Patricia Sumlin, LMFT

Patricia Sumlin is a licensed LMFT - Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist - with 25 years of clinical experience helping individuals and families navigate complex emotional and relational challenges. She brings a pragmatic, insight-oriented approach that blends evidence-informed therapies with a straightforward, nonjudgmental style aimed at building trust, practical skills, and lasting resilience.

Her background includes leadership and program development across a range of settings, from outpatient clinics offering DBT groups to medical behavioral health programs addressing chronic illness. She has provided services in homeless shelter programs that combined mental health, substance use, and HIV/AIDS treatment, led trauma-informed work in remote Yupik villages of Alaska, and offered bereavement and end-of-life counseling in hospice settings. Patricia has also directed residential programs for men with dual diagnoses and contributed to re-entry efforts for formerly incarcerated individuals.

Patricia has worked with diverse and multicultural populations including Native American and Native Alaskan communities. Her clinical focus includes depression, trauma-related anxiety, recovery from traumatic bonding and narcissistic abuse, and support for adults on the autistic spectrum seeking to understand Asperger's and its impact on relationships. She also provides care for LGBTQIA individuals across issues of sexual orientation, gender identity, parenting, and relational conflict.

Committed to accessibility and advocacy, Patricia addresses visible and invisible disability concerns, neurodiversity such as ADD/ADHD and dyslexia, and the effects of ableism and workplace bullying. Her practice emphasizes collaboration, respectful boundaries, and skill building so clients gain confidence, emotional regulation, and greater stability in daily life.

Evidence-based approaches adapted for online care

Patricia integrates therapies that translate well to remote work, including Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Attachment-Based Therapy. DBT focuses on building practical skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness - tools that are useful for intense mood swings, relationship conflict, and stress management. Attachment-Based Therapy explores relational patterns formed early in life and how they affect current connections, helping clients address intimacy issues, abandonment concerns, and relational trauma.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Patricia works with each client to identify goals, preferences, and the strategies that best fit their situation, adjusting methods over time so therapy remains targeted and effective. That partnership helps clients feel heard while developing concrete coping skills and insight.

Online sessions offer flexibility and accessibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to schedule consistent care, maintain progress between sessions, and access licensed professionals from home or work. For many people, remote therapy supports continuity, convenience, and a steady path toward better emotional and relational functioning.