WA 98225
(360) 734-0615
Rule and Associates
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