meet your therapist

Allyson Zerba

the person behind the practice

Allyson Zerba, licensed therapist in Seattle, WA
I didn't take the straight road here.

If there's a theme to my life, it's the ongoing discovery of who I am. It meant discovering my own queerness in my late thirties. It meant experiencing a profound personal loss in 2020 that cracked something open. It meant admitting that twenty-five years of being a good litigator had come at a cost I was no longer willing to pay. And it meant going back to school in my late forties to become a therapist. I made the changes necessary to align my values and skills with the work I do each day.

Those experiences shape everything about how I show up in the room with my clients. When I sit with you in therapy, I am genuinely grateful to be there with you.

Many of my clients arrive seeking relief and clarity. What they often discover along the way is a deeper relationship with themselves — and a growing capacity for connection.

I work with adults and teens (13+) — individually and together, and including LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent clients. All are welcome here.

Allyson Zerba, MA, LMHCA, JD

Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate · MC61644526

Washington State Bar Association · WSBA 29369

Allyson Zerba, licensed therapist and counselor in Seattle, WA

What I Believe

the values that shape every session

The counseling relationship is primary.

In therapy, it is the relationship between therapist and client — more than any other factor — that brings about positive change. I want you to feel that you can say the unsayable here — and be met with curiosity rather than judgment. I want us to be authentic with each other, to risk imperfection, and to extend grace and compassion to ourselves and each other. Also? I love to laugh, and will bring humor into our sessions when it feels right.

My life's purpose is to love and be loved.

My heart is huge and compassionate. I believe that I am worthy of love and compassion from others, and that everyone is worthy of love and compassion from me. That includes you.

You are the expert of you.

You have wisdom and resources always already existing within you. There is a Self within you that is not broken and can never be destroyed. Our job together is to discover and uncover that wisdom, so that you can live with greater connection to yourself, others, and the world around you.

We are interconnected members of many living systems.

Within and between these systems, a shift in one person can ripple through an entire family, community, or generation. I'll be curious to understand what systems may be impacting your lived experiences, and how your capacity for change extends far beyond our sessions.

It's never too late to change.

I know this not as an abstraction but as something I have lived. When I sit with you in session, I bring that knowledge with me — and a genuine belief in your capacity to do the same.

FAQs

common questions, answered honestly

What happens next? +

01

You reach out

Send me a message or call — no intake form, no portal, no automated response. I read every message personally and respond within one business day.

02

We have a free 15-minute consultation

This call is low-stakes and unhurried. I'll ask a little about what brings you in, and you can ask me anything — about my approach, my background, what working together might look like. My goal is for both of us to feel genuinely good about moving forward. If I'm not the right fit, I'll help you find someone who is.

03

We begin

The first few sessions are about getting to know each other and building trust. We'll co-create a treatment plan tailored to your specific goals — not a generic template, but something shaped around your life, your history, and where you want to go.

04

Something starts to shift

Most clients notice something changing within the first few sessions — not dramatic transformation, but a different quality of awareness. A little more room between stimulus and response. A growing capacity to be with what's difficult without being overwhelmed by it. The work deepens from there.

Do you accept insurance? +

I work on an out-of-network basis, which means I'm not paneled with insurance providers. For many clients, this is a meaningful advantage — it means no insurance company dictates how often we meet, how long we work together, or what we focus on. Our work is guided entirely by your needs and goals, not by coverage limits or diagnostic requirements.

I provide a superbill after each session that you can submit to your insurer for out-of-network reimbursement. I recommend contacting your insurer before our first session to understand your out-of-network mental health benefits and whether pre-authorization is required.

What will our sessions actually be like? +

Every session is tailored to you. Depending on how you arrive, we might dive right into what feels important, or we might begin with gentle somatic practices — breathing, listening, noticing — to help you settle in. Sessions progress at whatever pace prevents emotional overwhelm.

Consent is at the heart of everything I do. I will never seek to do something "to you," but always "with you." My suggestions during session are just that — suggestions you can take or leave according to what feels right.

How long will therapy take? +

It is impossible to say in advance, because therapy is not one size fits all. What I can tell you is that it is not my goal to have clients for life. It is my goal to support you in making the changes necessary to reach your therapeutic goals, in whatever amount of time that takes. When you are getting close to reaching your goals, we'll work together to plan a meaningful and supportive ending to our work.

ready when you are

A free 15-minute consultation is a good place to start.

Book a Consultation