Lynlee Weber, LICSW

Truthfully - you don’t. Right? That’s what makes it so hard to choose a therapist. I tell all of my clients during their consult or first session that it’s ok if I’m not the right fit. You can tell me. Not every therapist is the right fit for every client. I encourage my clients to tell me if they feel they have different needs - and then I seek out other therapists who can fill them for you.

That said, I don’t have to do that often. Many of my clients have remarked that they like attending therapy with me because I’m down-to-Earth, conversational, non-judgmental, and not only will I be present with you in the dark moments, but I’ll be celebrating the wins right along side.

Many of my clients have referred friends and family members to me, which is the greatest compliment I can receive. I am happy to do your consultation via phone call or televideo chat so you can get a better sense of who I am and if I would be the right fit for you.

I get it - you want to talk to someone who understands.

I grew up poor, in one of the worst states for impoverished children (Hi, Kansas!). Food insecurity, homelessness (granted a privileged version as we were able to stay with family), and emotionally distant parents with a side of religious abuse. Deconstructing religion and setting firm boundaries are things I have done and help others to do.

I was a young mom. My kid is now a college grad living in NYC. The path from point A to B was rarely smooth. Being a parent is hard. I support people doing it (including those who realize now they shouldn’t have had kids), those who want to do it, and those who know they definitely don’t want to do it. While I raised my kid and attended college, I was also a gestational surrogate and also worked for many years in the third-party reproduction industry. I carried babies for gay men who wanted more than anything to be dads. (Yes, we’re all still in touch. Yes, they’re amazing kids/adults. And yes, I see clients who are exploring surrogacy as a carrier or as an intended parent.)

Following my bachelor’s degree, I worked for a Planned Parenthood affiliate doing education and outreach. I worked a lot with incarcerated youth. To this day, one of my proudest moments was when a young man working at a fast food restaurant recognized me and thanked me for teaching him - two years later! - when I pulled up in the drive thru.

Doing this work led me to getting my Masters in Social Work, and working for a comprehensive reproductive health clinic which primarily provided abortions and gender-affirming hormone therapy. No small feat in Wichita, KS. I have since helped many people exploring options during an unintended or medically complicated pregnancy and healing from shame and trauma that often accompanies these decisions. I later worked on the state’s Death Penalty Defense Unit doing capital mitigation. This work increased my empathy and compassion for others in ways I never expected and while being able to find connections in people’s lives was always a strength of mine, this work sharpened that skill immensely. I greatly value working with both victims of crimes and those who have committed crimes as well as the families and loved ones on both sides.

I don’t mean to just talk about jobs in this section, but these I mentioned have been so integral in my life, my identity, and, I think, showcase my personal values.

I’m married to a lovely man. We have two corgis named Tango (from my favorite move Pacific Rim) and Lunchbox (because “a woman’s body is her own fucking business,” from Dogma). We moved to Washington at the tail end of 2019, so, I still feel pretty new to the area. My hobbies include knitting, crocheting, silversmithing, a variety of other handcrafts (yay, ADHD), trying to garden and remembering to water all my houseplants, and drinking really strong coffee on my sofa with my dogs. I love vintage shopping, which will be apparent any time you step in my office, which is adorned with vintage floral paintings, and I think makes for a warm, inviting space.

Woolgathering is defined as “indulgence in idle fancies and in daydreaming.” In the 1500’s, woolgathering referred to gathering loose bits of sheep's wool caught on bushes and fences, which was then spun into yarn and made into clothing and other useful items. This was slow, often solitary, work. Due to the drifting, wandering nature of this task, the phrase became a metaphor for daydreaming.

And daydreams are such a vital and essential need. How do we improve ourselves and our lives if we can’t first dream of it?

I wanted a name that was casual, approachable, and relaxed. One that could grow with my practice if I ever expand. And I also love yarn, made of wool, and so it just made sense.

Radical acceptance.

Radical acceptance involves acknowledging and accepting the reality of a situation, no matter how challenging or distressing it may be. It's about facing the facts without trying to deny or change them. It emphasizes a non-judgmental attitude toward oneself, others, and the situation. This means avoiding self-blame or blaming others. I find this helpful in my own life as well as when working with clients - both my therapy clients and my clients who are involved in the criminal legal system. I’m not here to judge anyone. I’m just here to help.

I’m also great at making connections between the things you say, the things you’re feeling, and the things you want from your life.

I’m also pretty great at having lots of snacks to share, losing my shoes, dropping things, and spilling coffee on my shirt. I call that “showing up authentically,” and you can bet on all of it.