Natalie Thomson, MS, LCPC

Hello!

MY PRACTICE

I am a licensed clinical professional counselor in the state of Idaho, and I help couples and individuals using Emotionally Focused Therapy.  My specialization is helping couples who want to repair and strengthen their relationships, but I also work with a limited number of individual clients.  Please take a look around my website to see if my practice matches what you are looking for in therapy.

WHAT I’M LIKE AS A COUNSELOR

A big part of my job is to make sure you feel heard, understood, and accepted.  If you’ve had a bad experience with counselors who are overly opinionated, make quick judgments about you and your situation, or see their main job as giving you advice, the good news is I am NOT that counselor.  In sessions, I view my role primarily as facilitator – facilitating insight, change, and healing.  I have expertise and will use it to help you, but I am not the expert on your life, your experience, or your emotions.  Ultimately, you get to be in charge of your therapy process, and I will use my education, training, and care for you as a person to help you achieve your therapy goals. 

If you’re considering seeing me for couples therapy, know that I understand how intimidating that process may seem.  It takes a lot of strength to ask for help with your marriage, and couples who work with me will find that I do not take sides, blame them, or judge their situation.  We can all get stuck in negative patterns, and it’s a privilege for couples to trust me in helping them get unstuck.  You can learn more about how I work with couples here.

HOW I HELP MY CLIENTS

After studying and using many other counseling theories, I discovered Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT).  EFT answers so many of the problems that other approaches don’t, and I use this approach because I believe it gets right to the core of what matters – the way we experience emotions and the way we relate to others.  EFT is based on over 30 years of research, and an overwhelming number of studies support that this method works to produce long-lasting change.  I believe in this approach as a therapist, but also as a client because I have experienced firsthand its ability to transform my marriage.  To learn more about how Emotionally Focused Therapy works, click here.

ON A MORE PERSONAL NOTE…

When I’m not seeing clients, I love spending my time taking walks with my husband and three dogs, gardening, cooking, and going for bicycle rides.  I am also caretaker for a family member, which is a big reason I have kept my practice telehealth only (except when I do intensives in-person).  I hate hot weather, but I suffer through it here in Idaho because the rest of the year is so beautiful.  I love to laugh, and I think humor is wonderful medicine.

While I am a counselor, I also remember what it feels like to be a client.  I’ve worked with a counselor at a few different points in my life, and I know the feelings that can come up when you’re trusting a stranger with your most personal information and showing them your most vulnerable side.  The kindness, support, and insight I’ve gained during my own therapy experiences is something I seek to pass on to my clients.  It is from my own experiences and from my work with people like you that I can say “even the darkest night will end, and the sun will rise.”

Warmly,

Natalie

 

Credentials

Certified Emotionally Focused Therapist
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor   LCPC #7422 – State of Idaho
ICEEFT Supervisor Candidate, International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy
Registered Idaho Supervisor
Over 200 hours advanced training in Emotionally Focused Therapy
​Master of Science, Counseling Psychology   Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy, California Baptist University
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology   University of Redlands