Couples Counseling Therapists in Goose Hollow, Portland, OR

Are you finding that you experience even more anxiety in this unpredictable ever changing world? Trying to find time to process feelings and the impact it has on your life and relationships? I want to help! I am curious about your world, how you experience it, how you are connected to it, and your desire to make positive change. Let’s explore how you experience anxiety and develop coping strategies, while also peeling back the layers of origin. In session, I will use direct questions and active listening, with a focus on non-judgmental compassion with a touch of humor to help you change problematic negative repetitive cycles.

I think counseling is always useful, even when there's nothing "wrong." We get a lot of chances to go, go, go but not a lot to slow down and reflect. Usually it takes some crisis of feeling or relationship to tell us it's time. I see those crises as opportunities, doorways to deeper understanding. And because we're not fixed individuals, they come and go as we change and grow.

**CURRENTLY FULL NO AVAILABILITY** Join with me and allow connection, safety, and curiosity to unearth your fullest self. Become a compassionate observer of your own experience as your nervous system aligns in relationship. Tired of contracting and reacting? Together we can find ways to experience and respond to life as it comes. What have you experienced? What strategies have you employed to cope? What have you come to believe about yourself and others? Lets take a look at your goals and concerns and move towards a functional and connected you. There are reasons for your current pain, and It is possible to feel better.

For over 25 years, I've had the honor of assisting couples , families, and individuals of all ages, as they identify, clarify and find constructive coping strategies to deal with issues relating to anxiety, depression, grief, anger and relationships. As a Marriage & Family Therapist, I especially enjoy working on issues such as affair recovery, attachment disorders and phase-of-life challenges. Whether you are struggling with a relationship in your life, overwhelming anxiety, or some other problem, I would be honored to work with you. I prefer to work with those who have clear goal goals, and who are solution-focused.

My areas of expertise include depression, relationship problems, difficulties managing emotions, anxiety, trauma and PTSD, adolescent issues, ADHD, loss, and family of origin issues. I also enjoy helping individuals with identity development issues, including those related to culture, gender, sexuality, and important life transitions.

I believe that each person's life is unique and precious no matter how the person perceives it. I believe in our innate healing power, resilience, and creativity. I work with teens and adults who are suffering from depression, anxiety, anger, and other emotional distress related to loss & grief, relational conflict, traumatic events, and life transitions. Together, we work to increase your awareness, expand your capacity to perceive realities and new perspectives, and to grow to be something larger than current self. I also work with intercultural couples who are seeking better communication for greater mutual understanding.

I offer professional therapy to support people and families in creating the change and movement they hope for in their lives. People often struggle with life challenges, relationships, unhelpful patterns of behavior, or feeling stuck and unable to make the changes that they want. I believe it is possible to move forward in a fulfilling and healthy way through support, empathy, exploration and collaborative challenge. I specialize in working with: teenager and parent relationships; couples challenges; trauma/stress reactivity; anxiety, attachment issues, depression and mood disorders; life transitions, personality difficulties, and lifestyle/health and wellness.

Everyone deserves to be treated as an individual with respect for their own beliefs, goals and definition of success. It is on this strong belief that I base my work with children, adults, couples and families. For over 17 years, I have been supporting growth and healing of children, adults, couples and families with multi-layered struggles. These include; mood struggles, communication and relational conflicts, history of acute trauma, behavioral struggles, family conflicts, and identity struggles and substance use/abuse. I also have long term experience working with families who have come together through foster care or adoption.

For over 28 years I have worked with individual adults and couples , addressing emotional pain and distress. So often we operate on assumptions and conclusions we came to while very young, and we continue to make today's decisions based on information that is long outdated and yet still compelling. In the safety and privacy of a psychologist's office, the complexities of present relationships can be explored, and maladaptive ways of coping and relating can shift. Gaining insight into oneself allows for symptom relief, change and healing.