Meet Bailey
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Washington: License #70104590
Welcome to Mending Mosaic Therapy!
My name is Bailey Honda (they/them), and I identify as a Japanese, nonbinary, queer therapist. It is an honor to have you here.
As long as I can remember, I have been someone who loves connecting with people by listening to their stories and how their life experiences have shaped who they are. I understand that our experiences inevitably impact the way we see and interact with the world. It’s a privilege to know the depths of someone’s story, one that I do not take for granted in this work.
The work I do primarily comes from a narrative and trauma-informed lens. This means that I am profoundly interested in your story; what are the narratives that inform who you are, your relationships, and how you show up in the world? These narratives can be influenced by our families, experiences, and society. My therapy approach is collaborative and client-centered. As a therapist, I believe that my clients have everything they need within themselves to address and solve the problems that come up in their lives. To me, therapy is a safe space to explore, acknowledge, and develop the skills you need to live your most authentic life.
I have experience and a passion for working with individuals and families who are part of the BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ communities. I believe that healing happens within community, and that we were never meant to do this life alone. My focus areas include Identity exploration and issues (race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender), Domestic Violence and Intimate partner violence, Grief and Loss, Life Transitions, Self-esteem / Worth, Depression and Heaviness, Anxiety and Worry, Trauma (CPTSD & PTSD), and Neurodivergence.
Therapeutic Approach
I pull from a variety of theories and techniques. I find Narrative Therapy, Systemic Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Trauma-informed therapy, and Play and Art in therapy are often supportive for my clients.
-
A client-centered approach that views people as separate from their problems, encouraging individuals to externalize issues and re-author their stories to find empowerment and healing. You have the power to change the meaning of your story.
-
An approach that views an individual not in isolation, but as connected to their relationships, culture, family structures, and environments. These systems make up who we are and our understanding of our experiences.
-
A goal-oriented approach that identifies and emphasizes the client's existing inner resources, skills, and past successes. Positive change is promoted by encouraging you to focus on what you can do, rather than what you can’t.
-
A therapeutic approach that centers emotional safety, choice, and understanding of how past experiences shape present behavior. We address your full life experiences, what you’ve lived through, how your body and mind have adapted, and what you need to feel safe in the healing process. I trust that you are the expert of your story and meet you where you are at.
-
Although I am not a certified Play Therapist, I utilize a lot of play-directed therapeutic interventions, especially with my younger clients. Play is important in therapy because it is a child's natural language. Just as adults use words to talk through problems, children use toys, games, and pretend scenarios to express complex emotions, process trauma, and build social skills.
-
Although I am not a certified Art Therapist, I utilize a lot of art-directed therapeutic interventions to support my clients of all ages. Art is a powerful tool that helps reduce stress, express hard-to-speak feelings, build emotional strength, and boost self-esteem without needing any prior art skills.
MA: Marriage and Family Therapy – Pacific Lutheran University
BS: Molecular and Cellular Biology – University of Puget Sound
Training and Education:
Association of Marriage & Family Therapy
Washington Association of Marriage & Family Therapy
Professional Associations:
Outside of therapy work, I love to reconnect with myself by doing things that bring me joy! I love making art, exploring new places, spending quality time with friends/chosen family, birding, and hiking my favorite trails in Point Defiance Park. I have two cats named Toast and Luna, who you may occasionally see if you participate in telehealth.
A little more about me:
About My Logo & Name
-
I see individuals as mosaics; someone made up of eclectic pieces such as our culture, identities, values, and experiences that blend to form a beautiful whole. Each piece is special on its own, and when you mend them together, you create a unique system that is you. As a systemic therapist, I believe that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” meaning that when I am supporting you, I am supporting you as an entire person. I am not isolating symptoms or pieces of you; I am looking from a bird’s-eye view to see connections and patterns that may be contributing to your “problem.”
As humans, we are constantly learning and growing, ever changing the pieces of our mosaic. The magic is mending our pieces together to become our most authentic selves. I believe my job is to support folks in creating and living their truest, most beautiful life. I am here to assist in mending your mosaic pieces.
-
As I was creating Mending Mosaic’s logo, I knew that I wanted to contribute some of my own mosaic pieces that felt important to my work as a therapist.
Monstera
I was born and raised on the Big Island of Hawai’i, where monsteras thrived in my backyard. They remind me of my Hawai’i roots, where we are a “melting pot” of cultures and ethnicities. The diversity in traditions, values, and lifestyles comes together with the spirit of Aloha. Aloha is a Hawaiian word with many definitions, but in short, it can be defined as compassion and love. It is how you choose to treat others and how you want to be treated. After leaving my community on the islands to make the PNW my home, I have learned that Aloha is not only instilled in me, but something I can bring with me wherever I go. I can share the Aloha. It is a part of who I am. It helps me connect not only with others, but also with the culture and environment around me.
Kintsugi
A few years ago, I had the incredible opportunity to take a Kintsugi class in Japan to further connect with my Japanese roots. Kintsugi — which means “join with gold” — is the traditional Japanese art of repairing broken objects, often ceramic pottery or glass. In the class, we were taught that it inspires us to embrace our ‘flaws’ and accept them as a part of life. The repaired cracks of the pottery represent the healing process. Life’s difficulties can leave many ‘scars,’ but our resilience and ability to heal can eventually lead to beautiful personal growth. This art reminds me of the work I do with clients as a therapist, and how I aspire to hold a safe space for folks who are navigating embracing themselves to find healing.
Rainbow
As a queer and non-binary therapist, I am very passionate about giving back to the LGBTQIA2S+ community who has been so life-giving to me. I know how incredible it is to work with a therapist who not only gives space for identity development, but celebrates it as an element of the growth and healing process. I understand that sometimes safe spaces for our community can feel limited, and my goal is to be a container of safety where you can show up authentically and feel not just seen, but celebrated.