FAQ

The quickest way to set up an initial appointment is to call me at (360) 480-0027 and leave a message if I do not answer.

Also, you can email me at kevala@healingthepast.com or text me at the above number.

If you must cancel, please do so 24 hours before the scheduled group session. If you have an unexcused absence you will be charge for the session.  See our group rules for details.

I work with women, and men in a group setting.  Sessions are once a week for up to 90 minutes.

Contact me through a phone call, text, or email, and we will set up an appointment. There is also a Questionnaire to fill out before our first appointment.

Client Intake

In early sessions, we will spend time gathering information about what is going on for you. After the initial session, we will do different things depending on what brought you to therapy.

If the issue is trauma, some sessions will focus on how it impacts your life and ways to manage trauma symptoms. We would also have sessions either doing EMDR or hypnotherapy, depending on how you want to work and what seems to be helping you the most.

Depending on the issues you bring to the session, we may also do Mind Clearing sessions.

Information on EMDR, Hypnotherapy, and Mind Clearing is available in the specialties area of the Website.

Yes, I refer to these as action projects. Sometimes, these projects involve information-gathering activities. For example, if someone has behaviors that bother them, I may ask them to track how often these behaviors happen in the week between sessions. Usually, this action project does not last for months but rather for a few weeks.

Sometimes, the action project may be to complete a cycle where you feel stuck in an area of your life. I may also suggest reading a book (this could be reading or listening to an audiobook).

I have a master's degree in Psychology with an emphasis on Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling and have been a therapist since 1994.  

I have been trained to assess and provide Domestic Violence Intervention Treatment assessments and group treatment.  I am at the Supervisor Level with this work, and do training and supervision for new providers.

I trained in hypnotherapy for ten years with the Wellness Institute. During this time, I learned techniques described as Heart-Centered Hypnotherapy, which I have used for over 20 years.

I also have used EMDR for over 20 years and have worked with war veterans and sexual assault victims for many years.

I studied Mind Clearing for 12 years with one of my teachers and have practiced it for almost 20 years.

Yes, I was in the Army for 21 years and have worked with people of most ethnicities, backgrounds, and religions. I have also lived in different countries and learned much from those experiences.

In my work after the Army, I have done in-home services with families in several counties in the state for 22 years, working with people of many diverse backgrounds and ethnicities.

Yes, now I do everything over telehealth, both assessments and group sessions.

Absolutely. Our work is confidential. Not only is it ethical to keep our work confidential, but it is the law in Washington State to hold everything in confidence. In Washington, therapists have the same level of privilege as lawyers.

The exceptions to confidentiality are if you give me written permission to talk to someone about specific issues you allow me to discuss. The other exception is when I receive a subpoena about information from sessions. In over 20 years, this has never happened.

The other question about confidentiality is whether our sessions are confidential if I work with you as part of a couple. In this case, that information is confidential between the individual and me, unless that person permits me to share that information with their partner or bring up that information in a couples session.

Once a client discloses the issue in a couples session, it is then permissible to talk about it in that context.

I have been in practice since July 1994.

Yes, I have been in therapy a few times myself. Part of my therapy included receiving EMDR sessions to address personal trauma experiences.

I have also engaged in hypnotherapy for ten years while training as a hypnotherapist. My exposure to hypnotherapy was experiential. We practiced giving and receiving hypnotherapy (and something called psychodrama) during training and participated in breathwork sessions. There were also other processes that we experienced during those training weekends.

Also, I trained as a Mind Clearer for 12 years, and during that time, I had to give and receive many hours of sessions, including sessions with advanced teachers. Again, this was experiential training.

I have a master's degree in psychology from Chapman University, emphasizing Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling. I also have a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Maryland.

Additionally, I have a master's degree in business administration from Brandman University.