Leif Tellmann, MA, LMHC, BC-DMT is a mental health counselor, dance/movement therapist, and psychoanalytic psychotherapist in private practice in Seattle. He has been in the field of psychotherapy for over 20 years with a background working with in-patient psychiatric patients, dually diagnosed people with mental illness and developmental disabilities, older adults, and people with dementia. His private practice work incorporates both the verbal elements of psychotherapy, i.e. “talk therapy,” as well as an appreciation for the body and somatic states. He works with adults of all ages and specializes in serving members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Available In-Service Topics
Bringing the Body Into the Therapy Process
As the effects of trauma have become better understood, clinicians have turned their attention towards the importance of somatic work and the body. This in-service topic incorporates didactic and experiential material to offer participants practical skills for addressing the somatic experience in therapy, including obstacles sometimes encountered by the clinician.
Paying Attention to Paying Attention
How we listen impacts what our clients bring into their work with us. Our listening can be influenced by our expectations, assumptions, fears, and life experiences, including our cultural, racial, and socioeconomic histories, directing our attention towards and away from the thoughts and feelings that show up in therapy. This discussion explores what gets included and, more importantly, what gets excluded in the therapy session and how we can maintain an openness and curiosity about what is outside our awareness.