Claudia Lockwood, MA, LMHC

Make the first step towards a better you.

Locations: Burien

I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a Master’s Degree in Systems Counseling from the Leadership Institute of Seattle/Bastyr University. I have been providing counseling services in the Puget Sound Basin for over 25 years with a wide spectrum of culturally diverse populations. I work with adults, teens and children.

My Background

I am a second generation Seattleite, and for me, that means that I love the rain, the beautiful Seattle summers, Mt Rainier, all of the lakes, trees and greenery. I was raised in a large dysfunctional family with a dad who was a Boeing engineer and a mom who embodied the typical housewife of that generation, the quintessential 1950’s Seattle family. During my growing up years, my parents fought like crazy and I was often privy to their fights. The issue was not always the fighting, it was that there was never an apparent resolution, just a lot of residual anger. My growing up years had significant impact on my journey, because I sought to understand healthier communication skills within partnerships and families and also to learn what it means to manage hurt and anger.

Upon my graduation from the University of Washington, I became a reporter at the Herald of Everett. The job involved long hours, but what great perks! I met dignitaries and celebrities, yes, they did come to Everett, and I even got to fly with the Blue Angels. Despite the ongoing adventure that this profession offered, I left it all to live in India and study multicultural lifestyles and religions. When I returned to the USA, I found employment at an employment agency that involved career counseling. Sadly, my husband died of cancer, and I made a decision to attend graduate school and obtain the Masters in counseling, my true calling. I was eager to learn how to best serve individuals on their journey to mental health and wellness.

Counseling Philosophy

So what do I bring to the table?

  • A broad spectrum of cultural learning. 
  • A spiritual component based on world-wide travel and a wide study of many philosophies
  • A systemic view that we each have our place in the family system and shifts in that system can bring about remarkable healing.
  • A new “tool kit”: Many people go forth into life with a very unsuitable “tool kit” for living and often what they simply need are better life tools. Let’s get you some!
  • Finding your voice: Learning how to say yes and no. Particularly how to say NO and mean it. I have found that many people have the tiniest no and say yes when it isn’t true to their nature or spirit. Conversely, some are afraid and say no to everything, missing out on life’s abundant opportunities. Let’s sort this out and get to your true spirit.
  • Better self-esteem. This is the “gold standard” of mental health and it often comes from better structures and better boundaries (See yes and no above). Let’s learn how to put those into play in your daily life and watch your self-esteem flourish
  • Anxiety can simply come out of “what if…” thinking. Let’s find the “what is…” parts of your life.+ Using your tool kit to help with depression and regrets about the past.
  • I have had real success around fertility issues with couples.

We have lots to do. Together, we can take the big problems, break them down into smaller manageable tasks and find our way to a healthier, happier state of mind. Let’s get going, I can’t wait to meet you!

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