Strength in Numbers: Resilience in LGBTQ

Service Description

The October 10th educational presentation will feature Christine Wellman, LMHC from Buena Vista Counseling in Shelton, Washington. Ms. Wellman identifies as part of the LGBTQA+ community and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a “Child Mental Health Specialist.” Ms. Wellman began her clinical career in 2010 by helping families examine their motivation to change and help them improve their parenting skills. She opened a private practice in Mason County in 2015. She has worked as a systems and professional helper for the last 15 years in a variety of roles: community organizer; senior professional mediator; interpreter for DSHS; strategic planner; and group facilitator. “While I loved working to help systems and people change, I knew that I needed more focus to really empower folks I worked with. So I went back to school.” Ms. Wellman graduated from Washington State University in 2010 with a MA in Counseling Psychology. Her classmates included doctoral candidates in the APA-accredited program that focused on preparing students to work with adults in many different settings and throughout the lifespan. Ms. Wellman was drawn to counseling because of the “magic” that can happen when an individual gains a new insight or is willing to risk and try something new. She has worked with individuals challenged in their parenting, with adults weighed down by depression, and people struggling to make sense of life after the sudden death of a loved one. She is a member of the American Counseling Association and has been certified by the National Board of Certified Counselors as meeting the standards to be a National Certified Counselor (NCC). Professional training and experience Ms. Wellman has five years of clinical experience working with rural families. As an in-home crisis counselor she worked with parents actively involved with CPS for three years. In a community mental health center she worked as an adult therapist and children’s intake specialist. She also contracted with a rural community action council to provide counseling to clients facing current abuse, as well as providing preventative coping skills and counseling to children at a summer day center. She has specialized training in ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), Motivational Interviewing, Core Training for Sexual Assault Providers (provided by WCSAP) and Cognitive Behavior Therapy.

Contact Details

• 600 East Main Street, Elma, WA, USA

  206-307-9388

  CAYA4youth@gmail.com