who we are

Welcome. I’m glad you’re here.

I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor in both Alaska and Oregon, and a clinical supervisor in Alaska. I also hold certification as an Alcohol and Drug Counselor and earned my Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Pacific University in Oregon in 2007. With over 20 years of experience in the mental health field across diverse settings, I bring a trauma-informed, strength-based, and person-centered approach to the work I do.

I am certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a highly effective, evidence-based treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). My work is grounded in the belief that healing is possible for everyone. I’ve seen again and again the profound changes that can happen when people feel truly heard, accepted, and supported.

I work with teens, adults, and elders facing a wide range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, grief, chronic pain, mood disorders, substance and alcohol use, postpartum depression/anxiety, neurodivergence, and more. I honor each person’s unique story and see therapy as a collaborative process—one that helps you reconnect with your inner resilience. 

My professional background includes working in residential treatment with adolescents facing co-occurring mental health and substance use issues, facilitating expressive arts and anger management groups in community mental health, and participating in early intervention programs for emerging mental illness in Oregon. In Alaska, I’ve supported university students at UAA and worked for many years in integrated care at the Native Medical Center, alongside maintaining a private practice.

With degrees in both psychology and art, I often incorporate expressive arts into therapy when it feels meaningful for the client.

Therapy is your space—your journey. It’s a place where you deserve to feel seen, valued, and empowered. Life brings challenges for all of us, and I believe therapy can be a transformative process for anyone seeking growth, healing, or simply a deeper understanding of themselves.

"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in."

Leonard Cohen

https://www.psychologytoday.com/profile/1155769

Hi, I’m Lina Villar. My journey in serving others began in the military and continues now in my work as a counselor. Supporting people through life’s challenges is something I care deeply about, and I truly believe in each person’s ability to grow, heal, and create meaningful change.

I was raised in Los Angeles, CA, and my time in the military allowed me to travel the world and connect with people from all walks of life. That experience gave me a deep respect for different cultures and perspectives. Since 2011, I’ve made Alaska my home—and I can’t imagine living anywhere else.

Professionally, I’ve worked in both individual and group therapy settings, including as the lead clinician for a Partial Hospitalization Program where I supported adults facing acute emotional and behavioral challenges. I’m fluent in Spanish and offer therapy in both English and Spanish.

I’m here to support you through life’s transitions, challenges, and everything in between—whether you’re facing trauma, depression, PTSD, relationship issues, codependency, people-pleasing, grief, or other emotional struggles. You don’t have to go through it alone.

I see therapy as a collaborative journey. You are the expert in your own life, and I’m here to walk with you—helping you build practical tools, deepen your relationships, and move toward healing and resilience. Together, we can create a space where you feel safe, seen, and empowered to grow.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/lina-villar-eagle-river-ak/1487499

Maria is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Alaska and an Alaska Pacific University graduate with a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. She’s been working in the fields of trauma, grief and loss, perinatal mental health, disordered eating, and life transitions for 10 years. Maria completed an Insight yoga teacher training program with Yoga for Mental Health in 2018. She seeks to help others (and herself) thrive in life by nurturing body, mind and spirit.

She specializes in self-empowering body-mind tools to better handle life's stressors and support physical and mental health. She offer's the body-centered approach for addressing the effects of trauma, chronic conditions, anxiety and depression. She feel's passionate about helping individuals overcome their challenges, cope with pain, regulate emotions and improve relationships with others.

Maria utilizes somatic therapy, mindfulness and self-acceptance to promote psychological flexibility and build resilience.

Her main client focus is individual one-on-one therapy (adults, children 16+). The primary therapeutic modalities she uses are: Humanistic, Eclectic, Person-Centered, Strength-Based, Trauma informed/focused, Internal Family Systems, Somatic Experiencing, Mindfulness/Attachment-Based, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and Motivational Interviewing

Her therapeutic specialities are: trauma and PTSD, chronic pain, grief, perinatal mental health, parenting, spirituality, body

awareness, mindfulness. She also works extensively with anxiety, depression/mood disorders, eating disorders, stress, coping skills, life transitions, life coaching, relationship issues, LGBTQ+, transgender and ADHD.

More than just her work:

“Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.”- Rainer Maria Rilke