About Jeffrey Morrison – Seattle therapist

Seattle therapist

Jeffrey Morrison, MA, LMHC
Focusing-Oriented Therapist

Jeffrey Morrison, LMHC

Jeffrey Morrison, MA, LMHC
Focusing-Oriented Therapist

My Story

Over the years I have learned to be with my own wounds, sadness, and doubt in a way that I trust will always move me forward if I give my situation enough space and time to be as it needs to be. Being with our suffering in a way that leads to discovering our gifts and bringing forth their creative expression is often a mysterious process.

I remember being 16 years old and visiting potential colleges. I was interviewing with the director of admissions at a small school, who, when referring to my first SAT scores said to me, “I just want you to know that these scores don’t mean you are mentally retarded.”

It wasn’t until my daughter struggled with reading and was diagnosed with dyslexia that I began to read about and understand what I had been up against all my life. Dyslexia is a trauma no one sees – including the person who suffers from it. Of course this just leads to that feeling of “not good enough” and shame.

I know something about failure and suffering. I also know something about what it takes to be with what hurts in a way that leads to an unwinding of stuck, repeating, and critical patterns in our lives. It is only by learning to keep company with what hurts in just the way it needs, that we find our way home to our unique gifts and express them with the fullness of our being. It has taken me a while to get there but it has been a worthy journey.

I hope you become inspired to take the next step in your journey so that we can all benefit from what you have to offer the world. I help people do just that! Explore my Approach to Therapy and learn more about the Benefits of Focusing, a process that has personally transformed my life and my clients’.

Professional Overview

My lifelong desire to understand myself and the world around me, led to a degree in philosophy and religion. Although I studied psychology as an undergraduate, it was my exposure to Focusing, and gaining a deeper understanding of myself, that urged me to concentrate on psychology in depth.

I earned a master’s degree in Existential Phenomenological Therapeutic Psychology at Seattle University in 1986. I then worked in agency and school settings with adolescents, parents, and teachers. I have postgraduate training in Family System Therapy, Adlerian Psychology, and Focusing Oriented Therapy.

In addition to practicing therapy, I also teach meditation, and study the crossings of Feldenkrais, Zen, and Focusing with Russell Delman through The Embodied Life School.

Most recently, I became a certified provider of Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE).

My current interest is the study of Polyvagal Theory and its integration with Focusing. I am passionate about sharing the gifts of meditation and Focusing with others!

Focusing Emphasis

As a Focusing-Oriented psychotherapist, I offer individual, couple, and family therapy and Inner Relationship Focusing Training in Seattle and Vashon Island, Washington. I am also a Certifying Coordinator with the Focusing Institute.

My experience with Focusing dates back to 1983. It is a process that is personally transformational, and is the heart and soul of my work with others.

I have developed a Focusing Training Program for therapists and holistic health professionals, enabling them to bring this transformative body-centered work into their practices and become certified if desired.

I’m a Seattle therapist – My private practice is in West Seattle and Vashon Island. Over my 27 years of post-graduate practice, I’ve developed a style of therapy blending psychology, philosophy, spirituality, and Focusing, intent on helping people connect emotionally with themselves and others.

Professional Affiliations

  • Member and past president of the Seattle Counselors Association (2009-2010)
  • Currently serve as an advisory board member for Seattle University’s Master of Arts in Psychology program
  • Member of the program committee for the 2014 international Focusing-Oriented Psychology Conference
  • Member of the planning committee for the Northwest Focusing Gathering and 2015 International Focusing Conference
  • Certifying Coordinator through The Focusing Institute.
  • Member of the Puget Sound Adlerian Society
  • Member of the Washington Mental health Counselors Association

I live on Vashon Island with my wife, who is a teacher, and my son and daughter, who are teenagers. We enjoy family, friends, our garden, and our peaceful home. We spend our vacations near water (liquid or frozen) on the Washington coast, California, Idaho, and Hawaii.

Questions?

You can read more about my Approach to Therapy or learn why I’m so passionate about the process of Focusing for personal and professional growth. I also invite you to contact me with any questions you may have about my practice or services. I’d love to hear from you!