Our Therapists
amira SIEGEL, ma, med, lmft (she/they)
Amira is originally from a small town in Oregon, but spent the majority of her childhood and adolescence growing up in sunny San Diego, CA. She moved to Tacoma in 1996 to attend the University of Puget Sound, where she studied Rhetoric and African-American Studies.
After her undergraduate education, Amira earned a Master's degree in Education from Seattle University, and a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy at Pacific Lutheran University. She is a Washington State Approved Clinical Supervisor, training graduate students and associate level therapists for careers in Queer-competent, systems-oriented psychotherapy.
Amira is passionate about the idea of helping others identify and utilize their strengths, overcome barriers, and achieve their goals. As a therapist, she brings patience, compassion, humor, and problem-solving strategies from her former classroom into the therapy room, providing her clients with the tools they need to uncover their potential, lead more meaningful, authentic lives, and build healthier, more fulfilling relationships with partners and family members.
Amira is available for in-person sessions in our Tacoma office and offers telehealth sessions for individuals and couples ages 18 and older. Her rate is $180/session with an available sliding scale.
JOSH SPECHT, M.Ed., LMHC (HE/HIM)
Josh spent the first 20 years of his life in Texas, growing up in Austin before attending Rice University in Houston, where he studied English and Philosophy. After graduating, Josh spent 7 years in the Bay Area in California, working in a residential program at a high school dedicated to serving young members of historically marginalized communities. In that time, Josh discovered his passion for mental health support as a means of empowering individuals to advocate for themselves and their community.
As a cis, male, Queer-identified clinician, Josh is particularly interested in working with other male and masculine-identifying individuals on navigating the world in ways that preserve their sense of their own masculine identities, while also acknowledging and working through the very real barriers and obstacles that many men and masculine folks face when it comes to being our best selves.
Josh also specializes in working with Queer-identified adolescents and young adults in the exploration of various topics including gender and sexual identity, self-esteem, and developing positive coping mechanisms. In his work, Josh always strives to utilize a non-judgmental, strengths-based approach to cultivate a space where his clients feel accepted, celebrated, and empowered with the confidence to continue along their unique and precious paths towards self-actualization.
In his free time, Josh enjoys playing video games, watching scary movies, participating in and hosting trivia nights, and tabletop gaming.
Josh sees individual clients ages 13 and older, and also sees couples and families. His rate is $160/hr with an available sliding scale. Josh sees in-person clients in our University Place office and also offers telehealth sessions.
Des haigh, clinical intern (she/they)
Des is originally from San Diego but spent a lot of their of childhood growing up in a small farming province in the Philippines. They moved to the PNW to attend Cornish College of the Arts and graduated with a Bachelor in Fine Arts in 2002. Des is currently a M.A. student at Saybrook University working on her Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree, with graduation set for Spring 2025.
Des works from a Humanistic, Person-Centered lens that meets clients where they are at in order to provide space for individuals to explore their sense of self and wellness. As a lifelong learner of the ancestral wisdom traditions and spirituality, Des incorporates a biopsychosocial-spiritual model to healing that supports decolonized practices in the mental health field. Des believes in moving towards a path that acknowledges identity and cultural experiences to help individuals connect with belonging, joy and meaning- while working to dismantle the current medical model of therapy.
As a mixed, bi-cultural person, it is Des' hope to work with marginalized and mixed populations to aid in a sense of belonging and connection through traditions and rhythms that hold space for self-discovery. Having the experience of growing up in two distinct cultures expanded Des' worldview and depth of understanding for another's experience. She is deeply rooted in the wonder and magic of life and believes in working with individuals in ways that tend to their spirits.
In their free time, Des enjoys hiking, camping, making most things from scratch or by hand. She is a home educator and stationery enthusiast with a love for fountain pens. Des is available to work individuals ages 18 and older.