About Dr. A

Hello! I’m Dr. Holly D. Altson, and I’m a clinical psychologist living in Kitsap County in Washington State. Most of my work involves doing psychotherapy with individuals and their family members. Over the years, many of my patients have identified somewhere under the LGBTQ+ “umbrella.” Some have come to me seeking a polyamory-affirming, kink-friendly, and/or sex-positive therapist. I frequently see people who know they are neurodivergent (e.g., with autism and/or ADHD) or who, through our work together, discover that neurodivergence has a lot to do with their experiences of the world! (It’s usually a relief to be able to explain it.) A significant number of the people I work with can identify the effects of ongoing trauma in their lives (i.e., complex PTSD).

Of course, not everyone I work with fits the above descriptions. I’m equally comfortable working with heterosexual, cisgender, monogamous folks who like “vanilla” sex and are trying to work through a sudden life change, anxiety, depression, or whatever else might be hindering everyday life or growth or joy. I’m pretty nonjudgemental. Try me.

I decided to start this blog to give myself a space to share some of the things that matter to me. I take my work very seriously, though it can be quite rewarding, exciting, and even fun. As a result, I often find myself thinking about what makes psychotherapy work (or not), how it can be a more beneficial experience for patients, what makes people “tick,” and challenges and strengths within my field. I hope my posts prove to be helpful, insightful, informative. They may even turn out to be a bit provocative for some, and that’s okay. Whatever you feel about them, thank you for visiting. I’m glad you’re here.

A quick note about comments: I made the deliberate decision not to allow comments to the posts. I just don’t think I’ll have the time to respond to them in a way that is deserving of people having taken the time to write them. But if you decide you’d like to contact me, please do! And if you reside in one of the states/jurisdictions in the list below and would like to talk about doing psychotherapy with me, definitely be in touch!

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia (DC), Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon*, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington*, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

*I am a licensed psychologist in the States of Oregon and Washington. For all other states, I am authorized to do psychotherapy through PSYPACT. I offer in-person therapy if you live near Bremerton, Washington. Otherwise, all other’s see me through telepsychology.