Patricia Sumlin

Patricia Sumlin is a licensed marriage and family therapist with 25 years of experience who supports people facing stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship challenges. She works with adults coping with addiction, grief, intimacy concerns, ADHD, and issues tied to identity and sexuality. Patricia emphasizes straightforward, honest care to help clients find practical ways forward.

Her approach blends several therapy styles to match each person’s needs. She uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, cognitive behavioral techniques, dialectical behavior ideas, attachment-focused work, and client-centered listening. Sessions focus on building coping skills, managing emotions, and developing clearer boundaries and self-understanding.

Patricia’s background includes community mental health, program leadership, and work with diverse and underserved populations. She has led DBT groups, provided trauma-informed services in rural and Indigenous communities, and offered counseling in medical, hospice, and re-entry settings. That range informs a flexible, real-world way of helping people tackle complex problems.

In sessions she aims to be direct and nonjudgmental while offering practical feedback. Clients can expect to practice strategies for emotional regulation, improve communication patterns, and learn approaches to reduce distress. Patricia also focuses on issues related to narcissistic abuse recovery and autistic adults seeking to understand Asperger’s and its effects on relationships.

She is licensed as an LMFT in California and Washington and sees clients from Washington. Sessions are conducted in English. To begin, use the Start Therapy button and complete a short matching questionnaire before scheduling.

Approaches to Online Care and How They Help

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on helping people notice their thoughts and values, then take actions that matter to them even when emotions are hard. It can help with anxiety, depression, and motivation to make life changes.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact and teaches practical steps to change unhelpful patterns. It often helps with anxiety, mood problems, and coping skills.

Dialetical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and improving relationships. It is useful when strong emotions or self-destructive patterns get in the way of daily life.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will work with each person to choose methods that fit their goals, needs, and preferences. That decision is collaborative and can change over time as progress is made.

Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week and reduce travel time. It also lets people check in from different locations when schedules or mobility make in-person visits harder. Because the biography did not list specific session formats, confirm which formats are offered before booking so expectations match how sessions will be delivered.