About
Me and My Practice
My name is Josh Spell (he/him). I am a social worker, therapist, dancer, plant enthusiast and lover of the arts. I have been working in the mental health field for nearly a decade. Specifically, I have worked in community mental health, the emergency department, inpatient and outpatient behavioral health settings and higher level of care eating disorder treatment including partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient and outpatient levels of care. I have experience working with clients facing depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar, grief, suicidality, anorexia, bulimia and more.
I am a licensed clinical social worker in the state of Washington (LW 61097569). I received my Master of Social Work from the University of Washington. I have completed intensive training in Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy and the core skills training in Mindful Self-Compassion. I have also received training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Functional Analytic Psychotherapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
My approach is client-centered and strengths-based. I believe everyone has the wisdom to know what is best for their own growth despite conditioning from a world that covets external gratification. I am here to guide individuals in uncovering new skills and walk alongside them as they untangle unhelpful narratives and self-defeating core beliefs.
Practice
Flexibility is the quality of bending easily without breaking. A flexible mind is a curious mind that allows openness to each evolving moment by tuning into the natural flow of life. Life is full of unexpected surprises and disappointments. Tapping into our flexible mind allows us to see an event from multiple perspectives and gives us the opportunity to use challenges as learning experiences. Flexibility allows our bodies to move freely with less risk of injury. Like stretching our bodies, we must also stretch our minds through self-compassion, resilience and adaptability in order to ride the waves that life presents to us.
“A tree that is unbending, is easily broken.” – Lao Tzu