About Me

Hi there, welcome to Cinder & Fern Counseling! I’m glad to meet you.

My name is Rachel Howell, and I am an MSW student intern at Chamberlain University working towards social work licensure. I’m an East Coast native, with West Coast roots. I guess you could say I’m from all over. When I’m not in session, I enjoy reading, writing, going to see live music, and spending time with loved ones. I have a retired service dog (Magnolia) who you may get to meet in session! I received my BA in Humanities from Whitworth University in 2019, and have worked in the mental health field since 2015. I specialize in working with adults with PTSD, OCD, dissociation, and chronic pain. I combine a humanistic/existential approach with a trauma-informed, strengths based lens to help you explore big life questions, like “what’s the meaning of life,” as well as practical questions, like “how do I get through this week?”

I provide a compassionate, safe environment for you to explore yourself, the world, and life’s meanings. I aim to meet you where you’re at and help you reconnect with yourself: the you behind the symptoms, life’s stress, and past traumas. My biggest goal as a therapist is to help you get to where you want to go, whatever that looks like for you. I seek to honor your individual journey and walk beside you on your path towards healing.

I look forward to meeting you!

Training and Education

Current:

MSW, Chamberlain University June 2026.

BA in Humanities, Whitworth University 2019.

I have the following certifications in WA state:

  • Peer Support Specialist

  • Community Health Worker

  • Recovery Coach

I am trained in the following therapeutic modalities:

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

  • Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

  • Motivational Interviewing (MI)

  • Mindfulness/Meditation

Future:

I am working towards becoming trained in:

  • Somatic Therapy

  • Internal Family Systems (IFS)

  • Ketamine Assisted Therapy

  • Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR)