Our Staff

All Seattle Institute staff are independent contractors and/or volunteers. Therapy staff are certified and/or licensed clinicians who have private clinical practices. Education staff are professionals who are trained in sexuality and relationship-enhancement skills. Both therapists and educators work with individuals, couples and small groups. Each person runs their own business and sets their own fees.

Therapists & Educators

ELIZABETH RAE LARSON, M.S., D.H.S., LMHC, FAACS, is cofounder and current director of Seattle Institute, and practices as a therapist and educator. She is a Founding Fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Sexologists and is certified as a Sex Therapist and Sex Educator by the American Board of Sexology and as a Sexologist by the American College of Sexologists. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (Washington license LH00005994) and a certified Safe Sex Instructor/Advisor. She received her doctorate from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality and also acknowledges the contributions of the National Sex Forum; Kenneth Ray Stubbs, Ph.D.; Betty Dodson, Ph.D.; the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality; and the Body Electric School to her practice. Dr. Larson uses cognitive behavioral and other learning-based techniques in her practice and also focuses on both biological and spiritual aspects of sexuality. Her guidelines for new clients are available for you to read. Email Dr. Larson at Seattle Institute.

DOMINIQUE WALMSLEY, Ph.D., LMHC, works with individuals and couples. She served a two-year internship at Seattle Institute focusing on clinical sexology and is working towards certification as a Sex Therapist with the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT). She received her doctorate in Psychology from Saybrook University and her Master of Arts in Psychology from Seattle University. She has taken advanced training in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT) and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (Washington license LH60108333). At this time she is not taking clients at Seattle Institute. At her office in Seattle’s Green Lake neighborhood she has a private practice in general counseling and also works as a Divorce Coach and Mediator in Collaborative Law, aiming to retain connections among people as they go through life’s transitions.

IAN K. HAGEMANN, MSW, LCSWA, is interning at Seattle Institute with Dr. Elizabeth Rae Larson. He is a group facilitator, educator, and activist who has been working with fellow men for over 40 years, including some 15 years of experience working with The ManKind Project. Ian is a Licensed Clinical Social Work Associate (Washington license SA60977729). He offers a nuanced understanding of how the world that men are faced with has changed during recent years and what they can do to be happier and more effective.

EWA LICHNOWSKA, MS, LMHC, is interning at Seattle Institute with Dr. Larson. Ewa works with couples and individuals; she is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (Washington license LH60334006) in private practice in Seattle. She specializes in sexuality and gender issues and is currently pursuing sex therapist certification through Sexual Health Alliance. Ewa’s passion is helping her clients discover their own unique relational and sexual selves so they can enjoy holistic, expansive and immersive sexuality. She is also passionate about helping men and women overcome restrictive masculinity and femininity myths that infringe upon their freedom to be their authentic selves, as well as working with clients with desire discrepancies, age-related changes in sexual response, ED and challenges reaching orgasm, and many other issues. She has deep understanding of attachment and its role in shaping clients’ personalities and ways they relate to themselves, their partners and their sexuality. Ewa is also dedicated to helping young people learn about and develop deeply satisfying sexual relationships. She earned her Master’s Degree in Psychology in her native Poland and moved to Seattle in 2005, where she lives with her husband and their 11-year-old daughter. In her free time she enjoys gardening, Sci-fi, knitting and playing board games with her family and friends. Read her disclosure information statement here.

DIANA WILEY, Ph.D., LMFT, has been a Board-Certified Sex Therapist, Diplomate of the American Board of Sexology, and clinical sexologist for over 30 years. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Washington state (Washington license LF60228827) and has been licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in California since 1985. At this time she is not taking clients at Seattle Institute. She has a private practice in downtown Seattle, and she joined Seattle Institute when she moved here from Los Angeles where she worked at UCLA’s Female Sexual Medicine Center. Dr. Diana is the author of Love in the Time of Corona: Advice from a Sex Therapist for Couples in Quarantine. She has seen thousands of couples in marriage counseling and narrated a number of sex education films for the Sinclair Institute. Often speaking on Aging & Sexuality, she believes in lust, laughter, and love—and keeping these as priorities in order to improve longevity and enhance quality of life as we evolve and mature. Any age is a great age to strip off the sexual “shoulds”—remembering that sex is play, not work! Dr. Diana hosts “Love, Lust and Laughter” on the Progressive Radio Network, airing alternate Tuesdays from 2:00–3:00 PM Pacific Time.

JESSA ZIMMERMAN, M.A., LMHC, is a licensed couples’ counselor and nationally certified sex therapist. She works in private practice in Seattle. She is a member of the Seattle Institute Advisory Committee. At this time she is not taking clients at Seattle Institute. Over the course of her therapy career, she has focused almost exclusively on helping couples with their emotional and sexual intimacy. In her years of clinical experience, Zimmerman has treated hundreds of couples who have struggled to feel sexual desire and fulfillment. Her clients describe having a good relationship in other ways, but their sex life has become difficult to the point that they start to avoid sex. These are people who love each other but are struggling to have a sex life they both enjoy. She specializes in helping these couples who find that sex has become stressful, negative, disappointing, or pressured. She educates, coaches, and supports people as they go through her 4 pillar experiential process that allows them real world practice in changing their relationship and their sex life, guiding them to become easily intimate. Zimmerman received her Master’s in Psychology from LIOS college of Saybrook University and Sex Therapist certification from the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT). She has done extensive training in couples’ therapy, with a focus on Crucible® Therapy with Dr. David Schnarch. She is the author of Sex Without Stress; A Couple’s Guide to Overcoming Disappointment, Avoidance & Pressure. She is the host of the Better Sex Podcast and has appeared on numerous other podcasts as an expert guest. She is the creator of the Intimacy With Ease Method and founder of The Desire Spa, an online course for women with little to no libido. She is a regularly featured expert in the media, including Refinery29, Marriage.com, Business Insider, and Mind Body Green. She lives in Seattle with her partner.

MARC GILMARTIN, M.A., LMHC, is a licensed mental health counselor (Washington license LH00008395) and a certified group psychotherapist. At this time he is not taking clients at Seattle Institute. Philosophy: Marc believes in a compassionate, sex-positive and evidence-based approach to treating sexual concerns. He understands the mixed feelings that many clients have about their sexuality. People often hold a love/hate attitude about a behavior. For example, a client might say “I love how exciting it is to look at sexual imagery (pornography) online. And I hate how upsetting it is to my wife.” Marc works to help people identify their own vision of sexual health for their relationship that includes living within their own personal values and ethics. Marc maintains a private practice in Bellevue, WA, where he offers sex therapy, individual and group therapy. He also facilitates a weekly therapy group for men with out-of-control sexual behavior and erotic conflicts.

LAURA TSANG, M.S., LMFT, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a certified Clinical Sexologist. She provides individual, couple, and sex therapy in her West Seattle offices. She presents public seminars and workshops in Cantonese and English on various mental health issues.