Meet Gina Handley

Meet Our Staff of Therapists

David McFarlane, Ph.D., M. Div., M. Ed.
Gina Handley, MA, LMHC
August Piper, MD
Terry McFarlane, MBA
Tracie Carlson, MA, LMHC
Eugenia Vasquez, MA, LMHC
James Cooper-Nurse, MA, LMHC, CMHS
Mon-Lin Kuo, M.S., LMFT
Dawn Flynn, ND, LAc
Jill Klenota, MA, MS, LMFT

Downloadable Forms:

New Client Intake form
Child/Adolescent Intake form
Disclosure form (includes fee schedule)
HIPAA Release form

Welcome
I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who genuinely believes in the transformative power of therapy. We live in a fast-paced, demanding, and unsure world. If you are human, life has dealt you hard times. Maybe you have lost a job or your financial security. Maybe you have lost a loved a one. Maybe you are overwhelmed by the demands of your job or the expectations of family and friends. Maybe you are lonely or unsatisfied with your current life circumstances. Whatever your situation, I would like to offer you hope and a safe place for you to process, find encouragement, learn and assimilate new coping skills, and ultimately achieve some needed life change.

Therapeutic Focus and Goals
I believe in a client centered approach to counseling, where the therapist and client work together as "partners" to address client issues. I have an eclectic bag of "tools" that I utilize in client sessions, most grounded in cognitive-behavioral theory. My main goal in any clinical relationship is to help my clients cope with current distress, identify faulty thinking and unhealthy patterns of behavior, learn and assimilate new coping skills, and ultimately achieve desired change. Additionally, I attempt to treat the "whole" person in the counseling session, focusing attention on physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual issues.

Therapist Background
I have had the opportunity to work as a therapist for over seven years and have served in a variety of capacities. This list includes being a clinical case manager, adolescent therapist, family therapist, intern supervisor, and mental health program supervisor at a local foster care agency. Additionally, I worked as a guidance and career counselor in South America for nine months. Currently, I am working as a psychotherapist here in the Renton area, providing treatment for clients dealing with a variety of clinical issues including anxiety, depression, grief and loss, anger, marital distress, interpersonal distress, parenting distress, etc. I earned my Masters Degree in Counseling at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, MO and my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Northwest University in Kirkland, WA. Both of these educational experiences allowed me the opportunity to more fully understand and integrate my faith with my practice of psychology. Additionally, my post-grad experience has allowed for a further exploration and integration process.

Qualifications
I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Washington State, a certified Mental Health Professional, and a Child Mental Health Specialist. I have also completed the most current Clinical Supervisor training for King County.

Cost of Service and Insurance Billing
My fee is based on a standard 50 minute session, and I charge $100 per session. I will offer a 10% discount to clients paying cash at the time of their appointment, and we are also pleased to accept credit and debit card payments. Additionally, my office can bill most major insurance companies for services rendered. And, I am pleased to be an in-network provider for Premera, Aetna, First Choice Health, Wellspring EAP, and others. Please call our office manager for more information on insurance benefit options.

Appointments
I am currently accepting new clients at my Renton office. If you are interested in scheduling an appointment, please call our office number, 425-687-9600, or email me at ghandley@vitalchanges.org. My office hours are 11am to 7pm, Monday through Friday. All new clients will need to complete the following Intake forms prior to your first appointment: New Client Intake form, Disclosure form, and HIPAA Release form. Also, please bring your insurance card for billing purposes.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to meeting you soon!