Diana Elstad, LMHC

Diana Elstad is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Washington with 35 years of clinical experience. She has worked in community clinics, treatment centers, hospitals, and private practice. Her practice includes help for addiction and recovery, depression, anxiety, PTSD, stress management, family concerns, codependency, self-esteem, relationships, grief, and trauma.

Diana draws on an eclectic counseling style. She listens closely to what is said and what is left unsaid. Sessions focus on practical ways to reduce overwhelm and regain more control over daily life. Conversations may include looking at patterns, learning new coping skills, and noticing how past experiences shape current choices.

Her background includes work with older adults as a geriatric mental health specialist and many years in substance use treatment settings. That mix of community, hospital, and private-practice experience shapes a straightforward approach. She uses several therapeutic methods to match what each person needs.

Therapeutic methods commonly used include client-centered work, cognitive behavioral techniques, and elements of dialectical behavior therapy. Motivational interviewing and narrative therapy also inform conversations about change and meaning. Diana helps people clarify goals, try small experiments, and track progress between sessions.

People who have struggled with people-pleasing, living around another persons drinking or moods, or losing a sense of themselves often come for focused help. The work is practical and paced to the persons situation. To begin, she asks a few questions and sets a first session so people can see how the approach fits.

Therapeutic approaches and how they translate online