Serving all of Puget Sound

Meet The Patrick Group Team

Esther Patrick, MA

Esther Patrick founded Patrick and Associates in 2003 and rebranded as The Patrick Group in 2017, to provide counseling, coaching and consulting services for families and children.

Esther provides clinical services as a parent evaluator, parenting coach, and counselor through the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF). One of Esther's core strengths is her ability to deliver difficult messages in nonthreatening, non-confrontational, culturally competent ways that help motivate parents to make essential changes. Esther has worked with multicultural families from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds since 2001.

Esther makes it a priority to constantly update her skills and avail herself of the most current knowledge in her field. Her therapeutic training, certifications, and education include:

Esther utilizes a solution-focused, strength-based approach in her work with families and other relational group systems. Working with families and children through DCYF, she conducts assessments to determine what skills and training are needed then provides counseling, training, and coaching to prevent family disruption, enable reunification, and preserve families.

In addition to her work with DCYF, Esther provides counseling and consulting services to the Independent Living Program at DOVE House in Seattle. She is a Pierce County Dependency CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) and a King County Title 26 Guardian ad Litem (GAL).

Esther provides expert court testimony and works well with representatives of the legal, educational, and medical professions, interacting with the juvenile justice and child welfare systems.

A former trustee of Highline College, Esther served as an adjunct faculty member at City University and Seattle Central College, instructing students in human resources, personnel management, and business. Esther is active in the Washington State Minority and Justice Commission, Washington Women Lawyers Association, and Black Childhood Development Institute.

Lauren Brown, MSW, LICSW

Lauren is a Washington State Department of Health (DOH) licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) with 27 years of experience in child welfare and juvenile justice systems. As a member of the first ICWA steering committee at the State of Utah, DHS/DCFS, she was responsible for creating culturally competent training and policy consistent with Federal Indian Policy to assure compliance within the Child Welfare System. Those actions included determining enrollment eligibility, notification to tribes, placement of native children in native homes, and native-specific foster care recruitment. In addition to Lauren's Child Welfare experience, she has worked with other at-risk populations conducting intake evaluations, drug and alcohol assessments, diagnosis, and individual, couples, family, and group counseling in the treatment of Bureau of Prison's (BOP) parolees living in a half-way house setting and other mandated clients on Pre-Trial Supervision through state, county, and federal courts. She provided Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to diagnose clients with alcohol and/or drug abuse or dependence, anti-social personality disorders, and narcissistic personality disorders. Lauren worked for the Puyallup Tribe of Indians in Tacoma, Washington, as the Juvenile Presenting Officer in Tribal Court, representing the Tribe in Child Welfare matters. She also worked for the Tribe's Children Services Department and served as a CPS investigator/Daycare Warrantor. Lauren became a Supervisor in 2013 in the Pierce East Area for the ICW/CFWS Unit for DCYF before leaving in 2016 to begin her private practice as an In-Home Services Provider.

Lauren’s therapeutic training, certifications, licensure, and education include:

As an enrolled Member of a Federally Recognized Tribe, Lauren is passionate about Indian Child Welfare issues and Native Communities. She has consulted the Quinault Tribe in the evaluation of their Children Services Program for the purpose of developing a Standard Operating Procedure and Policy Development that parallels the Tribe's Child Welfare Codes. Lauren has also conducted Child Welfare Case Reviews for the Chehalis Tribe. She was selected for the 26th Annual NICWA Conference as a Workshop Presenter: "Together Out to Empower Mending" and "Creating a TOTEM in your Tribal Community." And for the 10th Annual Northwest Tribal Youth Conference Presenter "Find Your Voice: The Healing Power of the Written Word."

Hayward Coleman Jr., MA, MHP, LMFTA, EMMHS, CMHS

Hayward is a Seattle native and a high school teacher. His students include those found to be at “high risk.” Mr. Coleman is a great family clinician and asset to The Patrick Group. He agrees that the entire family as a whole must be evaluated to best understand the behavior of individual members. He focuses on families as a whole, along with the connections between family members. Since the physical, social, and emotional functioning of family members is profoundly interdependent, with changes in one part of the system reverberating in other parts, Mr. Coleman meets with an entire family unit in order to reinforce positive change.

Hayward's therapeutic training, certifications, and education include:

Tori Circo, LMHCA

Tori is a licensed mental health counselor associate and provides Positive Parenting Program (PPP, Triple P) services and Promoting First Relationships (PFR) services to Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) clients. She works collaboratively with each family to evaluate their family strengths and challenges and creates goals to target those challenges.

Tori's therapeutic training, certifications, and education include:

Samantha Patton, MSW, LSWAIC

Samantha has worked with children and families in many capacities since 2008. In one of her first roles, she volunteered at a confidential domestic violence shelter for women and children. As a Head Start program Family Support Specialist for seven years, she helped families access early childhood education and interventions, housing, employment and training, counseling, medical and dental resources, etc. Samantha worked at the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) while finishing her graduate and remained with DCYF for six years beyond graduate school. At DCYF, Samantha focused on reuniting families by facilitating access to resources and court-ordered services to develop, improve, and sustain safety in the home. Desiring a hands-on approach, as opposed to case management, Samantha transitioned from DCYF to providing in-home services. She uses strength-based and solution-focused approaches to assist her clients in progressing and reaching their goals. Samantha is a Washington State native.

Samantha's training, licensure, and education include:

Ellie Camilo, BA, Certified Counselor

Ellie has worked with families from all backgrounds, belief systems, and cultures since 2013, teaching and counseling in different scenarios and capacities. She is passionate about helping others break unhealthy patterns, which allows them to love and be loved. Ellie uses a creative approach that engages families in learning and exploring new ways of being and helps adults and children to recognize and honor their inner strengths and talents. She brings softness, calmness, and ease into homes to make everyone feel safe and respected. Ellie is fluent in Spanish and English; Spanish is her first language.

Ellie's accreditation, certification, and education include:

Sabrina Johnson, MA, Certified Counselor

Sabrina is compassionate and highly motivated to use her skills and experience to serve children and families. Since 2013 she has honed her ability to engage and educate youth in various settings, focusing on promoting a healthy and active lifestyle. As a direct care professional, she is skilled in observing, assessing, and understanding behavior. She provides direction and support to help her clients achieve their goals. She has worked with multidisciplinary teams, including clinicians, case managers, and program staff to create a collaborative and effective care environment. Sabrian is passionate about providing life enrichment opportunities and fostering a fun atmosphere that includes laughter and challenge.

Sabrina's accreditation, certification, and education include:

Tafuta Fundisha-Bey, MA, Certified Counselor

Tafuta is enthusiastic about working with families and children of all races, nationalities, ethnic groups, and religious persuasions. He taught in elementary, middle, and high school settings for over 15 years. He conducted weekly groups and workshops for African American men on social skills, controlling their anger, and developing and implementing interpersonal skills. Most of his work has been with African American families. His expertise is working with adolescent youth at risk for gang involvement, dropping out of school, drugs, criminal activity, and those who display ongoing low self-esteem, behavior issues, and academic issues. Tafuta uses a holistic counseling approach, always starting with a family’s strengths as the foundation and helping them build on that. He is patient and flexible in his approach to working with families.

Tafuta's accreditation, certification, and education include:

Aida Ramirez, Skill Practitioner

Aida Ramirez brings five years of experience and education as a psychology student and medical assistant serving her community in her first language, Spanish, to The Patrick Group. She is committed to supporting positive change in families. As a minority, she has experienced the bias and witnessed how the Spanish-speaking family's needs are often unmet due to the language barrier. Her goal is to bring Spanish-speaking families the skills and tools to meet their needs and give them a voice to feel heard to keep them together and safe. Aida firmly believes there is always hope during a storm and a light that will always shine in the end. Her wish is to be the light that illuminates families.

Aida's education and certification include:

Aimee Schultz, Skill Practitioner

Aimee is grateful for her opportunity to work supporting parents. She is passionate about educating people on the human brain and body as it relates to connection and relationships so that there can be more grace and understanding for each other. Aimee believes one of the best ways to help children and society is to support parents in the demanding, overwhelming, high-pressure job of raising humans. She understands that it takes a lot of work to overcome generational parenting patterns and beliefs in addition to all the other challenges and trauma that a person may face in their life.

Aimee works in her private practice to coach parents through challenges that come up in their lives.

Aimee's accreditation, certification, and education include:

Martha Alvarado Latino, Skill Practitioner

Martha is passionate about working with children and families. Before joining The Patrick Group, Martha worked in the childcare field and for a non-profit agency as a mental health case manager for the Latinx community. She has worked with children and families since 2014. Martha is dedicated to providing services to families and is committed to seeing them succeed. Martha plans to earn a post-graduate degree in clinical psychology. She is fluent in Spanish and English; Spanish is her first language.

Martha's accreditation, certification, and education include:

Jo Bowen, Paraprofessional

As our paraprofessional, Jo collaborates with therapists, social workers, skill practitioners, families, and community partners to support each family.

She provided community social services through the Department of Social and Health for over 22 years until her retirement in 2017.

Wendy Churchwell, Administrative Manager

Wendy is the behind-the-scenes glue that binds The Patrick Group team together. With more than 20 years of customer service and bookkeeping experience, as well as six years of service as a licensed foster parent, Wendy serves families through Administrative Management. Wendy’s work managing referrals, billing, client files, and any other needed administrative support, allows therapists to focus the majority of their time on serving families in the reconciliation process.

Laura Bryant, Administrative Assistant

With over 24 combined years of experience in the administrative field providing bookkeeping, customer service, and working for the school district, Laura brought her expertise to our agency, providing billing, referral assignment, and administrative support.


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"Behind every young child who believes in himself is a parent who believed first."

~ Matthew Jacobsen
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(253) 331-3358


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