Hello! My name is Emily.
I’m a Licensed Mental Health Counselor serving residents in Washington State. I knew I wanted to pursue a career in counseling when I realized that connection, compassion and relationship can facilitate profound change. My education started at Seattle Pacific University and continued to Northwest University where I earned my Masters in Counseling Psychology in 2012. I have practiced in various therapeutic settings and capacities, all of which have lead me to begin Emily Visser Counseling, PLLC.
Helping people develop deeper, intimate connections with themselves and others is transformative work unlike any other. Over the years, I’ve been compelled by the undeniable importance the role sex and intimacy plays in our lives. The sexual self is at the core of all human beings and yet, it is often categorized as shameful, embarrassing or abnormal. Sexuality can be a doorway to learn and integrate our minds and our bodies together leading to greater health and wellness overall. Addressing and unlearning common beliefs and misconceptions about sex offers opportunity to practice healthy sexual and relational connection.
Part of my clinical training has been in Lifespan Integration Therapy (LI). LI has been a powerful tool in my work with clients who desire healing from past trauma that manifests into unwanted patterns and behaviors in the present day. LI theory aligns with my belief that healing can come from within the body, and it’s through integration that we can more fully understand ourselves in this world. In addition to LI, I use a blend of Attachment Theory, Family Systems Theory, and Mindfulness based practices in partnership with my clients.
I love calling the Pacific Northwest home. I’ve lived in Western Washington for most of my life and now enjoy living here with my husband and 4 children.
What is Sex and intimacy therapy?
Understanding how we function as sexual beings is a critical part of our health as a whole. Taking time to evaluate sex and intimacy within any relationship can offer a lot of information about the general health of the relationship. A sex and intimacy therapist focuses on the physical, psychological, spiritual and relational aspects of human sexuality and can address areas of concern including:
Sexual Trauma
Intimate Relationship issues: Communication, pleasure, value systems
Relational attachment
Body image and acceptance
Sex after having a child
Sex and grief
Sexual dysfunction
Sex education
Sex addiction
Infidelity
Desire and libido discrepancy
Relationship structures (open relationships, non-monogomy)
Chronic illness and sex
Spirituality and sex
Couples counseling
Individual counseling addressing intimacy and sexual concerns
“Ultimately, I see mindfulness as a love affair—with life, with reality and imagination, with the beauty of your own being, with your heart and body and mind, and with the world.”
-Jon Kabat-Zinn