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Dick Mattila has been practicing counseling for over 20 years in the Bellingham area. He has counseled both adults and adolescents, and couples and families of all backgrounds addressing personal, emotional, relational, and spiritual issues for those desiring personal growth, restoration and renewed hope. He taught both marital and pre-marital classes and has training in Critical Incident Stress Management. His training and pastoral experience gives a faith-based biblical foundation to address a variety of spiritual related issues for those seeking biblical direction and perspective. 

Dick utilizes various methods catered to each individuals needs. This include family systems approach, narrative therapy, cognitive/behavioral approach, solution-focused therapy, John Gottman’s couples therapy, Prepare/Enrich couples assessment and more. 

Dick is married, has 4 grown children and has lived in Whatcom County for the past 30 years. He enjoys sports, fishing and hunting, reading and woodworking.

 

Areas of Focus: 

  • Relationship issues: marriage, pre-marriage, marriage enrichment, parent-child, communication, conflict resolution, divorce recovery, sexual issues, recovery and healing from extra marital affairs. 
  • Personal growth, life-cycle transitions, self-awareness and life direction and self-care. 
  • Family Issues: parenting, adolescents, blended families, aging and life-cycle adjustment. 
  • Working through grief and loss. 
  • Personal issues: anger and stress management, anxiety, OCD. 
  • Pornography and sexually related issues. 
  • Christian counseling and spiritual issues (guilt, depression, not measuring up, etc.) 
  • Pastoral ministry and church related issues.

 

Professional and Educational Background 

Dick began his counseling at CCS in Bellingham, WA. Dick pastored for 30 years during which he offered spiritual, pre-marital, marital and family counseling to the church and community. He has a Master of Science Degree in Marriage and Family from Seattle Pacific University and a Master of Divinity Degree from Lutheran Brethren Seminary in Fergus Falls, MN. He also completed a two year Marriage and Family Therapy Training Program at the Presbyterian Counseling Service in Seattle, WA. He is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Washington State and an ordained minister.