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Leslie Royal Kralicek

My name is Leslie Kralicek and I offer therapeutic counseling services to men, women, parents, teens and children in the Bellevue area of greater Seattle.

There are many different theoretical approaches to counseling - some of which draw from different philosophical schools and worldviews. I work within an orthodox Christian framework as I understand the healing process. I will not impose my beliefs on you, for even in the Christian faith people hold many views. I will respect your right to your own beliefs.

Please feel free to contact me, I would happy to answer any questions you may have.

Why consider counseling?

Counseling can help you identify issues that are affecting your ability to achieve your goals. It can help you understand why you make the choices you make and give you greater insight into how you perceive your life. It can also help you challenge behavioral patterns that may hinder your growth.

Many times what will keep people from seeing a counselor is their fear that something is wrong with them. This generally occurs when someone has been raised in a shame-based family system. I have witnessed abusive partners shame their family members for seeking help for the pain and anxiety they are managing in trying to make relationships work. The thinking seemed to be, "If you’re in pain, it’s not my problem - your pain is proof that the problem in our relationship is you." The "Blame the Victim" maneuver is intended to keep the focus off the controlling or abusive behavior. There is nothing loving about silencing someone’s voice or hindering them from seeking help.

Is counseling appropriate for Christians?

The Body of Christ is a huge body made up of Christians from many different traditions, who have differing points of view about some of the essential and non-essential points of faith. From conservative to liberal, from millennial to post-millennial, from pre-tribulation to post-tribulation, from high view of Scripture to low view of Scripture, and everything in between. It is not unusual to expect that there would also be differing points of view about whether Christians should seek counseling.

I have seen some members of the Church characterize other Christians as not being spiritual enough and not having enough faith to allow the Holy Spirit to heal them. They view psychological help as unnecessary to the "true" believer.

The field of psychology is the science of mental processes and behavior. It grew out of observations that medical doctors were making as they observed a correlation between mental and physical health. The belief that psychology and Scripture are antithetical does not consider the advancements in knowledge that have been gleaned from both the medical and psychological fields in study, observation and theoretical framework development about how people get injured and heal.

The field of psychology has made many studies and observations in attempting to understand how people cope with trauma - ways that are healing and pathological. Certain truths have been learned even from observers with faulty philosophical foundations. And, neurological studies have contributed much to our understanding of how the mind works. While we can debate the interpretation of facts learned, we don’t have to turn away from what is discovered through research, but we do need discernment. It is my belief that whatever truths are learned from observing the natural order does not diminish in anyway what the Bible teaches about spiritual truths that lead to a knowledge of God and salvation in Jesus Christ.