Eddie Medina
I’m Eddie. I’m a therapist, husband, dad, and someone who has lived enough life to know that people can change. I became a father young, have experienced my own struggles with addiction and recovery, and I wasn’t always the person I am today. A lot of my life has been about learning how our physical, mental, relational, and spiritual worlds are connected, and how our past can shape us without having to define our future. Before becoming a mental health therapist, I worked in substance use treatment, which was especially meaningful because I understood some of that struggle personally. Today I work with teens and adults navigating trauma, ADHD and neurodivergence, addiction, anxiety, depression, relationships, identity, and life transitions. I’m not interested in reducing someone to a diagnosis or pretending I have life completely figured out because I’m sitting in the therapist chair. I’m another human being who has done a lot of growing myself, and I want therapy to be a place where you can be honest about who you are, understand how you got here, and figure out who you want to become.
First session
The first session is really about getting to know each other. I want to hear what brought you in, what’s happening in your life now, where you come from, what you’ve been through, what’s worked or hasn’t worked before, and what you hope might be different. I’ll ask questions and start connecting some dots with you, but you won’t be expected to tell me your entire life story in an hour. I also want you to get a feel for me and decide whether I’m someone you can actually see yourself talking to. Therapy works better when the relationship feels real.
Strengths
I bring curiosity, honesty, compassion, humor, lived experience, and a genuine human connection. I’ll listen without judging you, but I also won’t just sit there and nod. I’ll ask questions, notice patterns, challenge you when it’s helpful, and help you understand the deeper reasons behind what you’re experiencing. I believe good therapy should meet the whole person. Your mind, body, relationships, culture, and whatever meaning or spirituality looks like for you is what I am most interested in supporting.
Ideal clients
I tend to connect best with people who want to understand themselves on a deeper level, not just make their symptoms go away. Maybe you’ve experienced trauma, have ADHD or feel neurodivergent, struggle with anxiety or depression, have a complicated relationship with substances, or keep finding yourself stuck in the same relationship or life patterns. You might understand intellectually why you do what you do but still can’t seem to change it. I especially enjoy working with teens and young adults figuring out who they are, adults trying to heal from what shaped them, and people who have never quite felt understood by traditional therapy. You don’t need to show up knowing exactly what’s wrong or what you want. Curiosity and a willingness to be real are enough to start.
Treatment methods
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
I use IFS to help clients understand the different parts of themselves rather than judging or fighting them. We get curious about what those parts are protecting, where those patterns came from, and what they may still be carrying from the past. The goal isn’t to get rid of parts of yourself, but to understand them, heal what’s underneath them, and build a different relationship with yourself.
Trauma Informed Care
I use a trauma-informed approach that looks beyond symptoms and asks what happened, what your mind and body learned from those experiences, and what helped you survive. We work at a pace that feels manageable while building safety, regulation, understanding, and new ways of responding in the present.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use CBT practically rather than as a one-size-fits-all approach. We look at how thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and experiences influence each other and identify patterns that may be keeping you stuck. From there, we experiment with different ways of thinking and responding that actually fit your life.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I pull from DBT when clients need concrete tools for emotional regulation, distress tolerance, communication, boundaries, or managing impulsive reactions. I like combining these practical skills with deeper work so we’re not only managing the reaction, but also understanding what’s underneath it.
Attachment-based
I use an attachment lens to understand how early relationships and experiences can shape the way we connect, protect ourselves, handle conflict, and experience closeness today. We look at those patterns without blame and work toward healthier, safer ways of relating to yourself and other people.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
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Licensed in
- WashingtonLicense MHC.LH.70022692