Email admin@connectedcouplescounseling.com or call (317) 902-6359 to get started today.
Licensed Providers in Washington State
Availability for virtual sessions are currently open.
In-person availability on Wednesdays with Rachel in the West Seattle area.
Couples & Individual Therapy in Washington State
Call or Text 317-902-6359
Email us at admin@connectedcouplescounseling.com
Or use our Contact form.
Rachel Elder
Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Approved Supervisor serving clients in Washington State
Telehealth Therapist for Florida State
I’m the therapist for couples who say, “We’re not in crisis…yet!” I help couples who are not falling apart, but can feel the distance growing–the tensions, the missed bids of connection, and are stuck in the “here we go again” fights that you just can’t seem to break.
I love this work because I have seen what is possible when two people stop protecting themselves and start turning toward each other with compassion, accountability, and courage. That breakthrough moment–when they finally feel like teammates again–is why I show up for this work each day!
The couples I work with often feel like:
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“We’re roommates, not partners!”
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The distance is growing, and they’re worried it may spiral out of control.
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They know there is real love here, but the closeness, playfulness, and vulnerability are missing.
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Career, kids, and stress are getting in the way of the intimacy they used to experience.
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They may wake up one day to find they have a successful career, but it came at the sacrifice of their marriage.
Individual and Couples Sessions
Supervision Sessions for LMHCA's
Seeing clients 10-3 Monday through Thursday Virtually
Fridays from 10-4 in-person in West Seattle
$250 per 60-minute session
You can email admin@connectedcouplescounseling.com or text 317-902-6359 to schedule your consult today!
What It's Like To Work With Me
Working with me is a blend of warmth, honesty, and clear direction. I’m here to help you grow — not by sitting quietly on the sidelines, but by partnering with you in a meaningful, intentional way.
Supportive and Challenging in Equal Measure
You’ll feel deeply understood and supported, while also being held accountable for the patterns that keep you stuck. I’m compassionate, yes — but I’m also direct. I won’t sugarcoat what’s getting in the way of your connection, and I won’t let you stay in cycles that aren’t serving you.
Structured Sessions With a Clear Path Forward
You won’t spend your time simply venting or circling the same arguments. I bring structure, tools, and a clear roadmap to every session. You’ll know exactly what we’re working on, why it matters, and how to practice new skills outside of the therapy room.
Deep Investment in Your Relationship
Your growth matters to me. I’m the therapist who thinks about you between sessions — organizing strategies, refining interventions, and preparing resources tailored to your needs. My clients feel my commitment, and it helps them stay committed, too.
Authentic, Real, and Human
I don’t hide behind a wall of neutrality. I show up as a real person who has done my own work and uses the same tools I teach. When it’s useful, I share parts of my experience to model vulnerability and hope. Clients trust me because I walk the talk.
A Safe Space for Honesty and Repair
I’m steady in the midst of conflict. You can bring your frustration, your fears, your shutdowns, and your defenses. This is a space where the hard truths can come out — and where real repair becomes possible.
Creative, Engaging, and Energetic
Therapy with me is not dry or repetitive. I use metaphors, visuals, examples, humor, and creative exercises to help things “click” in both your brain and body. Sessions feel energizing and practical, not heavy or confusing.
A Collaborative, Team-Focused Approach
I work with both partners as a unit and help you see yourselves as a team again. I’m not a referee deciding who’s right — I’m a guide helping you break patterns, communicate clearly, and move forward together.
A Renewed Sense of Hope
Most couples start therapy feeling discouraged or stuck. As you gain clarity, tools, and confidence, you start to feel hope again — the sense that change is possible and your relationship is worth fighting for. That’s often the moment everything shifts.
Why I Do This Work
I’ve been fascinated by love, connection, and what makes relationships thrive since middle school. I was the kid who wrote myself into love stories and the teenager giving relationship advice to my friends despite barely dating myself. That curiosity has only grown — it’s shaped my career, my marriage, and the way I see the world.
I didn’t originally set out to become a therapist. I planned to go into ministry because I loved pouring into people, especially young adults. My dad suggested therapy as a backup career — and it turns out it wasn’t a backup at all. It became the path where everything clicked: my passion for relationships, my desire to help people grow, and my belief that love is one of the most powerful forces in our lives.
What keeps me doing this work is simple: I love helping couples find their way back to each other.
There is nothing like watching two people break through the same “here we go again” pattern they’ve been stuck in for years. That moment when they realize they’re not powerless… when defenses soften… when they turn toward each other with courage instead of fear — it’s one of the greatest privileges of my job.
I do this work because I’ve seen how easy it is for even the most loving, driven couples to get disconnected. Careers grow, families expand, responsibilities take over — and the relationship quietly gets pushed to the background. I believe your marriage shouldn’t be the thing that suffers while everything else gets your best. It should be the place that supports your dreams, grounds you in who you are, and grows with you.
And I do this work because it’s my story, too. I’ve had to learn my own patterns, repair after hard seasons, and fight for the connection I wanted. I don’t ask my clients to do anything I haven’t been willing to do in my own marriage. I believe in this work because I’ve lived it.
At the end of the day, I show up for couples because I believe every relationship has the potential to become something strong, sustainable, and deeply fulfilling — with the right guidance, clarity, and effort.
Helping couples create that kind of love is not just my job. It’s my purpose.
Let’s get you the clarity and support you’ve been needing!
Ready to Transform Your Relationship?
Couples therapy doesn’t have to feel daunting. It can be exciting, transformative, and even fun. Let’s work together to create the relationship you’ve always dreamed of—with the person you already love.
Rachel is trained in:
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Relationship Theory Model
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Level 3 Gottman Method
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Imago Relationship Therapy
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Discernment Counseling
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CBT and TF-CBT Certified
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Washington State Approved Supervisor for LMHCA clinicians