And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. ~Anais Nin
Mark Lucero
My background as a helping professional includes working as a therapist with individuals and groups and as an adolescent and family counselor. I have provided psychological services to Veterans in the VA hospital system and have worked as a therapist to criminal offenders and victims. I have also volunteered with homeless and impoverished populations on Whidbey Island and served as a volunteer at the Utah AIDS foundation. I am currently a hospice volunteer at Whidbey Health and provide grief education and support for people in the end stages of life.
I moved to Washington state in 1985 to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Religion and Philosophy from Northwest University. I attended graduate school at the University of Utah where I earned a Master's Degree in Counseling and completed all coursework for a PhD in Psychology. I have been a Licensed Mental Health Counselor since 2001. As a grief specialist, I have completed 200+ hours of advanced training in grief counseling and have earned a certificate in Death and Grief Studies from the Center for Loss & Life Transition in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Words that describe me would include compassionate, curious, intelligent, open, honest, hopeful, generous, introverted, gentle, good humored, seeker, explorer, lover of wisdom, sincere, artistic, and playful. I am an artist, philosopher, poet, musician, theologian, husband, brother, and friend.
One of the major transitions of my life has been spiritual in nature. My transition from a rigid and formulaic form of spirituality into the much more expansive and inclusive spiritual landscape that I now inhabit has taken many years. It has required me to dismantle structures and scaffolding, dogmas, and beliefs that ran deep into my childhood. The journey has been painful and liberating, disorienting and grounding, frightening and joyous. This journey has led me toward a robust spiritual life, rich with new connections to my fellow travelers on the path.
Besides doing the work of my own spiritual growth, I have known many other periods of significant transition in my life, including grappling with major illness, grief and loss, and career changes. I am honored to walk beside you as you create the path to the life you want to live.