Sandy Dorau

My Bio

Hello, and welcome! I believe that therapy is a loving commitment to yourself, and I feel honored to walk alongside people who are willing to take that journey. My hope is to create a relationship where you feel safe enough to slow down, really get to know yourself, and explore the parts of your story that may have been difficult to understand or carry alone.

I am a counselor-in-training at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology, pursuing a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology. My training is focused on psychodynamic, attachment-based, trauma-informed, and depth-oriented approaches. I am especially interested in how our early relationships and life experiences shape how we understand ourselves, connect with others, and move through the world.

Before becoming a counselor, I served in the United States Air Force. That experience gave appreciation for the ways people adapt to difficult circumstances. Also, the importance of trust, connection, and feeling understood. I later worked with an anti-trafficking nonprofit, supporting individuals in the sex industry and survivors of trafficking. These experiences continue to shape the way I approach people: with respect, curiosity, humility, and without judgment.

During my counseling training, I have developed skills in emotional attunement, and creating space for you to be heard without feeling pressured to justify or fix your thoughts. I am particularly interested in trauma, attachment wounds, shame, relational patterns, and the ways our experiences can become embedded in mind and body.

My approach is collaborative and relational. Rather than seeing ourselves as a problem to be solved, I want to understand the person beneath the symptoms and the story beneath the struggle. I believe meaningful change begins with developing a kind relationship with ourselves, including our emotions, bodies, patterns, and feelings that may have been difficult to name. Together, we can make room for what has been painful while recovering the strengths, resilience, and possibilities that have been there all along.

Outside of counseling, I love being in nature, yoga, cooking, and having adventures with my son. I am also deeply interested in Jungian psychology and the relationship between our inner and outer worlds. My personal study explores the intersection of psychology, ancient knowledge, and our evolving understanding of consciousness, including quantum cognition. I am especially drawn to Scottish and Celtic traditions and the ways ancient cultures understood our relationship with nature, meaning, and the unseen aspects of human experience.