Jennifer Lee

Founder and Owner
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker

I’m the founder and owner of Wayfinder Counseling. After more than 25 years as a social worker and therapist, much of my work today is focused on supporting therapists, providing clinical supervision, and building a practice where excellent mental health care is accessible to more people.

Over the course of my career, I’ve worked in hospitals, schools, social service agencies, disaster response, and private practice with children, teens, adults, couples, and families. All of those experiences have shaped how I think about therapy - and how I lead Wayfinder.

From Therapist to Practice Owner

Wayfinder grew out of my own work as a therapist. My caseload was full, and I knew there were many more people looking for high-quality mental health care. I also knew how difficult it could be to find a therapist who was experienced and affirming, shared their values, and accepted their insurance.

At the same time, I had discovered how much I enjoyed supervising and teaching other therapists. Starting Wayfinder gave me the opportunity to combine the parts of my career I value most: my experience as a clinician, my love of teaching and supervision, and my commitment to making high-quality, affirming mental health care available to more people.

I founded Wayfinder around several principles that have guided my work for years: good therapy should be accessible; people deserve care that affirms who they are; social justice should influence how we provide care; and therapists need ongoing support, consultation, and education to do their best work.

Those principles continue to guide how I lead the practice today.

Supporting Therapists

Clinical supervision and the development of new therapists have been important parts of my career for many years. I completed Smith College’s Advanced Certificate in Clinical Supervision in 2007 and have provided clinical supervision to social workers and master’s-level therapists ever since.

I have served as a Field Liaison for the Social Work Program at Seattle University and as a practicum instructor for students from the University of Washington, Smith College, Boston University, Western Washington University, Eastern Washington University, and Antioch University.

I’m also a past board member of the Washington State Society for Clinical Social Work and previously served as Chair of its Associates Committee, where I had the opportunity to focus particularly on the needs of newer clinical social workers.

I consider myself incredibly fortunate that owning Wayfinder allows me to continue working closely with new therapists and therapists in training. I enjoy helping clinicians develop confidence in their clinical judgment, think through complicated cases, navigate ethical questions, and figure out who they want to be as therapists.

My approach to supervision is collaborative and direct. I’ll ask questions, offer ideas, challenge you when appropriate, and probably make you laugh occasionally. I don’t expect therapists to have all the answers. I expect them to be thoughtful, curious, ethical, willing to ask for help, and committed to continuing to learn.

My Clinical Background

Before my work became focused primarily on practice leadership and supervision, I spent many years providing direct clinical care. I’ve worked with people navigating trauma, difficult family and relationship dynamics, parenting, mental health and substance use within families, identity, and major life transitions. My extensive experience with children and adolescents also led me to become a Child Mental Health Specialist (CMHS) in Washington State.

My career has included extensive work in disaster mental health response as well. Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, I provided mental health services to survivors and first responders. I traveled to Louisiana with the American Red Cross in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and later returned to New Orleans to provide services through a SAMHSA-supported disaster response program.

Those experiences deepened my understanding of trauma, resilience, community, and the many different ways people respond when their lives are disrupted.

Education & Experience

I earned my undergraduate degree in Human Services from The George Washington University in Washington, DC, and my Master’s degree in Social Work from the Smith College School for Social Work in Northampton, Massachusetts.

I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) and Child Mental Health Specialist (CMHS) in Washington State and completed Smith College’s Advanced Certificate in Clinical Supervision in 2007.

After more than 25 years in this field, I still believe deeply in the value of good therapy. My role just looks different today. Instead of focusing primarily on my own caseload, much of my work is now about supporting the therapists who support our clients and building a practice that makes excellent mental health care available to more people.

For me, leading Wayfinder is another way of doing the work I have cared about throughout my career: expanding access, supporting people, challenging inequities, and helping create the kind of mental health care I believe people deserve.