Therapists in Sullivans Gulch, Portland, OR

I know and believe that healing can be achieved as it has in my own life. With this knowledge, I seek to provide a safe and non-judgmental environment for my clients to begin their healing journey.

I am accepting in-office clients only at this time, though I use telehealth when necessary. I work most often with people struggling with the course of their life: its direction, its quality, or their traveling companions. You may arrive at therapy when the problems of living have become too painful, scattered, depressing, frightening, or paralyzing to bear. Reaching an emotional breaking point isn't necessary to seek therapy, however: instead, you may be frustrated at not having "figured out" how to build a rich life that includes satisfying relationships and work that doesn't demean them.

*******I am not taking new clients at this time***********Each person deserves the benefit of thinking about life in a meaningful way with gentle guidance through counseling. I would be privileged to join you on this journey. As a therapist, I specialize in assisting people through challenging life moments. Using solution-focused techniques and empowerment methods, we’ll identify steps to resolve your personal challenges and reach your goals. I have more than 11 years experience working with individuals and families experiencing challenges with parenting, anxiety, depression, life transition, and addiction issues.

We may feel ready for a new direction and unsure how to make meaningful change. Our habits may seem increasingly inadequate to meeting the challenges in our daily lives. We may experience patterns of lashing out and withdrawing, or feel badly for what we think, feel, or do. Your therapy can focus on providing the means for you to renegotiate your relationships to fear, guilt, shame, and grief. We also focus on bringing to light the implicit stories, narratives, and beliefs that form the foundation of your self-understanding and relationship with yourself, others, and the world.

Hello! I'm Chell (they/them). I work primarily with queer, trans, and non-binary adults who are interested in moving away from old patterns and finding more authentic ways of being. In addition to individual therapy, I offer standalone assessments and letters of support for gender-affirming medical care and use an informed consent model to help folks access the care they need. If my schedule is full for ongoing therapy clients, I likely have space for gender-affirming care assessments. Please reach out to inquire about details.

It may not be easy to begin seeing a therapist, particularly if you are dealing with a difficult transition, relationship problem, grief, anxiety or depression. I strive to offer a safe, accepting, and respectful environment for addressing your issues. I will support you in discovering your own strengths, wisdom and inner resources and can offer tools for coping, growth and change, learned through over 20 years of clinical practice, and my own life experience. I believe in a collaborative process in which we can identify your goals, work through challenges, and create a plan for change.

You can find a safe space with therapy when you can find it nowhere else. Finding trustworthy professionals to help you with intimate issues is embarrassing and difficult. This is my most important skill, something not learned in school: unconditional positive acceptance and honest, non-threatening communication about intimate problems. Here you will find sensitivity to private behaviors which are regarded with non-judgmental acceptance and respect, never shame nor intolerance.

Do you find yourself repeatedly facing the same challenges? Feeling stuck and unsure of your next steps? Let's work together to create change. I believe relationships are fundamental to health, well-being, and happiness, and healing occurs in connection. I help couples & families improve communication, interaction, and better understand each other for greater relational fulfillment. I support individuals to heal low self-esteem, self-criticism, depression, anxiety, and trauma. My talent lies in helping you access your inner resources to create a life in which you thrive.

I am a Clinical Psychologist licensed to practice in Oregon. I have experience in both general medical and psychiatric hospital settings as well as out-patient mental health clinics. I have been in full-time private practice since 1985. Areas of expertise and interest include: depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties, chronic pain, child behavior problems, adult ADHD, and issues related to aging. My training includes: psychodynamic, family systems, cognitive-behavioral, mindfulness and play therapies. My approach is a blend of these tailored to meet the needs of the particular people with whom I'm working.

Therapy can provide a space where you can reflect and unpack the multitudes of you. Often, we feel there is a part of ourselves that isn’t ok and isn’t good enough. Or there is a part of us that has been deeply injured. These parts are sometimes packed away, denied, or rejected, and can be obstacles to our well-being. It is my belief that without accessing our entire selves, we stay limited in the richness of what we can experience, what we can bring into our lives, and how openly we connect with others. The aim of my work is total acceptance, and in doing so, walking with you towards healing and integrating your whole self.

Do you feel exhausted keeping it all together? Or maybe like your brain has a hamster wheel spinning through responsibilities, forgotten tasks, and “should-dos,” without the energy to do them? Are you scrambling to cover up dropped responsibilities? Does the feeling of shame and overwhelm make you want to quit, but slowing down feels impossible? Together, we can find space to balance the spinning plates and feel like you don’t have to be on high alert for something crashing down. We can repair dropped plates—relationships, school, work, parenting, or other important things—even if it feels like they can’t be repaired today.

I strongly believe that all of us are programmed to move towards personal growth and healing. Over time, life experiences and new habits can get in the way and leave us feeling stuck or off track from what feels right. Within the safety and support of the therapeutic relationship, I help my clients increase awareness of these barriers and re-activate their internal healing mechanisms.

Human minds and bodies are creative and our systems find ways to keep us functioning safely through extraordinary and difficult circumstances. There often comes a time, however, when the tools and skills we have relied on to keep us safe are no longer working and we need to find new ways to move through the world as we build the life we want to live.