Mark Ponce
Pronouns: he/him/his
INDIVIDUAL, ADOLESCENT & COUPLES THERAPY
$180 / 50-minute session
$200 / 50-minute couples session
MA, LMFTA
“Being the “best you can be” is really only possible when you are deeply connected to another. Splendid isolation is for planets, not people.” - Sue Johnson
Therapy is an opportunity for you to heal emotionally and better understand who you are in this world. Too often, through childhood experiences or relationship traumas, we learn that who we are isn’t enough so we lock away important parts of ourselves with the hope that in doing so, we feel accepted or just good enough to get by. This process can only be sustained for so long until those same parts of us demand our attention through our emotional system or our behaviors. I am here to help you give more loving attention to those parts of you and walk with you toward a more fulfilling and sustainable life for yourself.
My clients tend to be those who are struggling to find contentment with their life circumstances. Whether it be in their profession or in their relationships with their partner, their family, or friends - the people that I work with want to get to a place of feeling satisfied. Often people find themselves stuck in cycles of feeling like their interactions are on repeat leading to the same unsatisfying place. My role as your therapist is to help you understand and disrupt these cycles and find ways to live more in alignment with your values. I truly believe that you are the leader of your life and my hope is that by the end of our work together, you feel the same.
I have crafted my therapeutic approach to be humanistic and systems-based which means that I will take your social contexts, relationships, and internal dynamics into account when addressing your challenges. This also means that I prioritize our collaboration in building our relationship and co–creating a space that feels safe to come back to every week. My approach consists of methods from Internal Family Systems, Acceptance and Commitment, and Emotion-Focused therapy. The three methods teach us how to stop fighting our inner world and instead relate to it with curiosity, acceptance, and compassion - so we can show up in our lives the way we want to. Whether I am working with couples, families, kids, or individual adults, I tend to show up all the same - warm, attentive, and willing to be curious about every aspect of your life, even the parts that feel difficult to talk about elsewhere - in order to lead to long-term and sustainable change.
Growing up an Asian-American man, I experienced firsthand the challenges of being part of a minority culture. For many of my childhood experiences, I didn’t know how to manage my emotions or even know how to discuss them so I kept to myself. My hope for you is that when you step into my office, you feel that you’re able to bring your whole self in without the fear of being judged. I earned my Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Whitworth University. When I am not doing therapy, I am spending time with my partner and our dog, hosting dinner parties with close friends, and recording podcast episodes where I highlight the humanity and expertise of fellow therapists.
INDIVIDUAL, ADOLESCENT & COUPLES THERAPY
$180 / 50-minute session - $200 / 50-minute couples session
mark@selfspaceseattle.com