Elia Tzoukermann

LSWAIC (WA)

she/her

Contact Book Now

Fee: $70-160

Not Accepting Clients

The core belief that drives my practice…

Is that every person’s identity is layered and multifaceted, shaped by culture, history, and experience. Healing starts when you stop trying to fit into someone else’s version of “normal” and start embracing your own complexity.

If my therapy approach were a metaphor…

Filling a blank page with color is a lot like therapy; each stroke adds depth, shade, and vibrancy, slowly transforming empty space into a vivid reflection of who you are. Just as colors bring a drawing to life, therapy can reveal the person you’ve been becoming all along.

I’m the therapist most likely to…

Invite you to lean into discomfort without turning away. I’ll notice the places you hesitate or protect yourself, and gently explore why. I want to call out the unseen dynamics, and to walk alongside you as you reclaim your narrative.

The impact I strive to have is…

To help you recognize the richness in your story; along with the parts that don’t always get noticed.

Highlights

Soulful Disarming Rooted Intuitive Relational

APPROACH & FRAMEWORK

Culturally-responsive Adaptive to needs Person-centered Present Integrated Gentle exploration Deep listener Narrative-centered Trauma Informed Creative

The foundation of my approach is based on the recognition that culture shapes our experience, regardless of our ethnicity, and I approach things from that vantage point. Culture influences how we see the world, relate to others, and understand ourselves. Our communities and families play a powerful role in shaping who we are, the stories we carry, and the ways we navigate life’s challenges.

As a person-centered therapist, I don’t rely on a rigid plan or try to fit you into a predefined mold. Instead, I follow your lead—wherever your journey takes you, I’ll be there to walk alongside you, staying fully present and attuned to what you need in the moment. Therapy becomes a shared exploration, honoring your unique path and pace, with space for discovery, healing, and growth on your terms.

Exploring your experiences through a culturally responsive lens that honors your background and identity, while also considering the important dynamics within your family system. Using integrative methods like Gestalt therapy, we focus on the present moment and your whole experience. Whether navigating neurodivergence, gender affirmation, or complex emotional challenges, the approach is always adaptive and responsive to your unique needs. This process allows us to gently reshape your narrative until you reach a place of acceptance and peace.

“Music is a therapy. It is a communication far more powerful than words, far more immediate, far more efficient.” — Yehudi Menuhin

“Music, uniquely among the arts, is both completely abstract and profoundly emotional… Music can pierce the heart directly; it needs no mediation.” — Oliver Sacks

“When words fail, music speaks.” — Hans Christian Andersen

Top Approaches

Culturally-Responsive & Culturally-Sustaining Therapy Flexible & Adaptive Identity-Affirming Compassionately Direct Relational Therapy Narrative & Strength-Based Approaches Multicultural Therapy Person-Centered Depth-Oriented Holistic

Art & Expressive Therapies
Attachment-Based Therapy
Autistic-Affirming or Centered Therapy
Child-Parent Psychotherapy
Client-Centered Therapy
Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)
Couple and Family Systems Therapy
Culturally Responsive/Affirming Therapy
Culturally Sensitive Therapy
Culturally-Responsive & Culturally-Sustaining Therapy
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Discernment Counseling
Eclectic Therapy
Existential Therapy
Experiential Therapy
Exposure Therapy
Family Systems Therapy
Family/Marital Therapy
Feminist Therapy
Gender-Affirming Care
Gestalt Therapy
Holistic Health
Holistic Therapy
Humanistic Therapy
Indigenous Healing Practices
Integrative Therapy
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Mindfulness Based Therapy or Stress Reduction
Multicultural Therapy
Music Therapy
Narrative & Strength-Based Approaches
Narrative Therapy
Neurodivergent-Affirming Therapy
Person-Centered Therapy
Reality Therapy
Relational Therapy
Restoration Therapy
Self-Compassion Focused Therapy
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
Somatic & Body-Centered Therapies
Somatic Therapy
Somatic Therapy (Body Centered)
Somatic Therapy or Healing
Sound Therapy or Healing
Spiritual Healing Practices or Psychology
Strength-Based Therapy
Trauma-Informed & Trauma-Responsive Care
Walk and Talk Therapy

AREAS OF CARE

Trauma Recovery Culturally-humble Intersectionality-aware Whole-person focused Anti-oppressive Authenticity cultivation Honest reflector Identity exploration Self-discovery guide Life transitions

• Supporting BIPOC clients with racial and cultural struggles
• Healing from systemic, interpersonal, or religious trauma
• Working with those from adoptive, foster, or unstable families
• Supporting identity development across race, culture, gender, sexuality, and spirituality
• Processing reproductive loss
• Recovering from institutionalization
• Supporting young adults through life transitions and inner conflicts.

People who arecarrying layered emotional challenges, especially those navigating identity development across race, culture, gender, sexuality, and spirituality. Many of my clients are healing from systemic, interpersonal, or religious trauma; recovering from institutionalization; or processing reproductive loss. I also support young adults through life transitions and inner conflicts, and those from adoptive, foster, or unstable family systems.

People from all walks of life who need non-judgmental spaces for identity exploration. Many are BIPOC clients experiencing racial and cultural struggles, individuals with complex family backgrounds, or people navigating burnout, depression, anxiety, mood swings, and more.

Those whose identities intersect in unique ways and are seeking a deeper understanding of how their strengths and struggles are connected. I support people whose bodies, cultures, religious identities, gender expressions, sexual orientations, and mannerisms reflect back what the world notices when it looks at them—and who are tired of having to explain every piece of themselves or justify every thought pattern.

Holding space for people to explore how their beautiful facets fit together. Identity exploration is often the centerpiece of our never-ending story of becoming, and I believe in honoring the diverse experiences of each client while walking alongside them as they navigate growth, conflict, and healing.

The powerful role that communities and families play in shaping who we are and the stories we carry. I work from a culturally responsive lens that considers identity, family systems, and the broader beliefs we carry that shape how we see the world and ourselves.

Top Areas of Care

Culturally-Responsive Therapy Trauma-informed Care (including systemic, interpersonal, and religious trauma) Identity-Affirming Therapy (supporting development across race, culture, gender, sexuality, and spirituality) Attachment-Focused therapy (supporting those from adoptive, foster, or unstable family backgrounds) Life Transitions Support (especially for young adults navigating inner conflicts and change)

Abandonment
Abuse (General)
ADD/ADHD
Addiction and Substance Use
Adjusting to Change
Adjustment Disorders
Adolescent / Teen Issues
Adoption
Adulting (Young-Adult Life Skills)
Adverse Childhood Experiences
Agoraphobia
Anorexia Nervosa
Anxiety
Anxiety (General & Death Anxiety)
Artist-Related Stress
Artists & Creatives (Creative Blocks, Writer’s Block)
Assertiveness
Attachment Issues
Autism
Autism / Asperger’s / Spectrum
Betrayal
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar Disorder / Patterns
Bisexual
Blended Families / Step-Parenting
Body Positivity
Body Positivity / Neutrality / Acceptance
Bullying / Cyber-Bullying
Cannabis Use
Career Transitions
Career, School & Productivity
Career-Related Stress
Caregivers
Caregivers & Caregiver Stress
Child-Free & Childless People
Children of Parents with Addiction
Children of Religious Leaders
Climate Anxiety
Codependency
Commitment Issues
Commitment Obstacles
Community, Diversity & Social Justice
Community-Based Trauma (e.g., cults, exile)
Complex Trauma / C-PTSD
Compulsive Shopping / Spending
Conflict Resolution
Coping Mechanisms / Coping Skills
Counterdependency
Cultural & Systemic Oppression
Cultural Adjustment & Resistance
Cultural Competence
Cults & Cult Survivors
Dating
Dating Issues
De-Gaslighting & Boundary Setting
Depression
Developmental & Attachment Trauma
Disordered Eating & Food Relationships
Divorce
Divorce / Separation / Discernment Counseling
Dread
Drug / Substance Use
Dual Diagnosis
Emotion Regulation (overwhelm, shutdown, expression)
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Shutdown / Expression
Entitlement
Family Conflict
Family Conflict & Family Systems
Family of Origin Issues
Fat Positivity & Body Liberation (Body Neutrality, Acceptance)
Fear of Failure
First Responders
Forgiveness
Foster Care
Gender Identity
Goal-Setting
Goal-Setting & Productivity
Grief
Habit Reversal (hair-pulling, skin-picking, etc.)
Highly Sensitive Person
Hyper-Sexuality / Sexual Compulsivity
Identity Issues & Self-Exploration (combined)
Immigration / Acculturation Concerns (incl. Immigration Evaluation)
Imposter Syndrome
Incarceration & Re-Entry
Indigenous & First-Nations Issues
Infidelity
Infidelity / Affair Recovery
Infertility
Inner Critic / Superego / Self-Persecutory Issues
Insomnia
Intercultural / Interfaith Relationships
Intergenerational & Historical Trauma
Intimacy
Intrusive Thoughts
Irritability
Isolation / Loneliness
Jealousy & Rejection
Lesbian
LGBTQ+
LGBTQIA-Related Stress
Life / Wellness / Productivity Coaching
Life Purpose
Life Transitions
Life Transitions (General)
Loneliness
Masculinity-Related Stress
Medical Professionals’ Mental Health
Medical Trauma & Healing
Memory Loss
Midlife Stress / Crisis
Money-Related Stress
Mood
Multicultural Issues / Concerns
Multigenerational Family Systems
Narcissistic Personality (NPD)
Neurodivergence (general)
Neurodivergence (ASD, HSP, dyslexia, etc.)
Non-Traditional Romantic Stress
Obesity
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Open Relationships & Non-Monogamy
Parenting
Peer Relationship Issues
Peer Relationships
Perfectionism
Performance Anxiety
Perinatal / Infant Loss
Political Climate Stress
Polyamory & Alternative Relationships
Positive Psychology & Strength-Based Approaches
Post-Partum Depression
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Power Dynamics (Relationships with power differentials)
Pregnancy
Pregnancy, Prenatal, Birth & Postpartum Care
Pregnancy, Prenatal, Postpartum
Privilege
Race-Related Stress
Racial Identity
Racial Stress & Trauma
Racial, Ethnic & Cultural Identity
Racism, Oppression & Discrimination
Recently Moved
Relationships (General)
Religious Issues (faith-related struggles)
Religious / Spiritual Trauma
Romantic Life
School Issues
Selective Mutism
Self Esteem
Self-Actualization
Self-Care
Self-Compassion
Self-Criticism
Self-Doubt
Self-Esteem
Sensitivity / Sensitivity to Criticism
Sexual Addiction
Sexual Identity
Shame & Guilt
Shame, Self-Esteem & Insecurity
Sibling-Related Stress
Social Anxiety
Social Justice
Social Life
Socio-Economic Inequity & Poverty Trauma
Somatization
Spirituality (General)
Stress (general & work-related)
Student Support (Academic, College, Graduate)
Teen Violence
Transcending Dysfunctional Family Systems
Transgender
Trauma and PTSD
Trauma-Focused Therapy / Resiliency
Trust Issues
Values Clarification
Vulnerability
Weight Loss
Weight Loss & Management
Women’s Issues
Women’s Obstacles
Work Stress & Work-Life Balance
Young Adult / Early-Career Issues
Young Adulthood

Q & A

Easy to talk to and calm. They often share that they feel comfortable, relaxed, and that building rapport with me feels natural and effortless.

Breathe more easily, trust themselves again, and navigate their relationships with more clarity and confidence. They often feel less burdened by inherited expectations and more connected to their inner truth.

They also often tell me they can now:

Trust their gut more, stop over-explaining, and name what they feel without second-guessing it. A lot of them say they finally feel like they’re not carrying everything by themselves.

It doesn’t feel clinical or scripted. It feels human. Like we’re making sense of things together, not just analyzing them.

While “success” is different for each client, I love hearing clients say they are feeling more like themselves. I lovHave had to move through the world with layers; of code-switching, masking, surviving systems that weren’t built for them, and who are now trying to make sense of who they are underneath all that.e seeing people feel more attuned to their own bodies and their own resilience. I love seeing clients become aware of and begin overcoming limiting core beliefs and grow in their capacity for self-compassion, self-efficacy, and/or empathy for others.

When someone says, “I didn’t know I was allowed to feel that.” Or when they stop apologizing for how they are and start standing in it instead.

This is your space. You don’t have to impress me, teach me, or prove anything. Come as you are’ even if that’s unsure, tired, or guarded. That’s welcome too.

Our work will be about making sense of how you’ve moved through the world, what’s supported you, what’s felt heavy, and what you might want to carry differently moving forward.

Who taught you that you had to be smaller to be safe? What parts of you have been waiting to come forward? And what would change if you believed you were already enough,even without fixing, proving, or masking?

I practice carefrontation; I name what I notice with honesty, even when it’s uncomfortable. I don’t push, but I also don’t avoid. I trust your capacity to hold complexity and believe challenge can be a form of care.

BACKGROUND & IDENTITY

Style (therapeutic presence & approach): Reflective, Compassionate Personality (interpersonal qualities): Warm, Authentic Energy (session atmosphere): Safe, Supportive Communication (engagement style): Attuned, Nonjudgmental Uniqueness: Narrative-focused

What led me to this work wasn’t just education—it was life. I’ve seen how relationships can harm, and how they can heal. I’ve experienced what it means to feel invisible, and what it means to be truly known. In my experience, you never come out of a relationship the same way you went in. You grow, you morph, you change—all through connection and the reflection that happens in relationship with others.

As someone who has had to navigate the tension between how I see myself and how the world sees me, I understand what it means to carry unseen stories and layered identities. I came into this field through experience first—before I ever had the tools or titles. I’ve always been drawn to the moments when someone feels deeply understood. I’ve been fortunate to experience relationships in my own life that allowed me to feel fully human. That sense of acceptance shaped how I show up for others; constructing a climate where you can be met with honesty, warmth, and authenticity.

What led me to this work wasn’t just education; it was life. I’ve seen how relationships can harm, and how they can heal. I’ve experienced what it means to feel invisible and what it means to be truly known. In my experience, you never come out of a relationship the same way you went in. You grow, you morph, you change; all through connection and the reflection that happens in relationship with others.

As someone who has had to navigate the tension between how I see myself and how the world sees me, I understand what it means to carry unseen stories and layered identities. I came into this field through experience first, before I ever had the tools or titles. I’ve always been drawn to the moments when someone feels deeply understood. I’ve been fortunate to experience relationships in my own life that allowed me to feel fully human. That sense of acceptance shaped how I show up for others, constructing a climate where you can be met with honesty, warmth, and authenticity.

I don’t see culture as something to tiptoe around. I see it as the backdrop of every story. I come in ready to listen, learn, and unlearn.

Easy to talk to without it feeling surface-level. Intuitive in a way that feels like I “get it” before they’ve even found the words.

COMMUNITY & CULTURE

LGBTQ+ Affirming BIPOC centered Culturally-humble Whole-person focused Life transitions Identity exploration Intuitive Relationally-focused Patient supporter Authenticity cultivation

I grew up in the Texas foster care system, which opened my eyes to deep systemic injustices—but also brought people into my life who chose to care for me when they didn’t have to. Being moved through different homes exposed me to a wide range of cultures, beliefs, and ways of life. That constant change shaped me, broadened my perspective, and helped me become more open-minded and well-rounded. Even without traditional familial role models, I encountered real empathy and love in unexpected places. These experiences are what led me to become a therapist. I show up the way I would’ve wanted someone to show up for me.

I’ve never fit into neat boxes, and I don’t expect the world to, either. I’ve had to make peace with complexity: spiritual, cultural, and emotional. I don’t pretend to know everything about everyone, but I know what it feels like to want to be understood without having to explain everything. I move through life holding that tension, staying awake to what people carry and how they communicate, especially the unspoken things. To me, culture isn’t just heritage; it’s rhythm, environment, language, memory, and survival. It shapes how we think, how we move, and how we make sense of the world. Being responsive isn’t a skill I picked up; it’s how I live. I try not to move through life on autopilot or assume one story applies to everyone. I stay open, because everyone carries something that deserves to be met with care.

Age & Intergenerational Experiences
Intergenerational Trauma & Healing
LGBTQ+ Families
Neurodivergent Experiences (ADHD, etc.)
Mental Health Conditions & Psychiatric Disabilities
Somatic Approaches for Diverse Bodies
Poverty & Economic Insecurity
Relationship Structure Diversity
Bicultural / Multicultural Identities
Spiritual Seeking & Religious Transitions

OUTSIDE THE SESSIONS

Authentic Calm presence Clear communicator Safe harbor Expressive Candid Intuitive Direct Attentive Thoughtful Patient

Having found healing in real, honest relationships myself, I carry that forward by creating space where others can feel truly seen and safe to just be.

I gravitate toward music, spoken word, photography, and reflective spaces where authenticity is welcomed. Creative expression helps me recharge and stay connected to my core.

I often process life through art and sound more than through words. I find therapy happens in those quieter, more expressive moments too.

Music and solitude, and connecting with people who don’t need me to code-switch or explain myself all bring me joy. Being in spaces where I can just be is a quiet form of liberation for me.

I’m currently learning how to capture feeling, mood, and emotion through photography and cinematography; exploring how visual storytelling can hold just as much truth as words

EDUCATION/TRAINING

I hold a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and bring experience across residential, community, and school-based settings. My work has included supporting foster youth, families, LGBTQIA+ individuals, high-risk teens, and parents or pregnant individuals navigating financial hardship. I’ve walked alongside people facing a wide range of challenges; from systemic and interpersonal trauma to faith deconstruction and religious harm, as well as those living with depression, anxiety, autism, ADHD, and more.

lived experience, and clients, more than anything. Sitting with people in their rawest, most unfiltered moments has taught me how to be fully present.

Starting out in community spaces where I supported families, young adults, and people navigating systems. I’ve worked in schools, group homes, residential settings, and with crisis teams. Each role sharpened how I listen, how I advocate, and how I show up.

I’m trained in trauma-informed care, and have completed continuing education in cultural humility, somatic tools, and integrative approaches. I’ve also pursued training in working with LGBTQIA+ clients, and I continue to seek out spaces led by and for clinicians of color.

Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Licensed LPC-A/ LMHC, NCC (National Certified Counselor)

PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS AND PROJECTS

Restorative Justice Transformative Justice Increasing high quality mental health care access Somatic therapy Posttraumatic Growth

RJ facilitation & CJ Diversion/Reform, mediation I am committed to contributing to local, state, and federal Criminal Justice diversion and reform efforts. What this currently looks like is supporting my community’s local Restorative Justice coalition, Southwest Community Justice Coalition. My time with SCJC includes For those that are interested, here is a link to the organization I am working with: Southwest Community Justice Coalition

Having spent 4.5 years working in Community Mental Health, I believe some of the folks with the highest need of high quality mental health care are getting some of the most elementary care. I would like to see more cutting edge, high quality mental health care being offered to the most at-risk populations. I would like to see more somatic practices offered in these settings to complement cognitive and behavioral therapies.

Why are you invested in it?

My time as a social worker and yoga teacher at the Durango County jail awakened a passion and deep-rooted concern for those navigating the criminal justice system. While the four and a half years of this work proved wondrously fulfilling in serving the most simultaneously vulnerable and resilient populations I have encountered, I remain acutely aware of the limits to the impact one can have while serving incarcerated folks in a one on one or group setting. I feel an insatiable itch to be a part of something more. As I dive deeper into clinical one on one and group work, a true love of mine, I seek to continue building a parallel career in contributing to the transformation of our justice system (at a local, state, and federal level) into a more rehabilitative, equitable, and just paradigm.

TA’ing with Southwest Trauma Training

Furthering Yoga Therapy field credibility & accessibility
International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT)

Therapeutic Tools & Worksheets Trauma-Informed Resources Identity-Affirming Support Skills for Life Transitions Emotional Wellness Strategies

In An Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness by Peter Levine

Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness by Rick Hanson Ph.D and Forrest Hanson

The Body is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor

The Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology by Jack Kornfield

Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change by Pema Chodron

Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good by adrienne maree brown

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction by Gabor Mate

Daily Reflections on Addiction, Yoga, and Getting Well by Rolf Gates

PERSONALITY FRAMEWORKS AND OTHER FUN STUFF

Anti-Perfectionist Creative & Earth-Centered Queer & Neurodivergent-Affirming Trauma-Sensitive & Spirit-Led Rest-Oriented Culturally-Informed

Human Design: Projector Energy – I’m here to guide, not hustle. I see patterns deeply and offer insight best when invited in.

Astrology: Scorpio Sun, Capricorn Moon, Taurus Rising – I hold space for the shadow, soften with compassion, and move through the world seeking harmony.

Enneagram: 4w5 – I value depth, uniqueness, and inner truth. I help clients lean into their own creative mystery and healing process.

Myers-Briggs: INFJ – The “Advocate.” I’m intuitive, idealistic, and deeply tuned in to others’ emotions and core motivations.

“There’s no right way to heal, but there is your way.”

“Smart with your heart” – I tell clients: be gentle, be wild, be wise. Risk magic, but don’t abandon yourself.

“Compassion and accountability can co-exist.”

“We are not machines—we are ecosystems.”

“I’ve never felt so seen without having to explain myself first.”

“You hold space like a soft forest—it’s safe but real. I can be messy and still feel okay.”

“You help me feel like I’m not broken, I’m just unfolding.”

“You bring deep wisdom and also realness—like my inner witch auntie-meets-life coach.”

I bring my lived experience with grief, healing, neurodivergence, queerness, creative expression, and being a cycle breaker.

I honor substance use journeys and meet clients where they are, without shame—only with smart, heart-centered care.

I trust your knowing and support you in remembering your voice, even when it’s a whisper.

I’m the therapist for the misfits, the spiritual nerds, the ones doing deep inner work in a world that often asks us to stay surface.

TESTIMONIALS

“Working alongside Emily Riggs has been a true privilege. With a background as both a wilderness therapy guide and jail-based therapist, she brings a grounded, embodied approach to her work that’s deeply trauma-informed and rooted in social justice. Her skill in blending CBT, DBT, somatic practices, yoga therapy, and nervous system regulation creates a space where clients feel seen, empowered, and safe to do meaningful work. She has a rare ability to navigate conflict with clarity and compassion, and consistently advocates for her clients with unwavering integrity. Intuitive, steady, and deeply attuned. She brings a calming presence into any room, and clients often reflect how deeply seen and safe they feel in her care, Emily is not only a skilled clinician but a powerful healing presence in any setting.” -Katie Wagner, LSW, LAC, former colleague

“Emily is not just a competent practitioner but a transparent one who will answer all your questions and help you feel at ease in moments of discomfort whether tending to pain in your body or your heart, or both at once. Confident, knowledgeable, and humble, she listens and creates coherent and relevant exercises plans to aid in your healing. Couldn’t recommend her more!” -Ruthie, Previous Yoga Therapy client

“Emily is a very passionate, down to earth, and caring therapist. She has a very grounded energy that makes her clients feel safe and comfortable. Emily prioritizes somatic and nervous system practices to help people reconnect with their bodies. Emily makes therapy relatable and fun, while taking feedback from clients on how to get the most out of their sessions. She views therapy from a social justice lens, often advocating for clients who experience oppression or other forms of discrimination. Emily isn’t afraid to speak up for her clients and help them navigate systems and find solutions to their problems.” -Chelsea Steck, LCSW, LAC, former colleague