Lynlee Weber, LICSW
Hi! I’m Lynlee. I received my Masters of Social Work in 2014 from Wichita State University, where I previously earned a BA in Liberal Arts in 2008. Since graduating, I have worked in private practice, as well as a comprehensive reproductive and sexual healthcare clinic, community mental health crisis services, acute inpatient psychiatric facilities, and with criminal defense teams. I am a Master Certified practitioner of Accelerated Resolution Therapy, and trained in Phases 1&2 of Brainspotting.
I have dedicated my professional career to helping people in their hardest moments. And it is my greatest joy to celebrate with them when they take back their power, control, and confidence.
After experiencing the healing power of EMDR following a number of traumatic losses in my own life, I sought to better understand how it worked - and how to speed up the process. Because the one downside I had to EMDR, was that it took a long time.
I was tuned in to Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) by another practitioner - and it honestly sounded too good to be true. I researched and read and signed up for a training. That’s all it took. Experiencing ART during that training was transformative. I came back to my practice ready to get down to the business of helping others on their healing journeys. I have seen so many clients truly change their lives - anxiety, OCD, grief, and trauma - from childhood abuse and neglect, to car wrecks, to dental trauma, to loss of a loved one, to phobias related to past trauma. I saw so much improvement in my clients in such a short span of time, that I sought Advanced training in ART and am now a Master Certified ART practitioner.
Beyond the healing power of ART, I love that it is fast. I have seen some clients one time. ONE SESSION. Studies show 1-5 sessions is average for most people. Also, clients don’t have to talk about their trauma for weeks before getting to the treatment. As the ART therapist, I don’t need to know the details. I know! You thought therapy was supposed to be all talking about the bad shit that’s happened and feeling vulnerable. So many people avoid therapy because they find it difficult to talk about, or in the case of defense lawyers, they aren’t allowed to talk about the things that cause their suffering. And with ART, they don’t have to. When I went through EMDR therapy as a client, it was hard to go to therapy at times because I was so tired of carrying the weight of the grief. But that process required me to talk about it first. I am so glad that with ART (which has some similarities to EMDR - which you can read about here if you’d like) that my clients don’t have to talk about the things they find stressing in order to heal from them.
Currently, I provide individual therapy through my practice Lent Ear Therapy and also provide mitigation services to criminal defense teams through my business Mighty Mitigation.
In January 2023, my colleague Lindsay Bendell and I began the Non-Capital Mitigation Consultation Hour, a free monthly nationwide consultation service for non-capital mitigation specialists to consult on difficult cases/clients and provide a forum for networking. If you are interested in attending, you can sign up here.
Experience
-
Wichita State University
Master of Social Work
May 2014Wichita State University
Bachelor of Arts
in Gender Studies, Psychology, and Health Professions
with a minor in Sociology
December 2008 -
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW)
State of Washington
License # LW61010740
January 2020 - PresentLicensed Master Social Worker (LMSW)
State of Kansas
License # 9215
May 2014 - May 2021Master Accelerated Resolution Therapy Practitioner
International Society of Accelerated Resolution Therapy
Certification ID # M3244
2023Advanced Accelerated Resolution Therapy Practitioner
International Society of Accelerated Resolution Therapy
Certification ID # A3244
2023Basic Accelerated Resolution Therapy Practitioner
International Society of Accelerated Resolution Therapy
Certification ID # B3244
2023Brainspotting, Level 1
Pacific Brainspotting Trainings
2024Advanced Forensic Social Work Certificate
National Organization of Forensic Social Work
2021Forensic Social Work Certificate
National Organization of Forensic Social Work
2021 -
National Association of Social Workers
National Organization of Forensic Social Work
National Association for Public Defense
National Legal Aid & Defender Association
National Alliance of Sentencing Advocates and Mitigation Specialists
International Society of Accelerated Resolution Therapy
Washington Association of Legal Investigators
Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
-
Accelerated Resolution Therapy, Advanced and Enhanced - The Rosenzweig Center for Rapid Recovery - July 2023
Mastering Mitigation - Mitigation Mentor - July 2023
Accelerated Resolution Therapy, Basic - The Rosenzweig Center for Rapid Recovery - October 2022
Holistic Defence & Leadership Conference - Presenter: Non-Capital Mitigation Workshop - National Legal Aid & Defender Association - June 2023
NAPD Meetup - Presenter: Starting a Private Practice Mitigation Career - National Association for Public Defense - February 2023
LEAP for Criminal Justice Professionals - Dr. Xavier Amador via NAPD - October 2022
Social Work in Public Defense - Federal Public Defender Office, District of Kansas - March 2022
Advanced Forensic Social Work Certificate Program - National Organization of Forensic Social Work - December 2021
Mitigation Training - Advancing Real Change - November 2021
Forensic Social Work Certificate Program - National Organization of Forensic Social Work - October 2021
Domestic Mediation Training - Kuhlman Conflict Resolutions - June 2019
Domestic Case Management and Limited Case Management - KIPCOR - June 2019
CORE Mediation: Practical Skills for Managing Interpersonal Conflict - KIPCOR - April 2019
Investigators and Social Workers & Sentencing Advocates Conference - National Association for Public Defense - June 2018
Mental Health Approaches to Intellectual/Developmental Disability National Association for the Dually Diagnosed - May 2018
Capital Mitigation Skills Workshop - Federal Capital Habeas Project - December 2017
-
Truthfully - you don’t. Right? That’s what makes it so hard to choose a therapist. I tell all of my clients during their consult or first session that it’s ok if I’m not the right fit. You can tell me. Not every therapist is the right fit for every client. I encourage my clients to tell me if they feel they have different needs - and then I seek out other therapists who can fill them for you.
That said, I don’t have to do that often. Many of my clients have remarked that they like attending therapy with me because I’m down-to-Earth, conversational, non-judgmental, and not only will I be present with you in the dark moments, but I’ll be celebrating the wins right along side.
Many of my clients have referred friends and family members to me, which is the greatest compliment I can receive. I am happy to do your consultation via phone call or televideo chat so you can get a better sense of who I am and if I would be the right fit for you.
-
I get it - you want to talk to someone who understands.
I grew up poor, in one of the worst states for impoverished children (Hi, Kansas!). Food insecurity, homelessness (granted a privileged version as we were able to stay with family), and emotionally distant parents with a side of religious abuse. Deconstructing religion and setting firm boundaries are things I have done and help others to do.
I was a young mom. My kid is now a college grad living in NYC. The path from point A to B was rarely smooth. Being a parent is hard. I support people doing it (including those who realize now they shouldn’t have had kids), those who want to do it, and those who know they definitely don’t want to do it. While I raised my kid and attended college, I was also a gestational surrogate and also worked for many years in the third-party reproduction industry. I carried babies for gay men who wanted more than anything to be dads. (Yes, we’re all still in touch. Yes, they’re amazing kids/adults. And yes, I see clients who are exploring surrogacy as a carrier or as an intended parent.)
Following my bachelor’s degree, I worked for a Planned Parenthood affiliate doing education and outreach. I worked a lot with incarcerated youth. To this day, one of my proudest moments was when a young man working at a fast food restaurant recognized me and thanked me for teaching him - two years later! - when I pulled up in the drive thru. Doing this work led me to getting my Masters in Social Work, and working for a comprehensive reproductive health clinic which primarily provided abortions and gender-affirming hormone therapy. No small feat in Wichita, KS. I have since helped many people exploring options during an unintended or medically complicated pregnancy and healing from shame and trauma that often accompanies these decisions.
I don’t mean to just talk about jobs in this section, but these I mentioned have been so integral in my life, my identity, and, I think, showcase my personal values.
I’m married to a lovely man. We have a corgi named Tango (his photo makes a brief appearance on my homepage, and his name is from my favorite film, Pacific Rim). We all moved to Washington at the tail end of 2019, so, I still feel pretty new to the area. My hobbies include knitting, crocheting, silversmithing, a variety of other handcrafts (because ADHD), trying to garden and remembering to water all my houseplants, and drinking really strong coffee on my sofa with my dog. I love vintage shopping, which will be apparent any time you step in my office, which is adorned with vintage floral paintings, and I think makes for a warm, inviting space.
-
Simply, I fancy myself the kind of person who is always ready to lend an ear to someone in need.
I wanted a name that was casual, approachable, and relaxed. One that could grow with my practice if I ever expand.
I also had the idea for the logo because my dog is a really good listener. -
Radical acceptance.
Radical acceptance involves acknowledging and accepting the reality of a situation, no matter how challenging or distressing it may be. It's about facing the facts without trying to deny or change them. It emphasizes a non-judgmental attitude toward oneself, others, and the situation. This means avoiding self-blame or blaming others. I find this helpful in my own life as well as when working with clients - both my therapy clients and my clients who are involved in the criminal legal system. I’m not here to judge anyone. I’m just here to help and lend an ear.