March 3 marked the opening of the new Hallowell Todaro ADHD & Behavioral Health Center in Bellingham. The health center, an offshoot of the larger Seattle location, will initially serve as a place for new client consultations and therapy, with plans to eventually expand to patient and parent coaching.
Nick Mabbutt, licensed marriage and family therapist and one of the two initial employees at the Bellingham office, briefly describes the difference between coaching and therapy: Coaching is more solution-oriented—how, specifically, to improve executive functions or working memory—while therapy is more broad.
“Therapy is ‘here’s your life and all the systems at play within your life. Your family, your school, your occupation, your relationships. And here’s ADHD. How do we navigate all those?’” Mabbutt says.
Photograph by William Morton
Historically, ADHD has been Hallowell Todaro’s expertise, and while it still will be, they are also expanding to support anxiety, depression, and other mental health diagnoses as well.
“[ADHD] doesn’t live alone,” Mabbutt says. Their philosophy is to focus on strength-based diagnoses.
“ADHD in general,” Mabbutt begins, “is a deficit-based diagnosis.” What a strength- based diagnosis does is reframe the conversation. They look at who you are, what your lived experiences are, and what strengths you bring to the table.
They accept clients of all ages.
“We have clients from five years old all the way to 70-plus,” Mabbutt says. Any prospective new clients are encouraged to reach out through email or check out the Fairhaven office.
1440 10th St., Ste. 102-A, Bellingham, 206.420.7345, hallowelltodaro.com
