About Us
We are a collective of experienced women psychotherapists, formerly members of the Women’s Therapy Referral Service, who have each been screened for ethical and professional excellence.
While we come from different theoretical backgrounds, we share a common perspective in viewing our clients as whole persons with the innate capacity for growth and healing.
Our group includes clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, master's level counselors, and marriage and family therapists. We all offer individual therapy; some also provide couples and/or family therapy.
We practice counseling and psychotherapy from a range of therapeutic orientations. See our resource page for more information about some of the major approaches to therapy.
Our History
Context
The Women’s Therapy Referral Service (WTRS) originated in Seattle in 1976, during an era when feminism was on the rise and most psychotherapists were men. As more women were beginning to see clearly and rebel against traditional roles, there was a great need for them to be heard from a point of view that recognized and empowered them.
The Formation of the Women’s Therapy Referral Service
In Seattle, the YWCA began receiving requests for referrals to women therapists. The Women’s Therapy Referral Service (WTRS) was formed to meet this need and recruited women therapists who identified as feminists.
The WTRS was initially housed and funded by the downtown YWCA, but eventually differentiated from the Y to form its own cooperative organization. Over the years, it evolved to embrace sensitivity to not only sexism but also race, sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity, and other forms of discrimination. WTRS therapists were grounded in their common understanding of the consequences of these oppressions.
Screening and Qualification of Therapists
Throughout the life of the WTRS, therapists who applied for membership were reviewed through a rigorous application process. They were required to meet qualifications for licensure and length of time in practice, as well as to pass an interview process through which they were screened for consistency of values, level of integrity, and diversity and congruency of professional practices. In this way, the Service retained an ongoing membership of high-quality therapists with a common level of commitment to their values and the profession of psychotherapy.
Matching Service
The WTRS instituted a practice unique in Seattle at the time – that of client-therapist matching. The matching process was initiated in recognition of the belief that resonance between client and therapist is essential for clients to build trust as they enter the intimate terrain of therapy. The WTRS offered this service to clients in the Seattle area for 45 years.
The Conclusion of the WTRS and Transition to the Women's Therapy Collective
In 2021, due to changing conditions in the market and the profession, the WTRS concluded its operations as a referral service and terminated its status as a non-profit organization. As the Women’s Therapy Collective, we have maintained our connection as a collaborative group of therapists who share the same values and level of qualification that we were originally selected for.
We are proud to carry on the legacy of the WTRS as the Women’s Therapy Collective.