About Me

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

My name is Rachel Howell, and I am an LSWAIC applicant (pending board approval) in WA state. 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 my MSW from Chamberlain University in 2026. I 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!

A woman with glasses and wavy hair smiling and sitting outdoors next to a golden retriever dog that has its mouth open and tongue out, in front of a moss-covered rock wall.

Training and Education

Licenses, Education, Certifications:

License:

LSWAIC (Licensed Social Work Associate- Independent Clinical) pending board approval, WA state

Education:

BA in Humanities, Whitworth University, 2019

Master’s in Social Work, Chamberlain University, June 2026

Certifications:

Certified Peer Support Specialist, WA state, 2018

Certified Community Health Worker, WA state, 2019

EMDR basic training, June 2026

Training:

I have training in the following therapeutic modalities:

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

  • Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

  • Inference Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT)

  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

  • Internal Family Systems (IFS)

  • Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT)

  • Mindfulness/Meditation

  • Somatics

Future trainings include:

  • Ketamine Assisted Therapy

  • Animal Assisted Therapy

  • Hakomi Somatic Therapy