Therapists in Southwest, Portland, OR

I work with children and families, individuals, and couple systems. I especially love working with people who are exploring gender identity and/or sexuality.

As a therapist, I aim to provide a supportive and non-judgmental space to help promote positive change. I have a collaborative approach to therapy and view you as the expert of your own story. I believe that growth and change happen through your increased awareness and understanding, within the contexts of your relationships with yourself, with others, and with your larger communities. I see therapy as client-led, and I strive to guide the process and stay engaged through offering new perspectives as you discover your emerging goals, while I continuously recognize the power and privileges I hold in my role as a therapist.

I am a Licensed Psychologist with over 15 years experience in university and private practice settings. My work focuses on adults with a range of concerns, including depression and anxiety, difficult life transitions, relationship problems or losses, trauma, and identity. I have specific expertise working with young adults and the common challenges experienced at that time. I also enjoy working with individuals of diverse identities and backgrounds, which has been a focus in both my career and my ongoing education.

I specialize in neurodevelopmental disorders, with a particular focus on autism and associated conditions (e.g., sensory processing difficulties, ADHD). I am particularly interested in early intervention with young children using a relationship-based and play-based model (e.g., DIR/Floortime, Play Project). Social groups are created as needed.

You might be someone who is exhausted from looking for a therapist who looks even a little like you. Maybe you are feeling grief, heaviness, sadness, and even anger about...everything. Perhaps you have saved every mental health Instagram slide deck and TikTok, but you still don’t feel like it’s clicking for you. You may be someone at a crossroads with the story and template you have been told you need to fit into. You may suspect that there is more-more to expect, hope for, and be.

Accepting New Clients and OHP Healthshare! I specialize in helping individuals with trauma, anxiety, depression, and dissociation. My practice is centered on the belief that each person has an inherent tendency towards healing, and my role is to support the realization of this potential in my clients. I view dreams as an invaluable tool for accessing the unconscious mind, which I believe holds crucial insight for growth and self-discovery. I encourage clients to explore their dreams as a means of discovering deeper layers of meaning in their lives, cultivating a more profound sense of purpose, and realizing their full potential.

As a therapist, I strive to establish a space where those that I work with feel safe, heard, and comfortable to share whatever is on their minds. Whether that be a child, a teenager, an adult, or a family, I hope to be able to help my client(s) navigate the systems they are a part of and work towards progressing on their journey towards living each day as their truest self.

My focus as a therapist is cultivating an environment of acceptance and warmth so that my clients may feel empowered to engage in self-exploration and develop additional ways of coping. I facilitate self-exploration aimed towards increasing client's sense of joy, creativity, self-forgiveness, perspective, confidence, warmth, compassion, and desire to heal. I have experience providing therapy for clients experiencing postpartum depression and anxiety, infertility, and mental health issues in pregnancy. I also have experience with generalized anxiety, depression, stressful life transitions, grief, trauma, and relationship issues.

Often, we are born into a world that defines us before we define ourselves, which can create a sense of disconnection from who we are. It is my belief that the exploration of Self is inextricably interwoven with the unfolding of our life. Many times, we are not taught how to be in relationship with ourself, as we would with a loved one, and therapy can offer a space to explore and get to know who we are, creating a deeper sense of connection with ourself and offer new perspectives of our role(s) in the world and in relationship to others.

Life can leave you feeling lonely, anxious, and depressed. But you don’t need to stay there. I invite you to inquire within. It's time to reconnect with the wisdom within you. Your body carries information that you haven't tapped into or perhaps don't yet have access to. I'm here to help you realize that the answers are already there. We might just need to shine some light on the shadows (things that have been to hard to look at). Acknowledging and integrating those parts that have been ignored or tucked away can lead to more authentic ways of showing up in your relationships with yourself, with others, and with the planet.

Real life is complicated and often times, it hurts. The struggles that we experience can take on a variety of forms, ranging from depression and anxiety, to trauma. As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I am dedicated to supporting my clients on their journey towards healing, empowerment and hope. I strive to offer a personalized and collaborative approach in therapy that focuses on developing strong, trusting relationships with my clients. I utilize a trauma-informed, humanistic, strength-based, non-judgmental style to provide a safe space for my clients to explore, heal and grow.