Melanie Bikis
LMHCA
"Helping young people and their families receive the care they need. "
Introduction
I’m a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate in the state of Washington.
I offer individual counseling services to youth and their families for private pay via in-person and remote telehealth appointments.
My practice fuses inspiration from existential psychotherapy and expressive art. I specialize in working with young clients who are struggling with everyday emotions, anxiety, grief, depression, challenging relationships or trauma. During our therapy settings we organize our sessions based on the child and family’s goals and motivations. Working together we find a wide variety of interventions to help them improve their everyday experience and meet the objective at hand. We identity road blocks, map what success looks like and trouble shoot together as a team using a combination of art practices and talk therapy.
I offer individual counseling services to youth and their families for private pay via in-person and remote telehealth appointments.
My practice fuses inspiration from existential psychotherapy and expressive art. I specialize in working with young clients who are struggling with everyday emotions, anxiety, grief, depression, challenging relationships or trauma. During our therapy settings we organize our sessions based on the child and family’s goals and motivations. Working together we find a wide variety of interventions to help them improve their everyday experience and meet the objective at hand. We identity road blocks, map what success looks like and trouble shoot together as a team using a combination of art practices and talk therapy.
Educational Background
I have been working with children for over 15 years as a counselor, school counselor, teacher, arts administrator, and creative movement instructor. I use this rich tapestry of experiences to create a interdisciplinary approach to building positive relationships with each child.
I was raised in small town south of Kansas City, Kansas and moved to the PNW in 2009. I received a B.S. in Social Sciences at Portland State University where I focused on community Development, nonprofit administration and indigenous studies. I graduated with a M.Ed in School Counseling from Lewis and Clark College Graduate School of Education and Counseling.
I was raised in small town south of Kansas City, Kansas and moved to the PNW in 2009. I received a B.S. in Social Sciences at Portland State University where I focused on community Development, nonprofit administration and indigenous studies. I graduated with a M.Ed in School Counseling from Lewis and Clark College Graduate School of Education and Counseling.
Services & Specialities
My approach as a counselor is person-centered, non-directive and rooted in my Existential philosophy. Existential philosophies explore issues such as freedom of choice, the quest for meaning or purpose. For children who are just learning to make sense of the world, the existential focus on meaning-making is an intuitive therapeutic match for a wide variety of issues:
Anxiety and Depression, separation anxiety, poor self-esteem, children struggling with friendship issues, family changes and grief or trauma.
In therapy sessions, I use a wide variety of artistic mediums with clients based off their interest and passion for creativity; from drawing, story telling, collage, and ceramics to Zine making and mandala creations. Together these artistic tool help children examine the stories in which they have learned about themselves and others. Unhelpful stories can be re-written, reconsidered and explored deeply. I utilize interventions from Buddhist psychotherapy, neurobiology, cognitive behavioral therapy, and narrative therapy.
Along the journey with my client, we unpack and depict harmful bias, stereotypes or unhelpful self-perceptions that they may be getting in the way of growth and healing. As a counselor, I aim to create a therapuetic environment for all families with an abolitionist lens that is anti-racist, LGBTQAI+ Positive, and rooted in a framework of disability justice.
Anxiety and Depression, separation anxiety, poor self-esteem, children struggling with friendship issues, family changes and grief or trauma.
In therapy sessions, I use a wide variety of artistic mediums with clients based off their interest and passion for creativity; from drawing, story telling, collage, and ceramics to Zine making and mandala creations. Together these artistic tool help children examine the stories in which they have learned about themselves and others. Unhelpful stories can be re-written, reconsidered and explored deeply. I utilize interventions from Buddhist psychotherapy, neurobiology, cognitive behavioral therapy, and narrative therapy.
Along the journey with my client, we unpack and depict harmful bias, stereotypes or unhelpful self-perceptions that they may be getting in the way of growth and healing. As a counselor, I aim to create a therapuetic environment for all families with an abolitionist lens that is anti-racist, LGBTQAI+ Positive, and rooted in a framework of disability justice.
Insurances Accepted
Cash/Self Pay
Aetna
Regence BlueShield
HMA
Premera BlueCross
Cigna
Evernorth
Kaiser PPO
Kaiser HMO Core
Molina
Aetna
Regence BlueShield
HMA
Premera BlueCross
Cigna
Evernorth
Kaiser PPO
Kaiser HMO Core
Molina
License
C61404823