About

Alexandra Molleston Luke

LMFT, MS

Alex is a dynamic and thoughtful therapist. Her professional experience covers a broad array of age and relational challenges. She is clinically trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT) and works with children and families who have experienced significant trauma. Alex also helps adults who struggle with past trauma, anxiety, depression, illness, relationship problems and parenting issues.

Alex also holds an additional certification in Medical Family Therapy. She provides a steady and insightful perspective to assist families that have the challenge of a member diagnosed with a chronic or terminal illness.

In 2013, Alex was also recognized by her peers as the secretary of the Washington Association for Play Therapy, an organization that supports other therapists in networking and career development.

Born and raised in the Puyallup Valley, Alex attended Cascade Christian Schools before graduating from Rogers High School. She completed her undergraduate work at Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA and earned a Masters of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from Seattle Pacific University.

Following college she had the opportunity to travel to more than fifteen countries to experience their history and culture. Alex enjoys skiing, hiking, reading, gardening and spending time with her husband, family and giant Great Dane mutt.

Education

•  Seattle Pacific University, Masters of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy
• Western Washington University, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

Professional Certifications and Associations

• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
• Certified Medical Family Therapist
• Washington Association for Play Therapy, Secretary (2013)
• Clinical Member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
• Clinical Member of the Association for Play Therapy, Washington Chapter
• Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
• Love and Logic Parenting
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

Amanda Sommerfeld

Amanda Sommerfeld is a licensed mental health therapist specializing in healing for trauma, anxiety and depression. She has a passion for facilitating the process of healing and improving the client’s quality of life. Amanda has seen how the impacts of trauma and early experiences affect present life situations and believes the counseling process can provide healing in these areas and allow the client to be a more integrated self.

Amanda utilizes a variety of techniques in the counseling process depending on the client’s goals for counseling. Her theoretical orientation includes Cognitive-Behavioral, Narrative, Client-Centered, and Lifespan Integration techniques, along with various other approaches based upon each individual client’s needs.

Amanda grew up in the Pacific Northwest and loves the variety of scenery this area offers. She particularly enjoys exploring the area parks with her husband. In her free time, she enjoys playing board games with family and friends and watching football and college basketball (especially Gonzaga). She also loves animals and has volunteered at the Pierce County Humane Society in their cattery.

Education:

• Northwest University, Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology
• Gonzaga University, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

Training:

• Licensed Mental Health Counselor
• Beginning and Advanced Lifespan Integration
• Crime Victim Advocacy

Amber Belanger

Independent Contractor

Amber is an energetic and passionate therapist. Her style is comfortable, relaxed and sprinkled with humor. She is a Gottman Trained Educator and is certified in both Bringing Baby Home and The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work programs. She has experience working with teens, young adults, families, adults and couples, in a vast array of relational challenges. She is comfortable addressing anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship issues, separation/divorce, grief and loss, perinatal issues, and parenting issues.

Amber works primarily from a family systems perspective and offers counseling through a strength-based and person-centered approach. You will find her personality to be balanced, encouraging, supportive, and directive when necessary.

Amber is a transplant from California and got her start in helping people while working as a paralegal in Family Law. Wanting to integrate the person mind, body and spirit, she decided to pursue a counseling degree. She completed her undergraduate degree from California State University, Long Beach and received a Masters of Science in Human Services with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Capella University. While completing her graduate degree, Amber got the chance to move to Hawaii and spent five years working in schools and community mental health all over the island of Oahu.

When she’s not in the office, you will find Amber spending time with her husband, children and extended family. She enjoys attending sporting events, concerts, traveling, attempting DIY projects, and spending time with her family.

Education

• Capella University, Masters of Science in Human Services with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy
• Long Beach State University, Long Beach, Bachelor of Arts History

Professional Certifications and Associations

• Licensed Mental Health Counselor
• National Certified Counselor
• Mental Health Professional
• Clinical Member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
• Gottman Trained Educator

Emily DeGroot

Independent Contractor

Emily DeGroot is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a background in Behavioral Health Integration in a Primary Care setting. Through this unique model of mental health care, she has learned to appreciate how to address the person as a whole. She takes into consideration lifestyle factors such as sleep, nutrition, physical health, and spirituality in addition to social factors that may be contributing to a client’s presenting problem. While her theoretical orientation is integrative, she utilizes solution focused counseling, motivational interviewing, dialectical behavior therapy methods, cognitive behavioral therapy, and positive psychology theory.

She is comfortable addressing anxiety, depression, grief, insomnia, relationship problems, chronic pain/illness, perinatal issues, and elder’s mental health needs. She has experience working with individuals, couples, and families.

Emily recently moved to Washington from Alaska, where she attended the University of Alaska Anchorage and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She also attended Alaska Pacific University where she obtained a Masters of Science in Counseling Psychology. She began the first five years of her career working in community mental health in Anchorage. Over the course of 2016, she had the opportunity to travel to the remote village of Illiamna, Alaska to provide brief counseling services, for which she won an Honoring Our Successes Award through Southcentral Foundation. She also completed The Alaska Geriatric Interdisciplinary Leadership Development Program through UAA and obtained a Certified Dementia Practitioner credential.

In her spare time, she has been exploring her new PNW home with her family and two dogs. She also enjoys yoga, reading, cooking and going for dog walks.

Professional Certifications

• Licensed Mental Health Counselor
• Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) #227531 through National Council of Certified Dementia
• Practitioners

Kellee Franks

Independent Contractor

Kellee is a humorous and attentive therapist who enjoys working a vast array of clients. Her experience is in working with children adolescents, young adults, families, adults and couples, in an extensive range of presenting challenges. She has trained extensively in Play Therapy and is certified in Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Plus (CBT+) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT). Her experience in working with children has included trauma, anxiety, depression, ADHD, self-harm, parenting and self-esteem. Kellee has also worked with couples and adults presenting with issues in depression, anxiety, trauma, infidelity, polyamory, separation/divorce and eating disorders.

Kellee has been licensed as a marriage and family therapist in the south Puget Sound area for over thirteen years. Kellee completed her undergraduate work at the University of Washington in Seattle and completed her graduate work at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma. Her family settled in the Puyallup Valley in the 1860s, giving her strong roots in the area. She lives here in Puyallup with her husband, children and is surrounded by extended family. She enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her family.

• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
• Clinical Member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
• Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Plus (CBT+)
• Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
• Washington State Approved Clinical Supervisor
• Capella University, Psy.D. Candidate in School Psychology
• Pacific Lutheran University, Masters of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy
• University of Washington Seattle, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology