Hi, I'm Joe Butler, MA LMHC
There's Hope
I'm Joe Butler, a licensed mental health counselor in Bellevue, WA.
For more than 25 years, I have been dedicated to showing others that deep down inside their best, most authentic self is still there -- just ignored, forgotten, or waiting to be re-discovered.
I help people who want to turn toward life again but struggle to keep fear or self doubt from getting in the way. I love to lead people back to their deepest desires -- to who they really are -- so they can stop hiding and start living the kind of life they want instead of the smaller one they feel trapped in.
I believe being happy comes from being more of who we are, not less.
my experience
My life's work has been in the helping profession. More a calling than a career, it's the only work I've ever known. It's work I love -- I'm lucky that way.
I have a Master of Arts Degree in Existential-Phenomenological Psychology from Seattle University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from Washington State University.
Since 1988, I've been fortunate to treat a wide variety of people and problems. I have experience working in many different settings with individuals, couples, families, children, and adolescents. Learn more about my professional experience here.
This depth of experience makes it easy for me to be confident and comfortable meeting you right where you are at, wherever you are at. Today I work with individuals and couples (and a few teens here and there to keep me honest).
Because different problems require different solutions, I have specialized training in psychodynamic, existential, and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Sometimes we need to deeply examine our lives to get at what's in our way. Other times we need help that's more direct and practical.
In order to help couples more effectively, I use the Gottman Method and Emotion Focused Therapy for Couples (EFT). The couples I see are often surprised (and maybe relieved) to learn that the problem with their relationship isn't necessarily them or their partner. The problem is most often the broken 'love attachment' between them. That's where the real work begins.
I am trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a cognitive-behavioral approach that uses mindfulness as a way to understand the anxious/depressed mind, ease related suffering, and re-focus people on the things they care about most in life. For many who suffer with anxiety and depression, learning to change the way they relate to their worries, fears, or sadness can offer dramatic and surprisingly rapid results.
writing, Teaching, presenting, supervising
I love to write, teach, and present on topics I'm passionate about (some topics include: love and relationship in the digital age, anxiety and mindfulness, fatherhood, parenting, grief and loss, addiction, and human sexuality).
I have written and presented professional papers at the Northwest Alliance for Psychoanalytic Study Forum and at the Psychology for the Other Conference at Seattle University. In addition, I have also provided guest lectures at the University of Washington School of Social Work, Seattle University Masters in Psychology Program, and at Seattle Pacific University.
As a seasoned therapist I enjoy supervising others. I supervise therapists individually and in consult groups to help them grow professionally. This is essential to my growth too.
change can start now
From my own journey, I know that being vulnerable and risking to be our truest self can feel scary. Facing the unknown is one of the hardest things to do. It's also one of the most rewarding. I can help you find the courage to take your first step.
I want to help you get to know more of yourself, so you can be more of yourself, and then share more of yourself with the world around you.
It's what we're made for and it's what I do best.
Why I'm A Therapist
Youngest Of Seven
Born the youngest of seven in a large Catholic family in Seattle, I was raised in a house way too small for the nine people, dog, and cat living there. This made escape from each other impossible, but learning from the experience inevitable. The lessons learned there are a large reason I am a therapist today.
Big on love, laughter, chaos, and anxiety my family taught me that life is full of wonder and pain -- you don't get to have one without the other. We live best when we're able to embrace life as a whole, making room for all of it -- not just the easy stuff.
I also learned that being seen is the most powerful medicine there is. What we want more than anything in life is to be recognized -- for who we really are. By some cruel trick of human nature, though, this also tends to be one of our greatest fears. I became a therapist to help others face this fear and dare to be seen. I believe this is what heals us and makes us whole!
From my own journey I discovered that living our life today starts when we can make sense of the life behind us. It helps to know our own story if we want to be in charge of writing the next chapters. We don't have to wallow in our history, we just need to understand, accept, and learn from it.
People want to live a life they can really love, not one they have to endure. Unfortunately, we often discover that what we long for most in life is tangled up with some of our deepest fears and anxieties. Ultimately, I became a therapist because I understand this conflict. I am deeply passionate about helping others face these worries, fears, and anxieties so they can get closer to a life that's meaningful.
Dancing Stars
Good therapy has the power to create great moments. Moments where everything you thought you knew about yourself is turned upside down. This can happen with tears, with laughter, or even in silence. This happens best when we enter into this journey together, both working, both risking to listen to your pain and allow it to point us in the direction of your greatest healing. When we face the darkest, most chaotic parts of who we are, something new and joyful can be created.
“You have to have a little chaos in you to give birth to a dancing star.
— Nietzsche
I am a therapist because I want to help you understand the chaos and anxiety in your life so you can love more fully, laugh more deeply, and give birth to your own dancing star.
How can I help? Schedule your first session or set up a free phone consultation today.