Acceptance and Commitment (ACT) Therapists in Portland, OR

Specialized in IFS, EMDR, Eating Disorders, and Complex Trauma - Do you have negative thoughts about yourself that you can’t shake? Are you trying to feel better but realize everything makes you feel worse? Spend a lot of time thinking critically about your body? My personal approach to therapy is supportive and also direct/down to earth. I'm passionate about working with individuals affected by eating disorders & supporting them into full recovery. My other specialty is with complex trauma and relationship issues. I believe in Health at Every Size and Intuitive Eating/Anti-Diet approaches, and I am LGBTQIA+ affirming.

I want you to leave each therapy session feeling more hopeful than when you started. I love working with clients motivated to make changes, and also clients who feel uncertain about their ability to feel better—it’s a big step to start therapy! As a therapist with extensive experience working with clients coping with anxiety, trauma, OCD and dissociation, I consistently see how traumatic events unconsciously block and inhibit an individual from feeling hopeful and making change in their lives. My goal is to provide a safe, trusting space to address what's burdening you and empower your sense of agency.

Life is hard, complicated and unpredictable. Sometimes it feels like we just cannot catch a break. It’s okay to struggle, and there are strategies we can use to not get so caught up in negative thoughts and feelings. My goal as a therapist is to teach you skills to help you do that and more, while also creating a warm and accepting space for you to process life’s many challenges. I especially enjoy working with college & graduate students, and I have a particular passion for assisting folks who hold marginalized identities to cope with the oppressive systems under which we live. Additionally, I am trained to treat Hoarding Disorder.

I am referring out to clinicians on my team at this time. Do you have an interest in targeting worry/anxiety, depression, challenges with coping and communication, stress, and relationship issues? The desire to heal from distressing experiences or trauma that have had an impact on your relationships, employment, health, and wellness? We will work together utilizing a variety of techniques including; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and EMDR to reprocess your past so you can move forward with a renewed sense of purpose and harmony. Currently accepting new clients for solution focused treatment and EMDR therapy.

I believe all people have within themselves the ability to move towards positive change. By creating a safe and trusting relationship and environment, I begin to facilitate my clients' abilities to accept personal responsibility for their behavior, develop autonomy, and to make positive and constructive choices in their lives. I hope to empower my clients to successfully overcome traumatic and/or stressful life events and to find positive solutions to problems they may face currently or in the future.

Asking for help can feel daunting and may also be your window to healing. My goal is to offer a safe space for you to ask the scary questions, feel the unwanted pain, get to know your emotions and reacquaint yourself with your strength and resilience that may feel so distant. A counseling relationship can offer you reflection and insight to what is making you feel stuck. With you, I will help you discover the obstacles blocking your path, rediscover your personal assets and help you grow your skill set to work through these obstacles.

Life can be incredibly painful at times. It is helpful to have someone in our corner, who will support and validate, as well as guide and challenge when necessary. My aim is to help you see yourself not as flawed or broken, but as worthy of compassion and acceptance . I can help you work through recovery from sexual assault and trauma, depression, body image concerns, exploring gender identity, exploring sexuality, cultivating healthy relationships, social anxiety, navigating culture and sense of self, coping with pet loss, life transitions, and understanding, regulating, and managing emotions

The fact that you are here, browsing for a potential counselor, is a brave step in the direction of growth, and I would be honored to accompany you on this most heartfelt journey. I work with clients who are struggling with anxiety, depression, difficult life transitions, parenting issues, divorce, and feelings of low self-worth, as well as with those who are sober curious, in recovery, or who want to explore behavioral addictions.

Over time, we all develop stories and ideas about ourselves, others, or the world. For some of us, these ideas may be born from experiences of marginalization and harm based on who we are; maybe we begin to believe we’re not good enough, not worthy of love, or there’s something wrong with us. Even if these stories were meant to, and probably did, protect us at some time, they're still exhausting to deal with and can lead to lots of worrying and stress, avoidance, numbing, or difficulty in our relationships. You've likely been trying your best to manage it all and are ready try something different.

Currently have daytime openings! Do you find yourself feeling anxious, stuck, and needing peace and change? Have you noticed unhelpful patterns showing up in your relationships? Do your goals seem distant or overwhelming, because maybe, you're not sure where to start? If any of these sound familiar, know that you're not alone, and real practical help is available. While I don't have all the answers, I can lend a kind, empathetic, trained ear, shedding light on your strengths as we find the way forward towards change and healing.