Diana Elstad, LMHC

Diana Elstad is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) with 35 years of experience. She works with people facing addiction and recovery, depression, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, relationship and intimacy concerns, sleep and eating struggles, parenting stress, and life changes. Diana aims to be warm, kind, and a careful listener for anyone who comes for help.

She has worked in community clinics, treatment centers, hospitals, and private practice across Washington. That breadth of experience includes supporting people through substance use issues and geriatric mental health needs. Diana has helped many clients with codependency, communication problems, and caregiver stress.

Her counseling style is eclectic. She draws from client-centered approaches and practical therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, motivational interviewing, and narrative therapy. Sessions focus on understanding thoughts and everyday habits and on trying small changes that make a difference.

In a session she listens for what is not being said as well as what is said. Then she and the client shape a plan together, using tools that fit the person's goals and life. This makes room for both short-term problem solving and deeper work when people want it.

Diana invites people to bring their real worries and questions. She aims to treat each person with respect and to meet them where they are in life.

How therapeutic approaches guide online work

Client-centered therapy emphasizes listening, empathy, and treating each person as the expert on their own life. It helps when someone wants a supportive space to talk through feelings and decisions. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions and uses practical exercises to change unhelpful patterns; it can be useful for anxiety, depression, and habit change. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) offers skills for managing intense emotions, improving relationships, and tolerating distress, and can be helpful when people struggle with strong reactivity or impulsive behavior.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before. Then she will suggest ways of working and adjust the plan as needed so the methods fit the client's life and needs.

If you are considering online therapy, check which session formats are being offered before booking since formats are not specified in the biography. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when that works better, and reduce travel time. Many people appreciate being able to continue therapy from different locations and to use tools learned in sessions right away in daily life. Licensed professionals can help tailor session structure to what fits your schedule and goals.