MEET ANDREW ZARATE, MSW, RDN, CD, LCSW, LICSW
You can lean into your life instead of bracing against it.
BIPOC and LGBTQ+ therapist offering online therapy in Seattle, WA, & New York City
Something in your life isn’t working like you want, and you can’t ignore it anymore.
My clients tend to say things like:
“I've been struggling with my identity my whole life, and it affects everything.”
“My family didn't accept me, and it’s impacting how I live my life.”
“I keep having the same problems in my relationships and I don't know what I'm doing wrong.”
“One bad thought leads to the next and I can't stop it. I just unravel.”
“Something feels off and I can't figure out what it is.”
“I thought I knew where my life was going, and now I have no idea.”
“I don't know who I am anymore. I've changed so much.”
“I just want someone to listen and help me understand what I'm feeling without trying to change it.”
You know what you’re experiencing, but what are you feeling?
MY APPROACH & PHILOSOPHY
By understanding your inner world, we can improve your outer experience.
The philosophy at the core of my practice is this: We can be harmed in relationships, but we can also be healed within them.
As a relationally-oriented therapist, I use the relationships in your life (your family, your partner, your friends, your community) and the relationship between us as therapist and client to help you develop a stronger sense of who you are, figure out what you want (and don’t want), and find greater satisfaction in your life.
Vulnerability truly is the pathway toward connection, but many of my clients have learned to keep a protective wall up. I’ve found that, by creating a space where it is safe to bring that wall down and practice leaning into vulnerability, people are able to grow in ways they couldn’t before.
A large part of the work involves learning to identify the emotions that accompany your external experience. Drawing on a psychodynamic approach, I help my clients slow down long enough to notice what is happening internally, name that feeling, and sit with it. It’s like untangling a ball of yarn.
That feeling of something being off, of not knowing who you are, of not knowing what you want—this is where we figure that out so you can make more intentional choices for your life.
LGBTQ+ AFFIRMING AND MULTICULTURAL THERAPY
I am a gay, Filipino-American who understands the nuances of existing outside of the majority.
Being part of the LGBTQ+ community, a person of color, and the child of immigrants, I understand the role cultural identity plays in our lives. It can affect how safe we feel, how trusting we are of other people, and how much we allow ourselves to open up.
Many of my clients work with me because they don’t need to spend time giving context to their experience. I know what it means to be in these communities, and I also know you are so much more than your race, sexuality, and gender identity. I welcome all facets of who you are into our sessions.
I specialize in…
When you give yourself permission to open up, you can go…
From:
Not knowing who you are or what you want and just going through the motions.
Feeling like something about you is “unacceptable.”
Having the same problems on repeat in your relationships.
Reacting to conflict in ways you feel you can’t control.
Not knowing what you’re feeling or being “closed off” emotionally.
Feeling like you can't be yourself around your family.
Feeling like your world is small and you have no one to talk to.
Hiding parts of your sexuality or identity from yourself or others.
TO:
Having a clearer, more grounded sense of self and knowing what you want out of life.
Having compassion for yourself, your needs, and your emotions.
Recognizing your part in the pattern and changing how you participate in them.
Staying present during difficult conversations and choosing how you respond.
Recognizing your emotions and having the words to communicate them.
Holding onto who you are as an individual while maintaining your cultural identity.
Allowing yourself to be vulnerable enough to develop relationships that feel more emotionally honest, secure, and satisfying.
Letting yourself be fully who you are.
Training & Education
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Masters of Social Work (MSW) from New York University
Dietetic Internship in Public Health Nutrition at Hunter College School of Public Health
Bachelors of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from Bastyr University
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) by the New York State Education Department
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) by the Washington State Department of Health
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RD or RDN) with the Commission on Dietetic Registration
Certified Dietitian (CD) by the Washington State Department of Health
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EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) Certification (in process)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) Basic Training from The Institute for Creative Mindfulness
Postgraduate Certificate in Intensive Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy from The William Alanson White Institute
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National Institute for the Psychotherapies
GMHC (formerly Gay Men’s Health Crisis)
Past Board Member, Conference Committee Chair, Puget Sound Group Psychotherapy Network
Past Legislative Committee Member, Washington State Society for Clinical Social Work
Professional Member, EMDRIA
Professional Member, New York State Society for Clinical Social Work
Professional Member, Psychotherapy Action Network
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Bipolar Disorder Amongst Filipinx Americans. In Nadal K, Tintiangco-Cubales A, and David EJR (Eds). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Filipina/x/o American Studies. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, in press.
Living in this Disembodied Body: Navigating the Treatment of Eating Disorders with Trans and Gender Non-conforming Individuals. In G. Jacobson, J. Niemira, & K. Violeta (Ed.) Sex, Sexuality, and Trans Identities: Clinical Guidance for Psychotherapists and Counselors. New York: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Reproductive cancer and mental health in women. In K. L. Nadal (Ed.) Sage Encyclopedia on Psychology and Gender. New York: Sage.
“Filipinx American Psychotherapy Clinical Case Presentation: Disclosing Trauma, Performing Masculinity, and Paying for Psychotherapy.” Hosted by the Asian American Psychological Association's Division on Filipinx Americans.
“LGBTQ+ Intersections - Career & Identity.” Hosted and moderated by the NYU Alumni Club of LA.
“Queering Body Positivity.” Presented at Amazon Headquarters. Seattle, WA.
“Asian Pacific Americans & Mental Health.” Presented at the University of Washington. Seattle, WA.
"Let's Talk About Mental Health: First Steps, a Panel on Mental Health in the Asian American Pacific Islander Community." Presented at Hunter College. New York, NY.
"Exploring the complexities of treating trans and gender nonconforming patients and their use of disordered eating to manage body dissatisfaction." Presented at The Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy 2016 Transgender Mental Health Symposium. New York, NY.
“HCAP Presents: LGBTQ Asian and Pacific Islander experience and mental health.” Presented at Hunter College. New York, NY.
“Intuitive and Mindful Eating.” Presented at Spring Clearance 2015 Retreat. Lake Wononscopomuc, CT.
“Intuitive Eating: Learning to Listen to Our Own Bodies.” Presented at APICHA Community Health Center (formerly Asian & Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/AIDS). New York, NY.
“Super Foods, and Healthy Eating in Substance Abuse Recovery.” Gay City Health Project. Seattle, WA.
“Intuitive Eating, Mindful Eating, and Health At Every Size.” Presented at Sojourner Place. Seattle, WA.
INCLUSIVE ONLINE THERAPY IN SEATTLE, WA, AND NEW YORK, NY