Dr. Jamie Walker
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Certified Yoga Instructor
"The wound is the place
where the light enters you."
- Rumi
As a mindfulness-based clinical psychologist (PY 60414222), university undergraduate psychology professor, former Buddhist nun, yoga and meditation student and teacher, my approach to mental health and wellness is founded on personal experience, ancient wisdom and modern-day scientifically supported techniques.
The mind itself can serve as a source of freedom or as a relentless prison. As with most of us walking this fine Earth, I am no stranger to adversity. Although the nature of each of our burdens is unique, the human condition is a reality we all must face.
The beautiful truth however, is that in facing our darkness we come to find our light.
This is an exciting time in history, as East meets West, as ancient wisdom aligns with rigorous research, we can explore an array of therapeutic approaches for transformation and healing.
Since the 1970‘s, when mindfulness and meditation were boldly introduced to the field of Western psychology, researchers have found these practices to be profoundly efficacious for modern-day Americans. Today, there is an array of mindfulness-based therapies that have been shown to improve both mental and physical wellbeing and serve as tools for living an authentic, happy, and meaningful life, even in the midst of chaos.
Coming from a holistic, existential and client-centered lens. I integrate mindfulness, acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, therapeutic yoga and cognitive-behavioral techniques to create individualized treatment plans. Together we cultivate balance of body, mind, and spirit, defined by each client's own values and goals.
I have been blessed in my training and education to have studied with both, spiritual masters of Eastern philosophy, and Western scientists and professionals of modern day psychotherapy and psychological assessment. I received my undergraduate training in psychology from University of Hawaii, in Manoa on the island of O’ahu. I received my Master’s and Doctoral degrees from Argosy University, Seattle in clinical psychology with a concentration in neuropsychology and have been a licensed clinical psychologist in Washington state since 2014. I am also a certified Yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance and a member of the International Association for Yoga Therapy. I run yoga therapy programs in several mental health facilities in the Greater Eastside, and have a private practice in Kirkland, WA specializing in trauma recovery, healing from anxiety, depression, and chronic stress.
Having practiced and taught Buddhist meditation and philosophy for many years my expertise lends itself well to mindfulness-based meditation and therapeutic interventions. My in-depth study and personal practice of the philosophy and lifestyle of yoga along with my training in anatomy and alignment function to provide a seamless fit with mindfulness-based approach to psychotherapy. I offer a well-rounded, light-hearted and safe approach to psychological healing through the moving meditation of yoga in addition to the more traditional approaches to talk therapy centered in mindfulness and compassion.
I completed my pre-doctoral internship at Sutter Center for Psychiatry in Sacramento, CA serving all ages and diverse populations in both in- and outpatient settings. I offered individual, group and family psychotherapy services to underprivileged youth and families through Atlantic Street Center, in Seattle, WA, and neuropsychological assessment through Western Washington Medical Group, in Everett, WA.
During my education and training I received several scholarships and tuition wavers for academic excellence and my dissertation was chosen to represent exemplary work for future students. I presented published research at the National Neuropsychology Conference. But no academic recognition or award could ever replace the profound inner peace that comes from truly connecting with another human being in their pain and in their joy.
My passion for this work arose from my own personal experiences of suffering and healing that began at a young age. I was admitted to an inpatient psychiatric hospital when I was fifteen for a stint of forty-days and it was during this time, that for me, was both heaven and hell, that I awakened to the healing power of compassion and the path of my life’s purpose began to unfold. Since this time, my journey has meandered, deepened, morphed, and shifted. Wounds heal, and wisdom grows. I offer therapy from an experiential perspective, honoring each client’s power in finding their own truth, I approach therapy from a space of walking alongside a person as they journey through the healing process. I offer acceptance, non-judgment, sacred space for people to just be themselves, no matter what. I hold this space for an open and trusting therapeutic relationship because I walk this talk, I believe in it, I do it myself. Together is easier than alone. I want to create the space for my clients to find their own way to living their own truth, expressing themselves in this world authentically and by their own terms.
For me, the truth of the matter is simple: I know of nothing in this crazy and mysterious thing we call life as powerful or as transformative as sharing the burden of the human condition, and connecting with each other in acceptance and safety. I know of nothing that brings more freedom and joy than turning towards our adversity in wisdom and loving kindness.