01 · Who Alan works with

Alan works with stress, Anxiety, relationship issues and parenting issues

Alan lists 5 specialisms and 25 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Alan chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Alan's own words

What Alan says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Reaching out for counseling can feel like a big step. Many people come in feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure what needs to change-I try to make those first conversations feel comfortable and human.

I have a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and over 20 years of experience helping individuals and families move toward better, more satisfying lives. Outside the office, I’m a spouse, a father, U.S. Army veteran, and recreational sailor. Those life experiences shape how I work just as much as my formal training.

I help people with challenges like stress, relationships, past trauma, substance use, and major life transitions. I lean heavily on evidence-based treatments like CBT and Gottman Method family therapy because I like the practical approach and opportunity to use homework to build skills between sessions. Don't worry though-we'll keep the process conversational rather than clinical and I promise you won’t be “diagnosed” in every sentence.

My style is practical and goal-oriented. I tend to work in a short-term, solution-focused way: we’ll clarify what you want to accomplish and focus on taking meaningful steps toward it. Time is money-I try to end each session with some practical suggestions to make things better right now. This might include simple between-session reading, video, or worksheets. I know life is busy, but small practices can make a big difference.

If you’d like, schedule an initial session with me. We can talk about what you’re hoping to work on and see whether we’re a good fit for each other.

Alan Hoffman, on the BetterHelp listing · read 7 Nov 2026

03 · How Alan works

The 6 approaches Alan lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Alan lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Alan's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Alan runs a session.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

The Gottman Method

A couples approach built on decades of observational research into what distinguishes relationships that last. Structured and assessment-led: it maps friendship, conflict and shared meaning, then works on the specific mechanics of how the two of you argue.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Narrative Therapy

Treats the story you tell about your life as something that can be examined and retold rather than as the plain facts. Separates the person from the problem - “the anxiety” rather than “your anxiety” - to make room for the parts the current story leaves out.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

Also listed

• Systemic Therapy

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Alan practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Alan's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Alan at this point.

2. Naming Alan specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Alan is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Alan.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

4 questions worth asking Alan

Built from what Alan actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Alan's - Alan has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Narrative Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 25 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LMFT

Licensed in

Washington

Licence

WA LMFT LF00001857

Licence number

LF00001857

Licence expires

19 Nov 2027

NPI

1558665265

Years in practice

25

Gender

Male

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

12 Jun 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Alan's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 7 Nov 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Alan. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.