Tacoma WA · In-Person & Telehealth

Skilled Minds Therapy

DBT & CBT Therapy for Tweens & Teens

Opening an in-person location in Fircrest, WA on September 7th 2026.

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“… knowing when to ask for help is a form of wisdom.”

Healer Aimoss, The Moth Keeper by K. O'Neill
What I Help With
  • ANXIETY
  • DEPRESSION
  • EMOTION DYSREGULATION
  • MISOPHONIA
  • CULTURAL IDENTITY
  • GENDER IDENTITY
  • INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
  • LOW SELF-ESTEEM
  • SUICIDALITY & SELF-HARM
  • CAREGIVER COACHING
Pen-and-ink drawing of Petia Sierschynski standing in a cobblestone alley beneath a stone archway in an old European town.
Meet the Therapist

I hold a master's degree in Applied Child and Adolescent Psychology: Prevention and Treatment from the University of Washington Seattle. My treatment approach with tweens and teens is grounded in a model that centers the unique characteristics of child and adolescent development. Research has shown that tweens and teens thrive when they:

  • trust themselves to take on new challenges,
  • have the confidence to use their own judgment and change their behavior,
  • develop self-awareness to discover their own values, and
  • plan a life aligned with their personal goals.

As a therapist, I help my young clients acquire DBT and CBT skills that enable them to grow into their strengths, overcome unhelpful habits and self-doubt, live fully in the present moment, and make choices that help them reach their full potential. With LGBTQ+ youth, I use gender-affirming adaptations of evidence-based protocols.

Read more about me →
From the Blog
CBT "I'm Going to Be Grounded for My Entire Life": Why We Do Things We Regret
Do you sometimes find yourself doing things that feel good in the moment but that you later regret? This post explains how that happens and what you can do to change it. What you’ll read here is not a substitute for therapy: if your actions consistently create problems for you or for others at home or at school, please work with me or another therapist trained in the DBT or UP-A protocols.
Jul 15, 2026 4 min read
Identity Finding Yourself One Dot at a Time: Tegan and Sara and the Gender Unicorn
If you’ve read Tegan and Sara Quin’s Junior High, you know how much of that story is about figuring out who you are (the crushes, the questions, the stuff that’s hard to say out loud). In this post, you’ll read about a tool called the Gender Unicorn that can help you explore those same questions in your own life and at your own pace.
Jul 14, 2026 3 min read
For Parents What Misophonia Is & How I Can Help
For many families the hardest part of misophonia is the time spent not knowing it exists. This blog post explains what misophonia is and suggests where to turn next.
Jul 13, 2026 3 min read
Read All Posts →

Ready to take the first step?

Free 20-minute consultation by phone — a chance to ask questions and see if we're a good fit.

Request a Free Consultation