Linda J. MacDonald, MS, LMFT is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist with over 23 years’ experience. She graduated from Seattle Pacific University in 1988 with a Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. She did her internship with Lutheran Social Services and has been in private practice since 1987, usually with a group of other counseling clinicians. She currently works at The Shepherd's Center for Psychological Services with a team of Christian therapists.
She has a special interest in:
- helping couples and individuals recover from infidelity
- teaching people how to repair hurts in their relationships
- healing prayer for childhood wounds
- equipping people with skills to overcome personal and family dysfunctions
- exploring ways to ameliorate depression
- giving people tools as they recover from growing up in alcoholic homes
- spiritual, emotional abuse
- developing coping strategies for stepfamilies
- helping people process grief and loss
Linda believes the spiritual part of our lives is a key component in emotional and relational healing. She personally embraces a Christian worldview, and yet is very respectful of others' beliefs. She uses an active, coaching style of therapy while offering empathetic support as people find peace in the midst of chaos, meaning from pain, and wholeness out of brokenness.
Along with her love of counseling, Linda is a workshop leader, freelance writer, and author of the widely used one-act play, Broken Heart. She has conducted workshops on: Healthy Dating, Healing the Root of Bitterness, The Healing Power of Apology, Conflict Resolution, Healing Abandonment Grief, Recovering from Intimate Betrayal: Together, and Recovering from Intimate Betrayal: Alone.
Linda is married to Dan MacDonald, Pastor of DuPont Community Presbyterian Church. They enjoy kayaking, camping, reading, long walks. They also enjoy volunteering for such ministries as Celebrate Recovery, local prison ministry, teaching opportunities, marriage education, and retreats. They have four adult children between them and two granddaughters.
Washington State Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, #LF00001029
Clinical Member of The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
Member of The American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC)
M.S., Marriage & Family Therapy, Seattle Pacific University, 1988.
B.A., General Studies with Emphasis in Counseling, Antioch University, 1985.
A.A., Dental Hygiene, Shoreline Community College, 1973.
Linda has also attended many workshops over the years, most notably on helping couples and individuals heal from infidelity. She has 72 hours of CEU's related to infidelity recovery, and has sat under some of the top experts in the country, including a 20 hour AAMFT intensive training with infidelity expert Dr. Shirley Glass, and live workshops with Janice A. Spring, PhD, Frank Pittman, MD., and Emily Brown, PhD.
1987 – Now Individual, Marriage & Family Therapist, Private Practice, Various office
settings, with brief gaps associated with geographical relocations.
2001 - Now The Shepherd’s Center for Psychological Services
2002 - Now Monthly Peer Consultation, Puyallup Consult Group, Summit View Clinic
1994 – 2000 Pearl Counseling Associates, with weekly peer consultation
1992 – 1994 Pearl Counseling Associates
1989 – 1992 Discovery Counseling Associates, w/ weekly peer consultations
1988 – 1989 Home office, private practice
1997 – 1988 Home office, private practice with supervision
1987 – 1988 Counseling Intern, Lutheran Social Services
1986 – 1988 Clinical Trainin, Presbyterian Counseling Service, AAMFT accredited
1983 - 1985 Taught Lay Counselor Training Program, Calvary Northshore
1979 - 1985 Lay Counselor, Calvary Northshore, 8 - 15 hours per week
1980 - Now Wrote, Directed & Self-Published Therapeutic Drama, "Broken Heart"
1988 - 1991 Trained women Young Life Leaders (mostly college age)
1970 - 1978 Volunteer Young Life Leader (of teenagers), 12 - 15 hours per week.
