Hi, I'm Zoë Matthews — a Licensed Mental Health Counselor based in Washington state.

Before I became a therapist, I guided people through wilderness experiences in Pisgah National Forest and on the Island of Hawaiʻi. What I saw again and again: growth happens when we step outside the familiar — when we get a little uncomfortable, a little curious, a little more honest with ourselves. That belief is still at the heart of everything I do.

My path into counseling found me through community mental health, working alongside families and youth from low-income backgrounds. That work gave me deep respect for the resilience people carry, and a clear-eyed understanding of how much context — family history, economic stress, systemic barriers — shapes mental health. I bring that perspective into every session.

Therapy with me is warm, collaborative, and grounded. I'm not here to hand you a list of things to fix — I'm here to think alongside you, help you understand your patterns, and support you in building a life that actually feels like yours.

I draw from Attachment Theory, Emotionally Focused Therapy, and DBT, and I incorporate experiential techniques, because insight doesn't always come from talking — sometimes it comes from doing.

I work with college students and adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, and the big life transitions that tend to show up in your 20s, 30s, and 40s. I also work with adult children of emotionally immature parents — people who grew up as the peacekeeper, the one who managed everyone else's feelings while quietly setting aside their own. If that resonates, you're in the right place.

Whatever brought you here, you don't have to have it figured out before we start.