Therapy for Therapists in Washington State
In-person therapy in Kirkland, WA & virtual therapy throughout WA State
Therapy for therapists is specialized, trauma-informed counseling for mental health professionals experiencing burnout, compassion fatigue, or vicarious trauma from their clinical work. As a fellow clinician and EMDR Certified Therapist, Angelica De Anda, LMHC, offers a confidential space for therapists, counselors, and other helping professionals across Washington State to process the emotional weight of the work - online statewide or in person in Kirkland, WA.
You don’t have to choose between healing others and healing yourself.
let’s be honest:
Are you caring for yourself as deeply as you care for others?
You work to help people heal from life’s ups and downs. This work can be intense, stressful, and at times traumatic. Client stories often linger long after sessions end, settling into your mind and body. You give, give, give - but who is filling your cup? Have you lost your identity in the constant act of helping others, leaving your own needs in the background?
It’s easy to feel isolated and unsure of where to turn, especially when few truly understand the challenge of holding space for everyone while feeling like no one holds it for you.
You often ask yourself,
“When did caring for others start costing me so much of myself?”
“How much longer can I keep going like this without breaking down?”
“Who am I outside of the role of helper or healer?”
“Can I be a good helper and still have boundaries that protect my energy?”
You may be experiencing:
Compassion Fatigue: Emotional exhaustion from holding space for others day after day.
Burnout: A persistent sense of depletion, disconnection, and questioning if this career path is sustainable.
Imposter Syndrome: Doubting your impact and worth, despite your training and heart.
Identity Strain: Struggling to hold your personal, cultural, and professional identities all at once without losing yourself in the process.
When your calling becomes your burden, it’s not a sign of weakness -
it’s a signal that it’s time to come back to yourself.
Signs of Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, and Vicarious Trauma in Therapists
You don't have to be in crisis to benefit from support. Common signs include:
Feeling emotionally depleted or numb after sessions with clients
Intrusive thoughts or images related to clients' traumatic material
Dreading sessions you used to feel confident holding
Increased cynicism, irritability, or detachment — at work or at home
Difficulty maintaining boundaries with clients, supervisees, or your own caseload
A creeping sense that you're "performing" competence rather than feeling it
Physical symptoms: fatigue, tension, disrupted sleep, or a shortened fuse
A 2024 systematic review published in the Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing looked at 23 studies of mental health professionals and found that secondary traumatic stress is far from rare in this field - across the studies reviewed, rates ranged from about 1 in 5 clinicians up to 7 in 10, depending on the setting and caseload (Henderson et al., 2024). The same review found that clinicians with their own history of personal trauma were consistently more likely to develop secondary traumatic stress - a statistically significant link showed up in the majority of studies examined. Naming what you're experiencing is often the first step toward addressing it.
How EMDR Therapy Helps Therapists and Clinicians
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) uses bilateral stimulation (such as guided eye movements or tapping) to help your brain reprocess distressing material so it's no longer held in an activated, "stuck" state.
For therapists, this often means:
Processing specific sessions or stories that continue to surface outside of work
Reducing the nervous system's baseline hypervigilance that builds up over years of clinical work
Rebuilding a felt sense of safety and capacity, rather than just intellectually "knowing" you're safe
Creating more internal space between your clients' material and your own emotional experience
Because EMDR works with the nervous system directly rather than relying solely on talking through the material, many clinicians find it reaches places that traditional processing hasn't fully addressed.
how i can help
Let’s create a space where you get to be held.
A space where your healing, rest, and self-reflection matter just as much as the care you offer others.
My Approach to Working with Therapists
We are humans before being therapists. Therapy can be a space where you can take off the therapist hat and just be yourself. Therapy can be a vulnerable experience. I've been there!
I take a collaborative approach, especially when working with therapists. Together, we can explore much further and deeper, due to the wealth of knowledge you bring to the table. I integrate EMDR, IFS, strengths-based, and mindfulness approaches into our work. I take an encouraging and nurturing approach, but will also say it like it is when the time is right. I won't talk down to you, tell you how to live your life, or what to do.
I enjoy having fun in therapy, being curious, seeing things through new perspectives, and celebrating successes along the way. Let's chat about the process and make sure it's right for you.
Things that we can work on:
Increasing self-compassion
Let’s shift the internal narrative and increase your ability to extend compassion and grace in the work you do as a therapist.
Strengthening the bond with yourself and your story
We'll navigate the crossroads of your life, uncovering the places where your work has brought you to this point and unfold the next chapter of your story.
Enhancing joy and fulfillment in life, relationships, and work
As we work towards finding your internal balance, it will overflow in your day to day life.
I want you to know:
Your story matters - even when you’re used to holding everyone else’s.
Let’s work together to discover balanced living and authenticity both in & outside the therapy office.
In person therapy in Kirkland, WA
My Kirkland office is located in the Moss Bay neighborhood of South Kirkland, conveniently accessible from both Highway 520 and I-405.
faqs
Frequently Asked Questions About Therapy for Therapists
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I take a collaborative approach, especially when working with fellow therapists - you already bring a wealth of clinical knowledge and self-awareness to the table, and I meet you there. See "My Approach to Working with Therapists" above for more on how I show up in our work together.
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I welcome therapists, counselors, social workers, educators, healthcare workers, and other helping professionals who carry the emotional weight of caring for others professionally.
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Work as a therapist can be demanding, and your time is valuable. I offer more intensive formats to accommodate scheduling needs - such as a 90-minute session every other week, or a half-day (3-hour) session once a month. Schedule a free consultation to find the format that fits.
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Yes. Many clinicians use this work of therapy alongside their existing therapy, supervision, or consultation - it doesn't need to replace what you already have in place.
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Yes. Sessions are held to the same confidentiality standards as any other client relationship. If you have concerns about overlap in professional circles, we can talk through that directly during your consultation.
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Yes - sessions are available online for clinicians anywhere in Washington State, as well as in person at the Kirkland office.
Ready to get started?