Jenine Behnken

Hi, I’m Jenine, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate (LMHCA) providing counseling for teens and adults in Maple Valley, WA. I am passionate about helping individuals navigate anxiety, stress, trauma, relationship challenges, life transitions, and the experiences that can leave us feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or unsure of how to move forward.

I believe meaningful healing begins when you have a space where you feel safe, understood, and genuinely supported. Therapy should be collaborative, and my goal is to meet you where you are while helping you better understand yourself, recognize patterns that may be keeping you stuck, and develop practical tools that support lasting change.

I earned my Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Northwest University in 2011. My career has included extensive experience across both clinical and organizational settings, giving me a unique understanding of how our relationships, environments, life experiences, and everyday stressors can influence mental and emotional health.

Early in my career, I worked in residential and foster care settings, supporting children and adolescents who had experienced trauma. This work included creative and body-oriented therapeutic approaches designed to help young people process difficult experiences, develop emotional regulation skills, and rebuild a sense of safety.

I have also completed extensive work with couples, which has deepened my understanding of attachment, communication patterns, conflict, emotional connection, and the ways our closest relationships can impact our overall well-being. While my primary focus is now individual therapy with teens and adults, this experience allows me to bring a strong relational perspective into my work with individuals navigating dating, marriage, family relationships, divorce, interpersonal conflict, or other relationship concerns.

My therapeutic style is warm, collaborative, strengths-based, and practical. Depending on your individual needs, I draw from evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Motivational Interviewing, and principles from Gottman Method Couples Therapy.

Teen Counseling

The adolescent years can bring tremendous emotional, relational, academic, and social pressure. I enjoy helping teens develop a stronger understanding of themselves while building healthy coping skills, emotional regulation, confidence, and communication.

Whether your teen is struggling with anxiety, stress, relationships, family conflict, difficult transitions, or the effects of past experiences, therapy can provide a supportive place to process what they are experiencing and learn tools they can carry into adulthood.

Therapy for Adults

Adults often come to therapy during seasons when something in life no longer feels sustainable. You may be navigating anxiety, overwhelming stress, relationship difficulties, unresolved trauma, changing family dynamics, career pressures, or a significant life transition.

Our work together can help you understand the deeper patterns influencing your thoughts, emotions, and relationships while developing healthier ways of responding to life’s challenges. Therapy can be a place to gain clarity, strengthen boundaries, improve relationships, build resilience, and create meaningful change.

My professional experience in corporate employee relations and organizational development also gives me additional insight into workplace stress, burnout, interpersonal dynamics, leadership challenges, and the impact professional environments can have on emotional health.

Outside of the therapy room, I enjoy spending meaningful time with my husband and family and recharging in the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

If you are looking for a teen therapist or adult counselor in Maple Valley, I would be honored to walk alongside you. You do not have to have everything figured out before beginning therapy. We can start with where you are today and move forward together with compassion, curiosity, and hope.