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Sean Orpen

He/Him, LMFT-S, CST-S

In starting my career, I completed my bachelor’s degree from UBC, master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Seattle Pacific University, and the certification program from the American Association of Sex Counselors, Educators, and Therapists (AASECT). As my passion for my profession grew, I knew that I wanted to do more, and this leads me to begin the process of becoming credentialed as a sex therapy supervisor and a Marriage and Family Therapy supervisor, which I am in the process of completing now. Early in my career, I worked closely with and received supervision from the founders of the Gottman Method at the Relationship Research Institute as an intervention facilitator and research interviewer on studies that focused on relational conflict, communication, and decision-making skills. Over time I began to feel drawn to more community service. Eventually, I moved out of research and into clinical work, where I served active duty and retired Army and Special Forces personnel stationed at Joint base Lewis Macchord. What I loved about this work was a greater focus on relationships, intimacy, and sexuality in those I served. With all the difficulties that come from war and military life, I found great value in working directly with individuals and couples to reconnect to their own desire for intimacy, passion, and vulnerability, which eventually led me towards a more focused practice in sex therapy.

What You Can Expect

My therapeutic style can best be described as deeply valuing, warm, yet challenging
by those who work with me. I routinely lecture to graduate-level therapists at local
universities around issues of sexuality and atypical sexual practices (Kink/BDSM),
provide supervision and mentorship to new sex therapists in the field, I work closely
with the LGBTQIA+ community, and I deeply value working with folx who seek to
bring more pleasure and self-acceptance into their lives. My private practice focuses
on being inclusive and providing evidence-based treatments rooted in
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (MCBT), Functional Analytic
Psychotherapy (FAP), Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), Gottman Method, and
Solution Focused Psychotherapy.

My Story

I am Canadian and was born in a small town in British Columbia called White Rock and am the product of both a multi-generational military family as well as a large Ukrainian family. The family values instilled in me at an early age were, and are a blend of placing deep value and meaning in working hard, choosing the adversity one wishes to face, and the nourishing value found in interconnectedness. Family, community, work, values, principles, all have shaped me into the man I am today, how I love, and how I work with my patients to create a more meaningful life that feels owned. In my free time, I enjoy being in nature, hiking, backpacking and traveling. My next big trip is to Patagonia, by myself, where I get to complete a bucket list item and climb mountains rarely seen…all the while exploring who I am along the way. I am grateful for this life and for the potential in being able to work with you in shaping your life into something that leaves you feeling more skilled and alive!

Interests

When I am not working you can often find me hiking mountains, in and outside of the US, journaling, reading, collecting tattoos, and submerging myself in street art of all kinds. I love seeing parts of life that are hidden and not easily accessible. I also spend a great deal of time with my community, my dog Zoe, and my cat Chloe (I have come to realize how much of a mistake it was to have their names be so similar).

Books I Suggest

Trainings

  • AAMFT approved supervisor
  • WAMFT
  • AASECT certified sex therapist
  • AASECT certified sex therapist supervisor
  • EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

Schedule a meeting with Sean Orpen

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