Maureen Zach, MS, LMFTA
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
(253) 238-3900 | [email protected]
Life is hard. God did not promise us that life was going to be easy, but He does not call us to do it on our own. I believe that things can get better, and my passion is to help people experience transformation in themselves and their lives. Together we will look to our God, who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). My hope is that your growth will extend to all areas of your life and help you become a better son or daughter, friend, parent, co-worker, classmate, or spouse.
Bellevue – Mon, Wed & Fri
Kent – Tue & Thu
I truly view it as a privilege to be invited to walk alongside you in whatever situation you find yourself in, whether you’re dealing with anxiety, depression, parenting challenges, trauma, grief, or other concerns. I provide a safe and non-judgemental setting for you to be open and honest about your struggles, receive empathy and connection, build insight, and create change. Change and growth can be hard, but I strive to lead with the love of Christ to help you reach your full potential in the gifts and calling God has given you.
My Goal as a Christian Counselor
My goal is for you to experience something different and see God move in your life through counseling. I want you to be able to break free from unhelpful patterns and cycles and learn to better manage the challenges in your life. I strive to help you develop insight and gain skills that you can carry with you for the rest of your life. My ultimate goal is to point you to God and remind you of your identity in Christ and our hope in Him.
What I Offer in Christian Counseling
I offer a loving space for you to be honest about what you are going through and help you make sense of it. I will provide coping skills to help you better deal with your emotions and stressors. We will identify unhelpful patterns and ways to change them, and explore and identify the root causes of your challenges and work through them. I spend time getting to know you and your story, and the context of everything that is going on so you experience long-lasting healing and solutions.
My Approach to Christian Counseling
Psychology offers us so much regarding ways to understand humans and improve our mental health. But my experience is that psychology can only get us so far in the big questions of life. In Christian counseling, we have hope that the world does not provide in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. My goal is to remind you of the truth that Scripture provides us and point you to the ultimate healer in Jesus.
Qualifications & Experience
I have a Bachelor of Arts Degree with double majors in Religion and Spanish and a minor in Anthropology from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL. I also have a Master of Science Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Edgewood College in Madison, WI.
I have experience working with a wide variety of clients from children and adults to couples and families with a variety of mental and behavioral health needs. My former roles allowed me to gain experience working with Spanish-speaking clients, college students and young adults, and high needs families and children dealing with trauma.
My Call to Christian Counseling
I always knew I wanted to help people, and I discovered my call to counseling while I was doing volunteer work after college. I served for 18 months at two community centers in Bolivia. The centers provided children, their families, and people in the community with resources to benefit their physical, mental and emotional health, as well as education support and job training. These services benefited the people greatly, but I watched as almost every day women would come in and talk to the staff about all the difficulties and suffering in their lives. I realized that while we provided so many services to help these children, women, and families, they needed to heal to truly experience change in their lives. Without the inner healing, our resources could only do so much. I made the connection that this is what I wanted to do and I was gifted in ways that would align with this work. I feel privileged to do this work every day, and have God use me to love and serve His people in this way.
More About Me/On a Personal Note
I love connecting with people and stories, which can look like spending time with family and friends and getting to know characters in books and on TV. I enjoy being active, both at the gym and in nature. I grew up in the Midwest and love exploring the mountains and water of the Pacific Northwest. I enjoy baking sweet and sometimes healthy things. I also serve in the worship ministry at my local church.
Areas of Expertise/Specialties
- Abandonment and Neglect
- ADHD
- Anger Management
- Anxiety
- Bipolar Disorder
- Coaching
- Counseling for Children
- Counseling for Teens
- Couples Counseling
- Codependency
- Depression
- Eating Disorders
- Family Counseling
- Grief and Loss
- Group Counseling
- Individual Counseling
- Marriage Counseling
- OCD
- Online Counseling
- Personal Development
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Premarital Counseling
- Professional Development
- Relationship Issues
- Sexual Abuse
- Spiritual Development
- Trauma
- Weight Loss
- Women’s Issues
Anxiety
God tells us not to worry about tomorrow, but it is so easy to fall into constant worry and anxiety in this day and age. If you are struggling with anxiety, I provide a knowledge base of how anxiety works in the mind and body to help you make sense of what you are experiencing. I will teach you various strategies to help you manage anxiety, including the physical symptoms, worry, and racing thoughts. I will also work with you to explore and address the underlying causes of your anxiety, and help you remember that God has everything under His control.
Trauma / Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Trauma can impact so many parts of our lives, many that we are not even aware of. It lives in our body, and impacts how we think about others and ourselves and how we interact in the world. If you have experienced trauma, we will carefully process through the trauma, build understanding about all the ways it impacts you, and work through the process of healing and rebuilding. Trauma can make us doubt who we are and the world around us, and I will be there as you work through those questions and consider your identity in Christ.
Counseling for Children and Teens
I have a passion for working with children and teens. It has only gotten harder to grow up in this world, and I want to help our children and teens be better able to navigate the challenges of life, starting with how they relate to their thoughts and emotions. My goal is to provide children and teens with a safe space to express themselves, and teach them skills and knowledge that will help them better understand themselves, form healthy relationships with others, and achieve their goals. I hope to also strengthen their identity in Christ and help them know and rely on God.
Family Therapy
A family is a team, made up of different members, each with different roles. My goal in family therapy is to help the family function as a successful team. When working with families, I seek to improve patterns and dynamics and help the family learn to work through challenges. I especially enjoy working with parents to help them address challenges with their children’s behavior and mental health, and better support their overall growth and development. Family and parent relationships help form the base of how we understand ourselves and how we learn to interact with others, and my hope is to help set you and your family up for success.
Eating Disorders
Our relationships with food and our bodies are lifelong relationships that can cause incredible distress. We are bombarded with messages about what, when, and how much we should eat and exercise, and it can be easy to get lost in unhelpful patterns. If you are struggling with an eating disorder, my goal is to help you develop a healthy relationship with food and your body, and explore what is going on underneath the surface. Often struggles with anxiety, control, depression, self-worth, etc. are the roots of the problem, so we will also walk through those issues together to help you achieve lasting solutions.
Availability (by office location):
- Bellevue – Monday, Wednesday & Friday
- Kent – Tuesday & Thursday
Fees: I offer a Risk-Free Initial Session for individuals, couples, families, and groups looking to pursue counseling with me. Please note that there is a fee for the Risk-Free Initial Session as it is a clinical hour and reimbursable to most insurance companies, but if you choose not to reschedule and continue therapy after the initial session the entire fee for the session will be waived. For ongoing treatment the full fee per session is required at the time of service.
Insurance: As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), some insurance companies will reimburse for a portion of my services (as an Out of Network Provider). Please consult with your insurance provider as to whether they specifically cover adolescents, individuals and couples.
Receipts/Statements: In the event you require a printed or digital receipt, I will provide receipts for personal use, insurance reimbursement, Flex Spending Accounts (FSA), and Health Savings Accounts (HSA).
Payment options: Cash, Check, or Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, & American Express). A fee of up to 4% per transaction will be added for credit card payments.