Patricia Sumlin , LMFT

Patricia Sumlin is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with 25 years of clinical experience who brings a practical, insight-oriented approach to helping people navigate difficult life challenges. She integrates psychodynamic perspectives with skills-based methods such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy and systems theory to create individualized treatment plans that honor both evidence-based practices and common sense. Her style is direct, honest, and nonjudgmental - focused on building a respectful, collaborative alliance that supports emotional regulation, increased mindfulness, and the development of concrete coping skills.

Sumlin has worked across a wide range of settings, including private practice, outpatient clinics offering DBT groups for men and women diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, a medical behavioral health program addressing chronic illness, a homeless shelter providing mental health and substance use services including HIV and AIDS treatment, and residential programs for dual diagnosis. Her background also includes trauma-informed treatment in the 56 Yupik villages of Alaska, a recidivism re-entry program for individuals from San Quentin and Folsom State Prisons, and work in the first hospice in the United States providing death with dignity and bereavement counseling.

Her current clinical focus includes depression, anxiety rooted in trauma, recovery from traumatic bonding and narcissistic abuse, and adults on the autistic spectrum seeking to better understand Asperger's and its impact on relationships. She also provides services for the LGBTQIA community and addresses visible and invisible disability concerns, including neurodiversity such as ADD/ADHD and dyslexia, workplace bullying, ableism, and issues related to inclusion and learning styles. Patricia emphasizes helping people build resilience, authenticity, and practical competence so they can move toward greater stability and wellbeing.

Therapeutic approaches and flexible online care

Patricia Sumlin uses several evidence-informed approaches that translate well to online formats. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, emphasizes practical skills for managing intense emotions, improving distress tolerance, and strengthening interpersonal effectiveness - approaches often used for mood instability, trauma-related dysregulation, and relationship challenges. Attachment-Based Therapy explores patterns formed in early relationships and how they influence current bonds and emotional responses, helping clients address intimacy, abandonment, and attachment issues in their adult lives. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, combines acceptance strategies with values-driven action to help people live a meaningful life even in the presence of difficult thoughts and feelings.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the process. Patricia works collaboratively with each person to identify which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences, adapting techniques over time as treatment progresses and priorities shift.

Online sessions - via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging - offer flexibility and accessibility for people with busy schedules, caregiving responsibilities, or limited local options. These formats allow licensed professionals and therapists to maintain continuity of care, offer different ways to communicate based on comfort and need, and support consistent work toward the client’s goals.