Hi, I'm Zoë Matthews,
a therapist who believes curiosity
is where healing begins.
Licensed Mental Health Counselor based in Bellingham, WA. I work with individuals in person and via telehealth across 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 took 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 shapes mental health. 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. My approach is integrative. I tend to draw from Attachment Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy, Mindfulness, and DBT.
My approach
Evidence-based. Human-centered.
Attachment Theory
Understanding how your earliest relationships shaped the way you connect, protect yourself, and experience closeness — and how those patterns can shift.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Practical, research-backed skills for managing difficult emotions, tolerating distress without making things worse, and building healthier relationships.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Getting beneath the surface to understand the emotions driving your patterns — not just what you do, but what you feel underneath it.
Who I work with
You don't have to have it figured out before we start.
Whether you're facing anxiety, depression, trauma, or a major life transition — I'm here to help you forge a path forward.
Anxiety
The constant worry, the overthinking, the bracing for something to go wrong. We'll look at what's underneath it and build skills that actually quiet the noise.
Depression
When everything feels heavy and distant. Therapy can help you reconnect — with yourself, with others, with a sense of what's possible.
Trauma
Past experiences have a way of showing up in the present. We'll work at your pace to understand those echoes and loosen the grip they have on how you live today.
Life transitions
The big shifts of your 20s, 30s, and 40s — new roles, new relationships, old identities that no longer fit. Therapy can help you find your footing.
Adult children of emotionally immature parents
If you grew up feeling unseen, responsible for a parent's emotions, or as if you were "never doing enough" — attachment-focused therapy can help you untangle those patterns and finally stop them from shaping who you are today.
"Curiosity is where healing begins — and it takes courage to get curious about yourself. I'm here when you're ready."
Schedule a free consult