André Martin, MA, LMHC
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I grew up in a small town in Upstate New York where we had more cows than people. Rolling hills, corn fields, and old barns still bring a warm sense of home and peace. The city of Seattle drew me in with the bustle of city activities so close to the great wilderness. It has become home for the past 11 years to me, my husband, and my adorable tuxedo cat. My journey to my own therapy began with an unexpected detrimental grief. Everything in my body shut down and I knew I needed to do something different, drastic, and swiftly. Through my therapeutic journey of grief, I realized I had so much more of my story that needed attention and reflection. My personal experience with trauma, difficulties in relationships, and undesired repetitive patterns inspired me to go into this field. I am thankful for my journey, constantly reminded to be kind to myself, and committed to being a life-long learner.
My Belief
Our human nature requires connection to survive. We learned this as soon as we came from the womb. A deep desire to connect and an instinct to love can become thwarted or misconstrued when exposed to traumas, relationships, systems, dogmas, or institutions that have been harmful. I believe the desire is never lost, but sometimes we can feel disconnected to ourselves and others from the hurt we have experienced. Numbing out feels necessary when emotion or experiencing feels overwhelming. Talk therapy is one avenue into our healing, but I firmly believe our bodies hold all the information we need about what we have experienced, witnessed, and felt in our life. When we bring our mind and body together, we have a fuller understanding of who we are and are then able to form new experiences and pathways for the mind. We cannot heal alone—just as we were not harmed alone. I would be honored to be a witness to your stories and journey inward that could reflect a change outward.
—André Martin, MA, LMHC
