Michelle Kjolso, LMHCA
License #MC70081886
I’m Michelle, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate, and I’m passionate about supporting adolescents and young adults as they navigate life’s challenges, transitions, and personal growth. Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work with young people as a behavior specialist, social worker, school counselor, and mental health counselor, helping them through a wide range of emotional, social, academic, and mental health concerns.
Outside of my professional life, I’m a mom of three and have been married for 25 years. In my free time, I enjoy reading, listening to 90’s hip hop, camping, road trips, reality TV, and visiting any beach I can.
A fun fact about my family: there’s almost always one of us wearing a pair of Vans - it’s become a bit of a family trademark.
Why Altera? It means “other” or “alter” and represents change, new possibilities, and another path forward.
Supervised by Michelle Henderson, LH.60736785
What Therapy with Me Looks Like
Working with adolescents and young adults is something I’m deeply passionate about. I understand how complex this stage of life can be - exciting, confusing, overwhelming, and everything in between. Between school, work, friendships, family expectations, relationships, social media, and figuring out who you are, it’s easy to feel stressed, stuck, anxious, or disconnected. Therapy is a space where you don’t have to have everything figured out.
I aim to create a supportive, judgment-free space where you feel heard, understood, and comfortable being yourself. We’ll move at a pace that feels right for you and focus on what matters most in your life.
Together, we’ll explore what you’re experiencing -whether it’s anxiety, depression, stress, self-esteem concerns, relationship challenges, life transitions, or feeling overwhelmed - and how your experiences and relationships influence your thoughts, emotions, and reactions.
We’ll look at how stress affects both your mind and body, often showing up as overthinking, irritability, people-pleasing, perfectionism, difficulty concentrating, or feeling on edge. Recognizing these patterns can help you better understand yourself and create lasting change.
As we go, we’ll identify triggers, build coping strategies that fit your life, and develop practical tools you can use outside of sessions. My approach is collaborative - meaning we’ll work together to find what works for you.
My hope is that therapy helps you feel more confident, connected, and equipped to navigate life’s challenges. You don’t have to go through it alone, and you don’t have to have everything figured out before starting—therapy can be a place to explore, grow, heal, and reconnect with your strengths.
Empowering Adolescents & Young Adults
This stage of life can feel like standing at a crossroads with a lot of pressure to choose the “right” direction. You’re growing into independence while still figuring out how to manage expectations, relationships, responsibilities, and your own sense of identity.
I’m passionate about supporting you through that process in a way that helps things feel more manageable and less overwhelming. In our work together, we slow things down, make space for what you’re experiencing, and build practical ways to navigate stress, uncertainty, and change.
My goal is to help you feel more steady in yourself, more confident in your decisions, and more equipped to move through this stage of life with clarity and self-trust.
In a world that constantly asks you to be more - more productive, more social, more "perfect" - it is easy to feel like you are failing a test you never signed up for. This "hustle for worthiness" is often at the root of the burnout, anxiousness, and disconnect you might be feeling.
Moving through the "Stuck" Moments
We work to address the specific patterns that keep you feeling stalled or overwhelmed in your daily life. Some ways they may show up include:
Anxiety: That "always-on" feeling – overthinking every interaction or feeling like your nervous system can’t find the off-switch.
Depression & Disconnect: Struggling with low motivation and brain fog, or feeling like you’re just going through the motions.
Stress & Burnout: The exhaustion of perfectionism and the feeling that you're constantly falling behind no matter how hard you work.
Areas of Focus:
Anxiety • Peer relationships • Perfectionism & fear of failure • Depression • Identity development • Social media stress • School stress • Low self-esteem • Loneliness & disconnection • Emotion regulation • Body image concerns • Anger & irritability • Family conflict • Life transitions • Behavioral challenges • Grief & loss • Trauma & adverse experiences • Substance use • Boundaries, motivation & direction
Email: Michelle@Alteracounseling.com
Phone: (425) 546-1419
Filling out this form is a simple way to set up your free 20-minute consultation. I look forward to meeting you and talking about how we can make positive changes together.
Serving all of Washington
Common Questions
Do you provide sessions virtually?
Yes. At this time, I offer counseling exclusively through secure video sessions, allowing you to receive consistent, confidential support from wherever you are.
What are your office hours?
To better support my clients, I am currently offering evening and weekend hours.
Tuesday , Wednesday & Thursday: 5:30 PM– 8:30 PM
Saturday & Sunday: 1:00 PM– 7:00 PM
Do you accept insurance?
I don’t accept insurance. I offer self-pay with a steep sliding scale to make sessions more manageable. I can provide a superbill for possible reimbursement. We’ll go over everything during your first session.
How long is each session and how much does each session cost?
Session Length: 55 minutes. Cost: $60.00-$90.00 per session.