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.
Rob is a Mental Health Counselor with experience walking along side folks who are changing their narratives, increasing coping skills and healing from the challenges of life. He utilizes a mind/body integrative approach, providing a safe and compassionate therapeutic space to apply mindfulness techniques, cognitive processing, healthy boundaries, creative movement and expression. Through the use of these modalities, he assists clients in developing a new intentional and sustainable story of healing that serves them well. Rob provides therapy for adults, adolescents, couples and groups who are aware that their unresolved issues around attachment, trauma, chronic illness, ADHD, PTSD, stigma, interpersonal and spiritual disconnection have become the present unhealthy narrative. Rob works with adults and teens. He is contracted with most major insurance companies.
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.
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 contracted with most major commercial insurance plans. She is not contracted with Molina at this time.
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.
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.
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.
Nicole is currently working on her master’s degree in counseling. she enjoys working with all ages and a variety of clients. She is especially ambitious about continuously increasing her clinical training and is certified in child and youth mental health. She is contracted with Molina healthcare.
Grace is in her third and final year in the M.A. 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.
Charissa earned her Bachelors in Abnormal Psychology from Western Washington University and is under the clinical supervision of Sarah Ten Broek, LICSW. Her 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 is only contracted with Molina and cannot accept additional insurance plans at this time. She is only scheduling for established patients.
Mel has a very steady demeanot 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.
Emily has joined Rule and Associates as our new Assistant Director of Operations. Her keen eye for detail balanced with connecting larger vision implementation are important parts of ensuring you are receiving the high quality care you deserve and the excellence we are aiming for from the moment you contact us for your first appointment throughout your entire care experience with us.
Robin’s experience working with children and youth in schools as a social worker helps inform her work. Her approachability for kids and their parents makes her easy to connect with and her experience and training with young families brings comfort to those who work with her. She will have openings in May and will be contracted with most insurance companies and is only open to telehealth appointments at this time.
Corie graduated with her Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work and now is earning her Master’s in Social Work while gaining her clinical hours with Rule and Associates. She is experienced in working with families in crisis that were experiencing homelessness at the local shelter and gained intense clinical and dual diagnosis experience working at a state residential treatment facility for individuals on chemical dependency/mental health commitments. In her free time she likes to try new restaurants, go on walks with her dogs, and be social.
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.
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 be working with us this summer and I to next year too! . 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.
Kayla (they/them) graduated from Western Washington University in Bellingham with a degree in Psychology, and continues their education at the University of Washington in Seattle. Their most recent experience is in the non-profit sector, where they used Motivational Interviewing and Client-Centered approaches with vulnerable adults. Before 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.
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 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.
Ashley is a Masters of Counseling Student at Lesley University. She is in an expressive arts counseling program and uses expressive art therapy along with Strengths-Based and Trauma Informed therapeutic approaches to help individuals, couples, families, and the LGBTQ+ community navigate anxiety, depression, and substance abuse.
Nick is joining us while completing his Masters in both Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling. His background includes 5 years of experience working as an Intensive Case Manager with individuals in our community needing help with challenges ranging from General Anxiety and Depression to Substance use and Trauma. Nick is passionate about working with individuals and families to build improved resilience in ourselves and in our important relationships. Nick enjoys spending time outdoors skiing, mountain biking, reading, and spending as much time with his friends and family.
We are fiercely dedicated to making a difference in the lives of children, youth and their families in our community every day.
Our team of experienced family counselors are passionate about helping families thrive. We work with families from diverse backgrounds and are dedicated to providing culturally-sensitive care.
Fern has a warm, empathetic and nonjudgmental approach with clients of all ages, but especially enjoys working with teens and young adults. She has worked in a variety of counseling roles, including some employment and career planning roles. She often uses a DBT framework and uses a trauma informed approach in all of her work. She has experience with crisis management and folks who have experienced homelessness. Fern also works well with very young children and their families. She currently has openings for those who are using insurance benefits from Molina.
Copyright © 2018 Rule and Associates - All Rights Reserved.
119 N. Commercial St., Suite 1400
Bellingham WA 98225
(360) 734-0615
Rule and Associates
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