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CoHear Staff Profiles
HELPING EVERYONE ACHIEVE RESULTS
Founded in 1974, as Bellevue Community Services, Inc. "CoHear" is a private counseling practice offering individual, group, marriage, family, and child counseling. In 1985, CoHear, Inc. added comprehensive employee assistance programs (EAPs), business consulting, and seminars. CoHear now offers to the community an exceptional multi-disciplinary team of professionals with a broad range of experience and specialties.
Management Team
Brian L. Whitney, MA,
CEAP, LMFT,
LMHC - President
and Operations Director - administrator of the Employee Assistance Program contracts. Brian has been an owner, officer, therapist, consultant, and seminar leader with CoHear since its inception in 1974.
Linda Miller, Office Manager - Linda manages the administrative office. She brings a diverse Work experience to CoHear, including years of background in Office and Credit Management for Construction, Boating, Banking and Software development businesses. As CoHear's Office Manager, she is responsible for managing day-to-day operations, including bookkeeping, scheduling, marketing, customer service, and human resources. Linda's personal hobbies include interior design and gardening.
Counselors / Consultants
Brian L. Whitney, MA,
CEAP, LMFT,
LMHC -
Brian has been a therapist and business consultant since 1971. He is a Washington State Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Mental Health Counselor. In Brian's counseling practice, he works with children, adults, and families, specializing in marital relationships, depression, trauma and sexual addiction. As a management consultant and an Employee Assistance Provider, Brian conducts Critical Incident Stress Debriefings and Conflict Management Services, as well as leadership and staff development training.
 Chia-Wen Chen MA
-
(pronounced Ja-Win) offers holistic,
strength-based, person-centered and multicultural counseling
approaches. She encourages self-awareness and acceptance when
working with clients in their psychosocial struggles. Her
areas of special interest include interpersonal relationships, body
image, spirituality and self-worth, as well as transitional distress
in families and in the workplace. She received her Bachelor of
Arts in Psychology from the University of Washington and Masters of
Arts in Counseling from Seattle University. She has worked
with at-risk Asian immigrant youth and families, and has assisted
diverse populations in a smoking cessation program. She
completed her one-year internship at the Seattle
Pacific University Student Counseling Center, working with
individuals and groups. She is an active member of the
American Counseling Association, presenting her focus group study in
minority young adults and self-efficacy issues at their 2008 annual
convention in Hawaii. Born in Taiwan, Chia-Wen also speaks
Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese fluently, and is passionate about
promoting cross-cultural understanding. She enjoys reading,
journaling, singing, hiking and spending time with family and
friends.
Marla Martin MA - Marla views the therapeutic process
as a collaborative partnership between client and therapist.
She places a strong emphasis on developing rapport and trust with
her clients. At the same time, she focuses on the dynamics
that relationships, cultures, and faith play in the difficulties of
her clients. Marla has worked with teens and adults on issues
ranging from developing self-esteem, depression, anxiety, abuse,
grief, life transitions, spirituality, and sexuality. She uses
a holistic approach to counseling including cognitive-behavioral,
person-centered, and family systems models. Marla earned her
Masters of Arts from Northwest University in Counseling Psychology,
and holds a Bachelors of Arts in Journalism and Spanish from New
Mexico State University. She speaks Spanish, enjoys traveling,
sports, reading, and making the most of sunny Seattle days.
Steve Sandvik,
MA -
Steve is a knowledgeable and compassionate professional with a Master's in Psychology from Antioch University, Seattle targeted in Mental Health Counseling. While at Antioch, he completed coursework in The Center for Programs in Psychology in the Child, Couple, and Family Therapy combined with the Mental Health Counseling Program. Steve believes it is essential to establish a safe space to look at one’s presenting problems; he has a broadminded perspective, and notices one's personal choice, opinion, conformity, and belief concerning their life or family. Steve practices a wide-ranging therapeutic orientation that helps him treat various clinical issues including addictions, sexual compulsivity and risk-taking behaviors, men's issues, family dynamics, and trauma resolution and healing. Additionally, Steve leverages a successful business history with Alaska
Airlines, Nordstrom, and CoHear, delivering top-tear customer service ensuring complete customer satisfaction, and strong long-term relationships.
Shawn B. Whitney,
MS -
Shawn has personal and professional experience working with individuals, couples, families, and groups around psychosocial and medical health issues. In addition to his work with CoHear, he works as a psychotherapist in the Student Counseling Center at Seattle Pacific University. He is passionate about strengthening people and relationships through the exploration of family and interpersonal dynamics. He provides services to individuals and families and employs a wide range of clinical assessment tools to determine client issues and needs. The psychosocial conditions Shawn provides ongoing treatment for include anxiety and depression, abuse and trauma, marriage and relationship issues, health and wellness, spirituality/faith issues, identity development issues, and sexuality. He believes a biopsychosocial-spiritual approach to health is the most comprehensive method of treatment. Shawn enjoys spending time with his family, getting outdoors, and cheering on his local sports teams. |
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