The Orchard
Online therapy serving Washington State residents
Ready to develop self-compassion,
build self-trust,
meet your goals sustainably,
feel through all the feelings,
decenter external validation,
and feel capable to manage future
transitions & changes?
Why is my head not a nice place to live in? What do I do with my life when the world feels like it does? How do I stop spiraling? Am I bad? What if I don’t feel like I belong in my hometown? Why have I not felt the same to myself since the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns? Who am I now that I am no longer a student athlete? Why does this friendship breakup feel harder than my romantic breakup? What if I don’t like the life I built for myself anymore? Will I ever stop feeling burnt out? Why don’t I trust myself? How come I don’t feel what I think I am supposed to feel when I accomplish something? Would moving abroad actually solve all my problems? How do I know I’m doing a good job now that I no longer am a student receiving grades? Why am I so judgmental to everyone around me? What if I’m actually a fraud and have tricked everyone and I don’t deserve the life I have? Why does the news impact me more than my family? What if moving abroad didn’t solve all my problems like I hoped? Why don’t any of my romantic relationships work out? Is there something wrong with me because I don’t want to hustle or girl boss? Why does the world feel so unsafe to me in a way it doesn’t to other people? When did I get so far behind in life? Why does all the mental health advice online not help me?
How do I know if online therapy with you is for me right now?
Questions you may be asking yourself
About Sydney (she/her/hers)
My values
I believe we are interconnected and interdependent with the world around us. I recognize the therapeutic space and the therapeutic relationship operates as a part of systems, cultural expectations, and historical lineages - there is room for curiosity and discernment in our time together. I believe in co-creation, gentleness, creativity, building trust & safety (I don’t believe my credentials earn me that automatically), consent, and intention in our sessions.
My approach
Collaborative, trauma-responsible, existential, adaptable, playful.
I’m here to meet you where you’re at (which means you can absolutely show up with a PowerPoint, in your coziest clothes, already crying, having cursed my name in a TikTok video after last week’s session).
I don’t expect a neurotypical presentation for connection or engagement nor do I discourage certain nervous system states (sometimes we need to make space together for messiness, loudness, or anything outside of calmness).
While I do require you to be fully clothed for virtual sessions, I welcome eating and non-alcoholic drinking during our time together as well as sessions in cars, private community spaces like reserved library rooms, and outside at your home (if your wifi reaches).
The Official Bio
I am a licensed mental health counselor in the state of Washington (#61228373), trained at Seattle University in existential-phenomenology and psychology. I went on to complete a research PhD at the University of Cambridge on the mental health impacts of COVID-19 pandemic & collective trauma recovery, publishing on two of my studies. Prior to that I was certified in Play Therapy and practiced in Seattle in-person and virtually in community mental health settings and group private practice.
The Unofficial Bio
I write, a lot. I have travelled quite a bit. My comfort movie is Brandy’s Cinderella. My favorite board game is Clue. I am trying to have a 50/50 reading split between fiction & non-fiction this year. I am in the pursuit of the best chocolate chip cookie recipe. And I have a pretty large collection of sensory toys.
The Meaning Behind The Orchard
An orchard is an intentional curation of growing things; an interconnected system. When tended to and cared for, each individual tree bears fruits. And when enough individual trees are nurtured, an entire community is nourished. I like to think of one-to-one therapy in the same way.
Welcome to the mess of being human
·
You don’t have to go it alone
·
Welcome to the mess of being human · You don’t have to go it alone ·
When you’ve tried everything else on your own
&
nothing is working
I may be a good fit for you if you are..
If you don’t see yourself reflected in one of these groups, and you feel drawn to working together, please reach out as this is not an exhaustive list.
-
A Teenager
Practicing boundaries, feeling disconnected, social media pressures, saying goodbye to childhood friends or teammates or relationships, moving away from family of origins or chosen family, driving, dating, and decisions that feel monumental - this can be a time in life where nothing feels stable, every choice feels heavy or serious, and no one you know feels like the ‘right’ person to open up to or ask questions to; this can be a space for that.
-
An undergrad student
Independence, figuring out what you like to do with your time and who you like to spend it with, online comparisons, social pressure - so much changes so quickly. And the ‘what’s next’ of it all can be hard to navigate on your own. Or you may know what you want and feel scared, lonely, anxious, or even confused on the ‘how’.
-
A graduate student
School like never before - maybe your strategies or schedules from undergrad are no longer working for you, maybe you’re more uncertain than you were before about your career, maybe life is making academic life more challenging than it ever was.
-
PhD researcher / early career academic
Whether it’s the defunding of research, “publish-or-perish”, an unsupportive environment, uncertainty, overwhelm, or something else entirely, you won’t be alone in it here.
-
Therapists-in-training
Experiencing what it is like to be on the other side of the room is a gift to your future clients as well as a sustainability practice for yourself in this career.
-
Young adults + adults
Whether you’re ahead or behind a quarter-life-crisis, you’re welcome here to explore, process, and navigate all the transitions, changes, grief, or trauma that you have lived through.
Ingredients for growth nurtured here
Intentionality
Curiosity
Consistency
Frequently asked questions
-
I do not accept insurance at this time.
If you have insurance, I would be considered an Out-of-Network provider and you may be able to receive Out-of-Network benefits. This would mean at the end of every month you would service a “super bill” from me (a statement of fees paid) that you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.
-
An intake session, our first session together following a consultation phone call, is $225 (60-75 minutes).
Every other session following the intake is $195 (50 minutes).
The charge takes place at the beginning of your scheduled session.
The Federal No Surprises act, effective 1 January 2022, protects patients from receiving “surprise” medical bills (as in unexpected costs) and therefore fee transparency can be found on my website as well as in the financial agreement you sign upon agreeing to start therapy together.
-
If you need to cancel or reschedule your session, please provide at least 24 hours notice to avoid a late cancellation fee.
To cancel you can send an email to theorchardpsychotherapy@gmail.com The late cancellation fee, or no show fee, is charged at the session rate at the beginning of your session.
-
Schedule a free fifteen minute virtual consultation (for the purpose of exploring your ‘why’ for therapy, our alignment together, and our scheduling needs).
If an intake appointment is set during the virtual consultation, you will receive a message with the appropriate paperwork and appointment reminder. If you are younger than 13, you and your legal guardian(s) will be sent paperwork. In Washington state, in a two parent household or dual-custody, both parties must agree and consent for therapy to happen.
If for anyone reason the fit doesn’t feel right during the consultation for either of us, you will be sent a few referrals of other therapists who may be a better match.
The intake session will take place where any lingering questions can be asked and regular therapy sessions will be scheduled then.
