About Us

I feel honored and fortunate to sit with each and every person that chooses me as their therapist. I take my commitment to people very seriously, and I am invested in building a strong therapeutic relationship. It is the relationship that is known to ultimately offer the most benefit to those engaging in the therapeutic process.

I am committed to thinking with people about their concerns from an anti-racist, anti-oppression, feminist, intersectional, and social justice lens. To me, this means that people suffer sometimes because forces larger than us have imposed conditions that take away our agency and our voice. This also means that, once we have understood what we can about the roots of distress, that we will need to define what “better” and “different” might look like. I believe that change and healing are possible when all of a person’s identities are welcome. I believe in the courage that is recruited when we remind people of what it feels like to be in community, what they remember of those who have loved and respected them, and when people commit to doing better in order to secure a legacy of resiliency for future generations.

I began my career by working in educational settings offering support to children and youth. After graduating with a B.A. in Psychology from University of California, San Diego, I was fortunate to be hired as a Social Work Counselor assisting families with children under the age of 3. This work allowed me to become immersed in the world of early childhood and developmental disability. When the opportunity presented itself, I was able to put myself through graduate school and obtain a Masters in Counseling Psychology from National University. I began my work as a therapist by offering support to the family members of people with different abilities and by working with people who struggled individually with the emotional impact of Autism Spectrum Disorder or Intellectual Disability. When I wasn’t working or completing my Masters degree, I was taking courses to become a play therapist at the University of California, San Diego.

I decided to move to Seattle in 2011 and was honored to be offered an opportunity to work at a local agency called Wellspring Family Services. There, I was mentored in Psychodynamic and Psychoanalytically informed practices while also being introduced to the rich world of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health. My work involved supporting young children who had experienced trauma and being a resource to their teachers and early childhood education staff who worked tirelessly to advocate for the wellbeing of children and families who experienced homelessness. I earned a Graduate Certificate in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health from the University of Washington during this time. This part of my professional life also began my trajectory in becoming a trauma-informed and trauma-healing therapist by offering me ample opportunities to learn about best practices to support children and adults who have been overwhelmed by discrete and/or complex trauma.

In 2015, I was offered the opportunity to join a clinic called Cooper House, a place where I had the opportunity to be among the brightest and most innovative minds in the world of infant and early childhood mental health. My work continued to expand as I was able to offer services to children under the age of 5 as well as their parents and caregivers. I have had the wonderful opportunity to work alongside pediatric occupational therapists who expand my knowledge every day about the constitutional and somatic components of emotional and psychological health. I am proud to continue my work at Cooper House to this day. It is also important to note, that while at Cooper House I was able to complete a Graduate Certificate in Gender Affirmative Therapy which has allowed me to elevate the quality of care that I can offer to the Trans, non-binary, communities as well as anyone who identifies anywhere on the gender spectrum. As a cisgendered woman, it was important to me to be trans-competent and affirming.

As an immigrant from México, I have always felt passionate about issues of race, culture, migration and language. I have been offered many opportunities through my work and personal experiences to expand my knowledge about the impact of systemic forces on those who are vulnerable to oppression. Mente Counseling & Consultation was born from a deep desire to offer high-quality, deeply thoughtful services to those whose emotional wellbeing is often overlooked. Mente Counseling & Consultation is an anti-racist practice seeking to provide a space where equity, diversity, and inclusion are always at the forefront of the conversation. We courageously opened our doors in November, 2020 and have been deeply moved by the strong support of our loving family, friends, and community.

$195.00 per individual counseling session. $200.00 per professional consultation or clinical supervision session. Please email us for training and group consultation rates. Martha can bill Premera insurance only. You may need to confirm that they will reimburse for the service code 90837. A portion of all fees paid to Mente Counseling & Consultation helps support people who cannot afford services.

Martha sees clients in person at the Arboretum office and virtually. Services can be offered in English or in Spanish.

Martha is currently only providing consultation services for professionals.

My approach is rooted in creating an environment where children and parents feel valued and understood. I focus on early intervention, bringing empathy and a strengths-based, trauma-informed perspective to my practice. Working collaboratively with families, I emphasize resilience and emotional well-being, supporting parents with tools to foster strong, healthy bonds with their children.

I enjoy working with children aged 12 and younger and their parents, focusing on early childhood mental health, resilience-building, and the impact of parenting styles on child development. I am dedicated to supporting families in fostering healthy emotional and cognitive growth for their children.

I am a master’s student in the Child and Adolescent Psychology: Prevention and Treatment program at the University of Washington and a childcare consultant with a focus on early childhood mental health and development. My journey has been influenced by both personal experience and a commitment to helping young children and their families thrive. I’m passionate about empowering parents to understand the importance of nurturing and responsive caregiving, especially in the earliest years of life.

$155 per individual counseling session. Safaa can bill Premera insurance only. You may need to confirm that they will reimburse for the service code 90837 (individual counseling). A portion of all fees paid to Mente Counseling & Consultation helps support people who cannot afford services.

I see clients in the office on Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Telehealth sessions are available on Mondays.

• Children ages birth-9
• Tweens ages 9-12
• Adolescents 13+
• Parents and caregivers
• Individual adults