Allison Gutscher, LMHC, SUDP, RYT
(she/her)
About Me
My name is Allison, and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and a Substance Use Disorder Professional (SUDP) working in Seattle, WA. I work from a holistic, trauma-informed lens and offer a unique combination of talk and somatic therapy. I work with a diverse client population addressing a variety of concerns. I’m a strong proponent of traditional forms of talk therapy and an even stronger believer that a deeper level of healing can be achieved when we also involve the body in our work. So many of us are programmed to live in our heads and tend to dismiss bodily awareness. Our work together draws us back to the body, tapping into its innate wisdom as we cultivate body-mind integration and well-being. My somatic offerings are informed by therapeutic yoga, Polyvagal Theory, and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. In our work together we get to know and befriend our nervous systems and build new pathways towards connection and safety. We also develop resources to help self-regulate and co-regulate as we widen our window of tolerance for sensations and emotions. I am a registered yoga teacher (RYT200) and my offerings support every-body utilizing movement, breathwork, mantra, meditation and visualization. I tailor yoga to meet the unique needs of each client, empowering clients to reclaim a greater sense of choice and respect for their bodies as they develop greater physical and mental resiliency. In addition to somatic work, I work through the lens of Attachment Theory, Internal Family Systems, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, with a specific focus and mindfulness and present moment awareness. We learn how to create space for our thoughts and emotions without denying or suppressing them as we develop healthy ways to cope with stress and regulate our emotions. Examples of other areas we may explore include boundaries, grounding, limiting beliefs, inner critic work, and values identification and goal setting. I also offer EMDR Therapy, which is a modality that integrates mind and body and supports the processing and adaptive integration of traumatic and challenging life experiences to find relief and new perspectives. EMDR is also effective with an array of conditions including anxiety, depression, chronic pain, substance use disorder and other distressing life experiences. Healing is a process. The intention of my work is to facilitate a safe, supportive, and interactive space in which you can access your inner source of strength and bring about positive change in your life. We achieve this by getting to know and trust our inner compass. This enables us to regulate and establish healthy patterns, moving toward embodying a value-driven, meaningful life.
Education & Experience
EDUCATION 2022 Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology, Bastyr University, Kenmore, Washington 2015 Master of Arts in International Business, Webster University, Vienna, Austria 2007 Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 2023 Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) training 2023 EMDRia accredited EMDR training 2022 Sensorimotor Psychotherapy for Trauma Themes training 2021 Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) TRAININGS 2020 Yoga Behind Bars Trauma-Informed training 2021 Dr. Arielle Schwartz’ Applied Polyvagal Theory in Therapeutic Yoga training 2013 Yoga Alliance certified yoga teacher training (RYT) with Tribe Yoga
Professional & Volunteer Affiliations
EMDRia NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals
Specialty Area
- Abuse/Neglect
- Addictions
- Alcohol/Substance Abuse
- Anxiety/Panic Attacks
- Birth Trauma/Pregnancy Loss
- Chronic Illness/Medical Issues
- Depression
- Family Issues
- Grief/Loss/Mourning
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Sexual Abuse
- Somatic Issues
- Stress Management
- Traumatic Incident
Population Served
- Adults
- LGBTQ+
Language
- English
- German