Therapists in Vernon, Portland, OR

Are you feeling stuck, overwhelmed or hopeless? Can't get your needs met to your satisfaction? Do you find one or more areas of your life to be unfullfilling such as romantic relationship, work, parenting, extended family? Do you have legal or financial struggles or relationship conflicts that affect your mood significantly? I draw on a variety of therapeutic approaches, experience in working with past clients and personal experience to collaborate with you in creating the best healing environment specific for you.

I help where you are stuck -- body, story, nerves, or soul. Our difficult experiences can lodge many places. I have a big "tool chest" to help you meet and transform what needs healing. I believe that each of us has a wholeness, no matter how hidden. I help you to contact that wholeness, in order to access your own wisdom. Together we find your unique path through to your truest self. What is waiting for you is a life of meaning and the ability to connect.

I believe suffering is an aspect of human nature and everyone has the innate ability to tolerate and grow through difficult times, to find meaning and purpose in life. Sometimes we have to enter the paradox of pain to get relief from the pain itself. I have 8 years of experience in community and group clinics and have been intensively trained in evidenced based treatment modalities. My goal is to help plant seeds of self-awareness to propel perspective, introspection, agency and self-fulfillment. Every individual is unique and I tend to tailor client-centered relational and behavioral skill building techniques.

I've specialized in helping folks through tough times for over two decades. Through a warm, down-to-earth, collaborative approach I'll partner with you to achieve your goals and find inner peace. By using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with a focus on mindfulness and your unique strengths, I can help you understand and modify your thoughts, feelings and behaviors. My areas of expertise include managing anxiety, reducing stress around relationships, family, work and life transitions, improving self esteem, setting boundaries, living with infertility and childlessness, adults with ADHD and living with neurodiverse children and partners.

As a therapist I seek to cultivate a safe environment for self-understanding, self-healing, and growth. I have adapted a person-centered approach rooted in strength-based, emotion-focused, and family systems theory. With these tools, I support youth and families navigate through daily challenges and the additional stressors which accompany experiences of grief, loss, and change.

I've worked in the mental health field for over 30 years in a variety of settings and in private practice for 20 years. Currently I work with adults and couples. A primary focus of my work is centered around relationships which are both exciting and complicated.Therapy creates a safe, non-judgmental space for self reflection, connection and growth. With a sense of connection to your own values, you can make conscious and informed decisions about how you move in the world and in relationships. I see my job as helping you to discover and practice who you want to be.

I approach every client's therapy journey through a strengths based lens, building on the truth that clients are resourceful and resilient in their struggle. My approach is person centered, empowering individuals to affect change in themselves, and social-justice and trauma-informed. By recognizing and respecting difference, I work with my clients to identify and achieve their goals. I have worked as a mental health therapist since 2005, with individuals and families in settings including community mental health, hospitals, schools and colleges.

Sometimes, as humans, we get wounded in ways that are so deep, they are difficult to name. Perhaps you have lost loved ones along the way, or can't find meaning in your story. Have you ever inventoried your life to discover that it is not what you want it to be? Do you feel haunted by memories? Maybe you engage in self-destructive or numbing behaviors that you wish you could change, but find that making those changes is easier said than done. My goal is to create a trustworthy space where we can work through whatever it is you bring in, on your search for healing, fulfillment, and wholeness.

We all have a unique expression of life force energy, but at times it may seem the core self--our spirit--has been pummeled by trauma, loss, pain, unhealthy relationships, or life in a toxic culture. Often when trying to make change, clients find that despite being inspired, they can't do what they need to do in order to live the meaningful life they desire. Our thoughts and feelings are connected to our physical state, our relationships with partner(s), friends, family and the culture at large, as well as our spiritual life.

I specialize in working with humxns of color and non-binary femmes ready to build healthy relationships with themselves and others. I work across the lifespan (ages 11 - 70+).

My focus is to work with adult individuals struggling with perfectionism, high sensitivity (HSPs), developmental trauma, anxiety, and depression. I provide person-centered, psychodynamic, and relational therapy for young to middle-aged adults from various backgrounds of ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and socioeconomic status.

I am a Kink-knowledgeable, LGBTQ-friendly, insight-oriented practitioner. I work with clients concerned with substance use/abuse, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, life transitions and emotional regulation concerns. I offer an initial free consultation to help you decide if I may be a good fit, as well as a generous sliding scale. Located in NE Portland, close to public transit, with weekend and evening hours available.

‘Tis the season … for ANXIETY. Do you prioritize the needs of others, losing yourself in the process? Whether it's family, friends, or colleagues ... you wonder if things will ever change, asking yourself, "Who am I trying to be in these relationships? What do I want?" Relationships (parenting, friendships, breakups, separation, dating, divorce) bring anxiety, depression and self-judgment - affecting the relationship we have with ourselves. And this is an opportunity to define what’s missing, unpack who you are, and strengthen your foundation. (Which can include improving communication, connection, sleep, focus, and goals.)

We all struggle at times, but shouldn’t have to deal with life’s challenges alone. That’s what counseling is for. I believe in your capacity to embrace your authentic self, heal from painful experiences, and feel better. The people I work with often struggle with self-esteem, relationships, sexuality, gender identity, communication, career, depression, anxiety, grief. Helping you feel better and understand the root of your suffering is what I am here for. I believe that understanding yourself and healing go hand-in-hand.