About Cindy Paffumi
I earned my Master’s in Counseling Psychology from John F. Kennedy University in California. Because I believe that true health, on all levels, comes from a balanced interplay between mind and body, my Master’s emphasis was in Somatic Counseling. Somatic counseling brings in body awareness giving one a fuller picture of where one holds on to emotional stress and physical pain and provides ways to release it. My therapeutic approach is eclectic with a concentration on integrating the whole person; mind, body, and spirit. Some of the highly effective modalities I use with clients are:
- Mindfulness based practices
- Somatic counseling
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
- Life Span Integration
- Motivational Interviewing
My life has provided me with a rich experience that I bring to my practice. Prior to working in the mental health field, I had a diverse professional life. I worked for many years as a software engineer. I then evolved life experiences into my own business; providing wellness workshops to corporations such as Intel, Apple, and Roche Laboratories. My commitment to personal health and well-being led me to become a competitive racewalker and by the early 90’s I ranked in the top 25 women USA walkers. I shared my love of walking by serving as a racewalk coach for the Leukemia Society and Special Olympics.
I have been working in the mental health field for over 14 years in a variety of non-profit community health organizations. As a behavioral health director I have provided counseling services to individual clients, leading group therapy sessions, and supervising counselors and interns.
Clinical Education, Training, and Professional Organizations:
- Masters of Arts in Counseling Psychology, Somatic Counseling emphasis (John F. Kennedy University, CA)
- Bachelor of Arts in Science and Values (John F. Kennedy University, CA)
- Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the State of Washington
- National Certified Counselor
- Certified Sexual Assault Counselor
- Certified Grief Counselor
- Mental Health Clinical Supervisor
- Dialectal Behavioral Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Trauma Therapy
- Life Span Integration
- Mindfulness based approaches
- Guided imagery
- Eating Disorders
- Movement therapy
- Hakomi
- Motivational Interviewing
- American Mental Health Counseling Association
- Washington Mental Health Counseling Association
- American Counseling Association
- Center for Mindful Eating
- American Group Psychotherapy Association