Luis Richter, PsyD

Dr. Luis Richter, PsyD, licensed in the state of Washington, holds a Doctor of Psychology degree from The Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology and an American Board of Professional Psychology certification in Clinical health Psychology.

Luis Richter’s father worked as a diplomat for the US State Department, so he grew up in several different countries including Bolivia, Honduras, France, Egypt, and the United States. As a child he learned that there are many different ways of seeing the world and different understandings of what it means to thrive. As a psychologist Luis continues to appreciate many different cultures, spiritual traditions, and life paths. Luis also provides psychotherapy services in Spanish.

Initially Luis was drawn to studying the "brain" which he saw as the final frontier in medicine. However, he quickly became more fond of working directly with patients than working in a lab. Luis found that psychology combines both behavioural science with the application of philosophical traditions to help people flourish despite challenges that inevitably appear along life's various switchbacks and stages.

Although there is certainly a robust science of human behaviour, each human is truly unique - experiencing the world in their own way and finding their own path. Luis believes that there is something incredibly fulfilling about witnessing another person find happiness and meaning regardless of where they find themselves in life. In the words of Viktor Frankl, "The last of human freedoms is to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances."

Luis describes himself using three C words - Calm, Compassionate, and Confident that everyone can find a measure of fulfilment in life. He believes that change is always possible but it almost always requires some level of motivation and hard work.

Luis specializes in Clinical Health Psychology; the application of the science of how biological, psychological, and social factors can interact to improve health outcomes and maximize quality of life. He has expertise in helping clients with sleep disorders, weight loss, panic disorders, coping with acute and chronic medical illnesses, caregiver stress and grief/loss.

His primary approach is Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, but he often combines it with existential based approaches including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Logotherapy. Luis also believes that the body and the mind are inseparable, so he tends to incorporate biological and health-related considerations to improve the chances of attaining therapy goals.

Luis is grateful to live in the Great Pacific Northwest and enjoys hiking, running, snowshoeing, swimming and biking. He is also a diehard bookworm - eating through just about any type of book or novel.