Petia Sierschynski, PhD, LMHCA
Mental Health Therapist
(she/her)
Our work together begins with a question at the heart of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): what would a life worth living look like for you? By that I mean a life you would find fulfilling and rewarding on your own terms. With me by your side, you can let your imagination reach beyond what seems possible right now. Together, we find hope that your future can be different from your past.
Then, we figure out how to get you there. The word “dialectical” in DBT points to a balance central to this therapy: accepting yourself as you are today while also working toward change. Along the way, you learn practical skills that help you treat your emotions as allies, keep your attention on what matters most, navigate your relationships with more confidence, and find your footing in a crisis.
I’m a behaviorist by training and by conviction. In everyday terms, this means I pay close attention to the concrete actions that shape your life. I believe lasting change takes time and happens in small steps, and that the motivation for it has to be your own.
Alongside DBT, I draw on other evidence-based approaches to support you. These include behavioral activation, which helps you gradually return to activities that bring energy and meaning back into your life; exposure and response prevention, which helps you face your fears without relying on the habits that keep those fears going; and behavioral experiments, which let you test the beliefs that hold you back.
You might be someone who feels emotions intensely and can quickly become overwhelmed by them. Perhaps you struggle with impulsivity, sensitivity to rejection, low self-worth, perfectionism, or self-hatred. Many of the people I work with are living with:
ADHD
Emotion dysregulation
Impulsivity
Social anxiety
Depression
Suicidal thoughts
Self-harm
Bipolar disorder
Borderline personality disorder
I also work with people who have misophonia, a condition in which certain everyday sounds, such as chewing or breathing, trigger intense distress or anger.
I’m especially attuned to adolescent girls who are ambitious, creative, and emotionally sensitive. To learn more about how I work with teens, please visit my website: www.skilledmindstherapy.com.
Becoming a therapist has been my own life worth living goal, even if the road here has been a winding one. I’ve wanted to be a therapist since I was 16. Back then, my friends and I spent hours wrestling with big questions. Why do we have feelings? How can they help us build a life that feels rewarding? What do we do with thoughts that feel sticky and hold us in their grip? Why do we sometimes do things in the moment that hurt us in the long run? Why do we stay with people who don’t treat us well? How do we heal from traumatic events that knock us off our feet?
As an adult, I first searched for answers in philosophy (especially phenomenology), literature, and film, and earned a PhD in Comparative Literature. I went on to teach American and German undergraduates, exploring trauma and emotion in images and stories. Now, as a therapist, I help my clients find their own answers to these questions, and I offer evidence-based tools to help them live in line with their answers.
My background is in comprehensive DBT, and each week I meet with a consultation team that includes therapists certified by the DBT-Linehan Board of Certification. This means you benefit not only from my care but also from the ongoing support of experienced colleagues. I am trained in the Unified Protocol for Adolescents and Children (UP-A/C), an approach that helps young people understand and cope with strong emotions. This training allows me to work with children as well as teens.
Areas of Focus
Anxiety
Depression
Emotional Regulation / Nervous System Support
Identity
LGBTQ Identity
Life Transitions
Neurodivergence
Parenting
PTSD / C-PTSD
Race & Cultural Identity
Self Esteem
Stress
Trauma & Abuse
Fees
Free initial consultation (20 min)
$250 initial intake session (90 min)
$150 weekly therapy sessions (50 min)
Insurance
I am in network with:
Lifewise
Premera
Location
My practice is based in person in Tacoma, WA (Fircrest) as well as virtually throughout the state of Washington.
Scheduling Information
I look forward to connecting with you. You can reach me by visiting my website.
“Let me fall if I must fall. The one I am becoming will catch me.”
— Attributed to the Baal Shem Tov