The Team
Who We Are
Juanita Evans
LMHC & Owner
MY APPROACH TO HELPING
My approach to therapy is eclectic. My training has primarily been a cognitive behavioral approach. However, there are many roads that lead to change, and it takes a collaborative effort between me and you the client to make that change.
I believe that by increasing what a person understands about how they think and feel; they will develop a sense of how to change their thoughts and in turn change how they behave. However, oftentimes family and environmental factors play a tremendous role in how ones thoughts and behaviors have evolved. That is why I also believe that focusing on these factors is also truly vital to change and growth in a client's life.
(360) 464-7935
Karen Jimenez
LMHC
No matter what a person is put through in life, the power to transform is infinite. Human beings are so much more than the sum of our parts. Learning to align less with our problems and more with our selves can be electrifying. It can be electrifying because there is energy in the claiming of the self and in achieving influence over our own suffering.
As a therapist I work to help individuals and families help themselves. I listen carefully and provide honest, compassionate feedback designed to connect the dots, designed to simplify communication and promote a better understanding of what, fundamentally, is already known. I listen and observe while the "therapy" takes on a life of its own.
(360) 464-7935
Michelle
Office Administrator and Billing Manager
My name is Michelle. I am the Office Administrator and Billing Manager. I am here to help you navigate the setting up of your initial appointment, pairing you with a Clinician, and collecting the information we need to conduct the business of billing for your care.I do my best to pair you with someone I trust will be a good fit for you and your goals in therapy. Your mental health is important and I look forward to building a successful relationship with you, your clinician, and your insurance.If you have questions about your insurance, please contact me by email at
michelle@ciascounseling.com
(360) 464-7935
Sam Smith
Associate Licensed Therapist
Samuel Smith is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate who has a Masters Degree in Theology with a concentration in counseling, from Faith Evangelical Seminary and College located in Tacoma, Washington.
Samuel has experience providing counseling services to a variety of individuals, particularly adolescents, in various religious settings, within the community, and within public school systems. Samuel has training in theoretical, strategic, and methodical counseling care while utilizing a collaborative and compassionate effort in his approach to counseling that fosters hope, healing, and resilience.
Samuel enjoys spending time on various hobbies, continuing education, traveling and volunteering in the area of outreach. Samuel has also spent time in various ministries working with various backgrounds, ages, stages and ethnicities.
(360) 464-7935
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Ashley Kay
Clinical Intern
I believe everyone is the expert and storyteller of their own lives consisting of unique experiences that have shaped their worldview. Working from a holistic and humanistic approach, I facilitate and foster a warm, compassionate, and empathetic therapeutic environment.
By utilizing narrative, systems, and emotionally focused therapy, I take a collaborative approach that helps couples, families, and individuals access their well-being, develop insight, and build relationships
(360) 464-7935
Nahid Tewelde
Clinical Intern
Hello! My name is Nahid Tewelde. I am a graduate student with City University of Seattle working toward completion of their Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. I am also a counseling intern at Circle in a Square counseling. My formal education has prepared me to counsel adults, adolescents, and children in individual as well as group settings.
My education has supported me with providing multiculturally competent counseling to those who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of color (BIPOC) including those within immigrant as well as refugee communities. I operate from both a humanistic and existential approach and I may utilize aspects of these theories in session. Through our counseling relationship, you will have opportunities to cultivate self-awareness and to explore what challenges or celebrations you maybe experiencing in life.
This may help us dive deeper into what meaning you make of life and how this may influence your identity in society. We may navigate through the concepts of freedom and choice in order to get to the root of your personal needs for overall wellness. Together, we may explore what support looks like for you and how that may help aid in your personal growth. This will be a journey of self-actualization, change, trust in oneself and healing.
(360) 464-7935
Rebeka Carr
Clinical Intern
Hi, my name is Rebeka but you are welcome to call me Beka. I am looking forward to meeting and working with you! I believe that counseling is beneficial for people in all walks of life no matter what one may be experiencing.
Counseling can be a wonderful tool to gain insight into yourself, your relationships, and how you move through your world. As a counselor, I believe that our time together will be a collaboration, and together we can figure out any goals, plans, or insights that you may want or need to move to feel better in your day-to-day and long-term. I operate from an integrative, individualized approach. I may utilize aspects from various humanistic and person-centered approaches to customize our time together to best fit your needs. Meaning that I will not be one to give advice nor am I an expert on your experiences. This is what we will discover together through talk therapy
(360) 464-7935
Terri Hughes
Clinical Intern
Hello, I am an Intern Drama Therapy Clinical Mental Health Counseling student at Antioch University Seattle. My therapeutic approach uses a Role Theory and Narrative lens, believing the roles we play and the stories we tell ourselves are important. I have 6 months of clinical experience at Antioch Seattle Clinic and over a year of experience working at Ryther Aspiring Youth. As a trans-woman, I specialize in LGBTQ and neurodivergent clients. Originally from upstate New York, I have been in Seattle since 2019.
(360) 464-7935
Lan Lee
Associate licensed therapist
With self-reflection and the courage to seek help, you have chosen to take this personal journey in therapy to process through your challenges and have the confidence to take charge of your life. Along this journey, I see myself as a fellow-traveler with you who offers empathy, encouragement, and support to elicit insights and choices.
My goal is to offer a safe, nurturing, non-judgmental atmosphere that seeks to support you towards total health: mind, body, and soul.I strive to balance mindful awareness, an authentic and empathic relationship, and a collaborative effort at identifying ways to minimize emotional and behavioral disturbances. Also, my practice is rooted in anti-racism and culturally responsive counseling that serves multicultural and diverse populations, including historically underrepresented and underserved populations.
As a first-generation Vietnamese-American, I was raised in the Pacific Northwest where I earned a Bachelor's of Science in Biology at the University of Washington and went on to pursue a Master's Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from City University of Seattle. Much of my life revolves around my dog (Ollie), hiking, traveling, pickleball, and tennis.
(360) 464-7935
Sister Deotila Takulyambwani
Clinical Intern
I am Sister Deotila Takulyambwani (a Catholic nun) unique and special, just as each of us are. I am a graduate student at St. Martins University in Lacey, Washington. I have entered my final year in the Masters program of Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I am also a practicing Medical Doctor, specializing in Obstetrics and Gynecology, with Surgical privileges, in my home country of Tanzania (East Africa). I am one of eight (8) children raised by a mother who became a widow at a young age.
My resiliency and strengths also came with many obstacles and hardships. As a Counselor, I adhere to the unique hallmarks of my profession which focuses on the health and wellness of the whole person, including my role in promoting advocacy, reflective empowerment and balanced well-being. My approach is informed by numerous modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Carl Roger’s Three Core Conditions: “1. Congruence or genuineness of the counselor, 2. Unconditional positive regard, and 3. Accurate empathy.” My client practice accommodates a full spectrum and age range of individual and group sessions, couples and families.
My hope is to assist each person using evidence based counseling techniques. As each person gains a better understanding of themselves and can learn to Identify their own ways of thinking and behaviour, regardless of the suffering, confusion, stress and frustrations in life, together we become people who value, learn and grow from all that life has to offer.
(360) 464-7935
Eunice Waithaka
Clinical Intern
I am Eunice Waithaka, a clinical Mental Health Counselor Master’s student at Saint Martin’s University. My experience in working with people with mental health challenges is over 10 years. I chose to become a mental health counselor as a teenager while I was working as a volunteer with people with developmental disability in Mother Teressa Missionaries of Charity Homes in Kenya.
I believe that everybody including those with mental health challenges, has an inherent capacity to solve their own problems, but only needs a little facilitation support to achieve their desired goals. The pain of mental illness, coupled with such losses, can be overwhelming. As a counselor, I value supporting people with compassion, acceptance and having positive regard in their recovery journey.
The therapeutic approach I mainly utilize includes Trauma-informed Care (TIC), Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive- Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The TIC considers the complex impact of trauma on an individual's well-being and how it shapes a person's ability to cope. The ACT approach helps an individual to stay focused on the present moment and accept thoughts and feelings without judgment. It aims to help a person move forward through difficult emotions and put their energy into healing instead of dwelling on the negative. The CBT approach helps to recognize negative thought, and behavior patterns. Aiming to help identify and explore the ways emotions and thoughts can influence both positive and negative action.
Communities I have experience working with populations from diverse cultural backgrounds including immigrants with developmental disabilities and mental health challenges. I worked with youth, adults with severe mental health, personality disorders, gender identity and life transitions, loss, and grief.
(360) 464-7935
Krislyn Moore
Clinical Intern
Trained in creative and expressive arts therapy techniques, I have been a lifelong devotee of paint, dance, fiber arts, clay and permission to play.
With an understanding and appreciation of CBT, DBT and Emotionally Focused therapeutic modalities, my leanings are toward a trauma informed and ancestral trauma perspective.
I feel like the greatest gift of therapy is just to be seen and heard through the lens of unconditional positive regard via the humanistic teachings of Carl Rogers.
My purpose is simple; to provide a safe enough container for you to feel comfortable in engaging and aligning with your highest potential in the service of your healing journey. The power is within you; I’m just here to provide the support that empowers you in finding the keys that unlock your own sense of well-being.
(360) 464-7935
Calene Balthazar-Suda
Clinical Intern
Hello, my name is Calene. I am currently living in Maui, Hawaii and getting my Masters in Counseling from Saint Martin's University in Lacey, Washington.
My goal is to create an environment where people can feel safe, accepted, understood, and acknowledged. Life is unpredictable and presents us with many changes and challenges. I hope to be a source of support and offer you a space where you can be your most authentic self.
I tend to operate from a person centered approach and believe a relationship is built on mutual empathy and unconditional positive regard. I am currently interested in working with grief, self-care, anxiety, boundary making, and caregiving. Also, I am passionate about surrounding ourselves with nature and being creative with accessing emotions.
When I am not in school, I am playing with my dog (lily), watching movies, trying out new recipes, or spending time with friends and family. I hope to learn more about you and how I can best accompany you on your therapeutic journey.
(360) 464-7935
Angi Hanan
Clinical Intern
Originally from upstate New York and transplanted to the Pacific Northwest in 2012, I am currently in my final year of the Master of Arts in Counseling (MAC) program at St. Martin’s University. With a prior background in theatre performance, arts education, and somatic practices, I bring reverence, humor, and intense curiosity to my clinical work.
Informed by humanistic and existential lenses, my therapeutic approach holistically considers all aspects of your lived experience. I strive to create a safe and welcoming environment where you are free to be authentically yourself and speak your uncensored truth. I favor a collaborative alliance where we can work together to discover your therapeutic goals and devise the means to achieve them. Helping you identify the beliefs, coping mechanisms, and relational and behavioral patterns that are keeping you stuck is one facet of the work we will likely undertake together. Reflecting to you your inherent strengths and capacity for self-direction is another.
I look forward to meeting you where you are and partnering with you to forge a path to where you’d like to be.
(360) 464-7935
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Leah Carter
Clinical Intern
Welcome. reaching out for help and imagining change in one’s life can be difficult. In seeking services, you’ve already taken a step towards creating a more fulfilling and purposeful life. Through my work, I endeavor to support individuals who are seeking to show up authentically in all parts of their lives. I strive to support you in your journey through a culturally sensitive lens that recognizes your unique intersecting identities. I work with people who desire to create a life that is less controlled by our reactions and more a product of our intention.
In my work, I may pull from various therapeutic techniques informed by different theoretical models. The primary therapy model that most strongly relates to my therapeutic style is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). I believe in the importance of helping people take a more active role in building the life that they want. It is my passion to support individuals on their personal journey to create change. I am committed to contributing in the collaborative work to achieve healing, growth, and connection."
(360) 464-7935
Raymond Bernal
Clinical Intern
Throughout our lives, we experience events that leave emotional impacts that may be difficult to understand. Speaking with someone helps to process this new understanding.
Working from a person-centered approach with emphasis on emotion, my understanding of mental health is heavily influenced by the social identities individuals face that effect our personal relationships as well as how we view ourselves. My interest in multicultural counseling comes from my personal experience as a LGBTQ+ Hispanic individual. I believe that my identities as a human being in society heavily shaped the individual I am today and hold this understanding with others when processing mental health.
My goal is not to change or "fix" you but help navigate the complexities of life that may become emotionally impactful as they happen. I have a passion for helping those normally not considered when speaking about mental health to continue making therapy available for those who need it most.
(360) 464-7935
Graham Becker
Clinical Intern
After a decade and a half of work as a leader and coach in business environments, I have moved forward into my clinical work as part of the Master of Arts in Counseling program and City University of Seattle. While business does not sound like a natural environment to foster authentic support and growth, for me it was a classroom that allowed me to thrive in roles designed specifically to support people and help them identify their opportunities to better recognize, understand, and appreciate themselves and their relationships. It is a purposeful, passionate, curious, and unconditionally supportive perspective that I bring into my clinical work.
I work through an eclectic set of theoretical lenses, viewing human nature and change existentially, and approaching relationships from a humanistic perspective. I may use other methodologies to support you depending on your unique needs. I will seek to understand and incorporate all aspects of your identity and lived experience into our relationship, focusing on what is meaningful to you to guide our progress.
Authenticity is a crucial aspect of growth and healing; I work to create a warm and unconditional environment in which all parts of you are welcome and safe, just as you are here and now. It is often uncomfortable to explore the beliefs, behaviors, or thoughts that may be in the way of living the life you want to live. It is by exploring and relating these facets of your being with your lived emotional experience that we will collaborate to define goals and create means to achieve them that fit your unique needs, and that help you identify yourself and seize your power to heal and persevere.
(360) 464-7935