Photo by Monica Brown
By Monica Brown, Tulalip News Writer
TULALIP, Wash. – Jeremy Franklin, the new mental health therapist at Tulalip Family Services specializes in helping those who suffer from trauma and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). He is from Eugene Oregon and brings with him an understanding in various cultures, spiritualities and psychology.
“I became interested in psychology during high school, but it was a journey to decide that I wanted to become a counselor,” said Jeremy. “In this field, you go through some difficulties and going through the journey of wellness was part of the process for me in my decision to become a counselor.”
Jeremy gained a portion of his experience from volunteering as a mentor at Rite of Passage Journeys in Bothell. A rite of passage is a significant moment in a person’s life when they transition from one stage of their life to another.
“Most cultures, at some point in their history, had a rite of passage which helped young people transition into becoming adults,” said Jeremy. A mentoring volunteer since 2003 at Rite of Passage Journeys, Jeremy enjoys going on the retreats and mentoring adults by guiding them through their struggles while backpacking through the Olympic Mountains. Rite of Passage Journeys is a program which trains mentors to honor life transitions through intentional rite of passage so that they may help people of different ages to make life–changing decisions by offering counseling in a dramatic change of scenery and emotional space so that the person can gain clarity and confidence.
“Sickness, of any kind, is the result of something being out of balance in a person’s life. As a counselor and client, together we can explore and discover what those imbalances are and seek out the way that they can be addressed. When we bring all the parts of our being into balance, we are moving towards wellness and wholeness,” said Jeremy.
For Jeremy, each of his Tulalip clients is different and unique and he is there to help the client on their journey and decide with them the best way they can begin to heal. He offers them a place where they can express themselves and feel confident that they will be treated with positive regard, respect, safety and non-judgment. He is knowledgeable in prayer, cultural and spiritual explorations if the client is interested in using those tools. One of the main tools Jeremy teaches is gratitude work.
“That is one of the things that helped me the most,” said Jeremy about gratitude work. To explain gratitude work, Jeremy told the story of the two fighting wolves that reside within everyone.
“The grandfather tells his grandson that there are two wolves that live inside of me, the white wolf and the dark wolf and they’re fighting. The white wolf is everything good and positive; its love, hope, faith and the dark wolf is all the things that are hard and hurtful; it’s anger, hate, greed and jealousy. These wolves are in my heart and always fighting. The grandson asks his grandfather, which one will win. And the Grandfather replies, “Whichever one I feed.” Gratitude work is the act of feeding the white wolf and listing the things that you are grateful for in life and looking at each day as a gift.
Jeremy is of Lakota and Irish descent. He earned his Master of Arts in Psychology at Antioch University of Seattle and began his internship in 2012 at Tulalip Family Services. In December he received his degree and in January became a regular employee. His work focuses on those who have suffered trauma and/or have PTSD and the ways they can heal. His hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. For more information on scheduling an appointment, please contact Tulalip Family Services Behavioral Health at 360-716-4400