Marcee

Ben-Menachem

 M.Ed, LMHC

Attuned therapy for navigating your life

individual + group counseling

parent + caregiver consulting

school + community outreach

Welcome!

Thanks for stopping by.

I love my job and consider it to be a deep privilege to work with each person I see. I genuinely enjoy connecting with my clients and understanding the environment they exist in (people, schools, pets, etc…) that helps to shape who they are.  Providing affirming care for Neurodivergent, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ humans is at the core of my work  —   I love supporting Neurodivergent folks to navigate life, embrace who they are, and thrive!

I have been working with youth, families, and schools for 25 years. In that time I have worked in child and family social services, the youth justice system, as a National Board Certified school counselor, a non-profit founder, and as a mental health therapist. These roles have had an enormous influence over how I show up for my work.

Even more so (and probably most importantly) as a dyslexic ADHD human with a history of anxiety, my life experience helps me authentically connect with my Neurodivergent clients.

Finally as an imperfect parent myself, who constantly strives to be the most effective parent I can be, I can relate to how beautifully terrifying the parenting journey can be at times — especially when you have a Neurodivergent kiddo.

My specializations are simply areas I have deep passion for and additional training in. I focus on helping humans with living a beautiful life that feels congruent to who they are inside.  Fit between therapist and client is essential, so when you are seeking a therapist, prioritizing “fit” over therapeutic orientation is always a good rule of thumb. 

I have specialized training in PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance / Persistent Demand for Autonomy) which affords me the privilege to not only work therapeutically with this population but to also to coach parents, teach other professionals, and offer guidance to schools on how to serve this population effectively.

I offer a FREE, 20-minute discovery meeting to help you determine if I'm the right fit for you.  If your need is outside my scope of practice, I'm happy to provide appropriate referrals that would be a better fit. 

Please contact me for more info.

"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do"

RUMI

I'm thrilled to welcome Elishia Trainer to my practice as a student intern. Elishia is a Masters of Social Work student at the University of Nevada, Reno, who is completing her clinical practicum under my supervision. She will work with me until she graduates in August.

Before entering social work, Elishia worked in corporate data science, an experience that informs her ability to think systematically, notice patterns, and work thoughtfully in complex situations.

She approaches therapy with a strong focus on safety, relationship, and emotional connection. She's attentive to how experiences across home, school, work, and relationships can influence how people feel and respond to the world around them. Elishia has experience supporting children and adults through high-stress and crisis situations, with an emphasis on helping people make sense of intense experiences in ways that support integration of difficult experiences, meaning-making, and nervous system relearning. Her background includes school social work and community mental health, as well as training in trauma-informed care, relational approaches, and somatically-informed practices.

I'm thrilled to welcome Elishia Trainer to my practice as a student intern. Elishia is a Masters of Social Work student at the University of Nevada, Reno, who is completing her clinical practicum under my supervision. She will work with me until she graduates in August.

Before entering social work, Elishia worked in corporate data science, an experience that informs her ability to think systematically, notice patterns, and work thoughtfully in complex situations.

She approaches therapy with a strong focus on safety, relationship, and emotional connection. She's attentive to how experiences across home, school, work, and relationships can influence how people feel and respond to the world around them. Elishia has experience supporting children and adults through high-stress and crisis situations, with an emphasis on helping people make sense of intense experiences in ways that support integration of difficult experiences, meaning-making, and nervous system relearning. Her background includes school social work and community mental health, as well as training in trauma-informed care, relational approaches, and somatically-informed practices.

Elishia is providing therapy services at a discounted rate, making her an excellent option if your insurance does not cover therapy or therapy is not within your budget. Her rate is $80 per session. Please contact me about working with Elishia, and about our generous sliding scale if the cost per session will be a hardship.

Note that student therapy fees are NOT to be submitted to health insurance for reimbursement. 

"You are not broken..."

If you take the time to learn about your brain, and people around you take the time to learn about how your brain works, you will live a very successful life – maybe even an extraordinary one."

PENN HOLDERNESS

RESPECTING THE LAND ON WHICH WE STAND

I acknowledge that Bainbridge Island is within the aboriginal territory and the primary ancestral home of the “People of Clear Salt Water” [Suquamish People] since time immemorial. 

It is the ancient place on Agate Passage, the site of Old-Man-House Village, the winter home of Chief Seattle and the heartland of the Suquamish people.  It is here — past , present and future — that they live on the land of their ancestors and our great-grandchildren in harmony with the lands and waterways along Washington’s Central Salish Sea as they have for thousands of years.