Salmon Bay Counseling, located in the bustling historical commercial district on NW Market Street, got it’s name from an inspirational story of a little bay and a man who turned loss into light…

During the 19th century, Captain William Rankin Ballard lost a coin-toss and acquired 160 acres of undeveloped land directly adjacent to Salmon Bay.  Ironically, the railway refused to build a trestle to cross Salmon Bay and the area quickly gained notoriety as the end of a railway line.  It provided a way to bring supplies into the area and export locally manufactured products.  The ability to ship products then spurred the growth of mills and ”Ballard Junction,” as it came to be known, was developed into commercial, industrial, and residential lots. Construction of commercial buildings – two and three-story Italianate brick banks, retail stores, saloons, and hotels – form the core of the historic district today.

In addition to maintaining deep ties to Ballard and the maritime community, Salmon Bay Counseling was named because this story is a reminder that sometimes our greatest opportunities come disguised in the form of misfortune or temporary defeat.  Through losses and setbacks we have the opportunity to transform beliefs, reactions, and assumptions so they are no longer self-limiting.  We cannot wait for extraordinary opportunities to make something happen.  Like Captain Ballard and other early settlers, we must seize the common and unfortunate occasions and make them great.