Therapists in Portland, OR

I am excited to join you in your journey and invite you into my practice. By nature, I am a relational therapist. I believe that we work best in relation to others. I believe both that connection is very healing and existing at the same time our relationships provide challenges. I work hard to build trust in our therapeutic relationship to ensure you feel seen and heard. I help clients examine all the relationships in their lives—whether with the self, others or even their vices—I embrace a solution-focused, client-centered perspective to help facilitate the process of change. YOU matter in this process.

I work with relationships-the dance between the Feminine and Masculine. My interactions with couples & families experiencing conflict, relationship challenges and recovering from wounds leaves them feeling a sense of renewal. My focus on the Feminine specifically aims to help women develop confidence to live the life they desire. I have cared for people experiencing a broad range of struggles including marital betrayal, depression, relationship conflict, decision-making, or grief. It is so important for me to hear the individuals I work with, help make sense of their world and give them valuable tools to make the changes they need.

I help teenagers, young adults and their families navigate this amazing and challenging time in their lives. I work with teenagers, young adults and their families to find connection and safety while coping with the discomfort that life can bring.

With the state of the world, mental health is at an all-time low and we are all experiencing collective trauma. I take climate, pandemic, economic, political, societal, and cultural problems into account, on top of personal issues. My goal has always been to help those with trauma, personality disorders, and depression/anxiety by diving into the unconscious, cultivating self-awareness, and creating practical solutions. My clients are diverse and range from 13-65+ yrs old.

From struggling to THRIVING. Become more fully "yourself." Enjoy relationship satisfaction. Strengthen connection to something bigger that is meaningful. Get relief from depression and anxiety (really!). Improve effectiveness at work. Feel more at home in your body, content. Mindful and present. LAUGH. Choosing a therapist that is both really good AND a great fit is important. There is a difference here you will experience from the get go. The office is in a 1930's Cape Cod style house...inviting & comfortable. With warmth and character. David is unusually relational and "real." Sessions are 60, 75 or 90 minutes rather than 50.

We are an innovative community of unconventional, yet comprehensively trained, psychotherapists providing practical, non-reductive, and in-depth support to help you overcome adversities, resolve outdated patterns, craft more fulfilling relationships, achieve your mental health goals—and address the traumas, stressors, burdens, and conflicts that hold you back from enjoying what your life and relationships have to offer. In general, we foster a holistic and integrative approach to mental health care that focuses on what works and is not limited to what has traditionally been practiced.

We are a group practice with locations in SW (Tigard) & SE (Sellwood) PDX. We want to help you deal with the effects of your emotional pain, often invisible to others. If you are looking to be able to trust yourself and others and to understand the negative repetitive patterns in your life, then therapy can be a possible solution. We believe in competency, honesty and compassion as necessary qualities for therapists; ultimately you need to be able to trust the therapist you choose. Although life can be full of pain, we want to help reduce your suffering. Therapy is one of the ways.... CONTACT us for fee information please.

Richard Nalbandian, Psy.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist as works with individuals located in OR and MA. Dr. Nalbandian has experience working with adults from various backgrounds on issues including anxiety, depression, grief, complex trauma, relationship struggles, family conflict, and personality troubles. He completed his internship and post-doctoral residency in Massachusetts as a fellow at the Albert and Jessie Danielsen Institute at Boston University. Dr. Nalbandian has focused training in and provides psychotherapy for individuals, couples, and families. His therapeutic style is collaborative and relational.

(Please note that I am currently located in Illinois and can only offer video or phone sessions). It was Irvin Yalom who said something to the effect that "psychotherapy is like a dress rehearsal for life". With this said, it is my intention to not only offer you support in therapy but to also help you generalize the skills you learn in therapy and apply them in your outside life and relationships. I specialize in anger and anxiety management for adults and adolescents. I also work with highly intelligent adults and teens who have a difficult time adjusting and adapting socially and work with high functioning autistic individuals.

Helping others discover peace, connection, and confidence in the face of turmoil has long been a passion of mine. I believe everyone is capable of growth and healing if they are provided sufficient encouragement, support, and effective strategies. My therapeutic style is conversational and relaxed. I encourage clients to identify and communicate their unique needs and concerns in order to improve interpersonal relationships, manage bothersome emotions or behaviors, and develop healthier family connections. No matter their goal, I strongly believe in the client’s right to decide the focus of therapy.

As a psychotherapist and contemporary psychoanalyst, I will help you deal with your concerns and distress through greater understanding of what goes on inside of you. We will listen to and work with your feelings, dreams, fantasies, sadness, fears, hopes and desires with compassion and insight. During the past thirty years, I have helped adults, teenagers and children create a safe space in therapy based on trust and respect to develop a sturdier sense of self, have more satisfying relationships, reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, and access what was previously out of awareness or unthought that can now inform daily life.

People come to see me because they are experiencing psychological distress and/or interpersonal difficulties. The in-depth look at these issues not only leads to symptom relief but to longterm change of dysfunctional and painful (sometimes unconscious) ways we may perceive and judge ourselves and to recognize and build on strengths. I enjoy being a psychotherapist in part because it is satisfying and exciting to see people become more insightful, effective and confident in each of the important areas of their lives. I have been doing this work for 35+ years and plan to continue for many years.

Does your romantic relationship need a life line? I'll help you and your partner create lasting change in your relationship. We'll work through the rupture of disconnection, infidelity, parenting, physical intimacy and sex and get to the connection you desire. I work with individual clients on tackling the unmanageable, in their relationships with others and self. We'll explore what's kept you stuck for so long and uncover deep meaning and happiness in your relationships and in your personal story.

Have you been through a difficult experience? I specialize in emotional and relational disorders arising from trauma, sexual abuse, attachment disruptions, and less-than-optimal early childhood experiences. These types of experiences can create life-long distress and difficulty with relationships. Finding the right therapist is an important first step in healing from trauma. My orientation integrates modern neuroscience with relational psychotherapy. In addition to traditional methods, I utilize expressive approaches such as sandtray, play therapy, psychodrama, movement, and art therapy in my practice. I will tailor your sessions to meet your unique needs and ways of expressing yourself.

At Connections First we have faith in the power of connection: with your inner life and to the outer world through meaningful relationships. We believe that mental health is an effect of feeling more deeply connected to ourselves and to others through the safety of transparent, emotionally honest relationships. How we communicate with ourselves and those we care about determines whether we possess integrity and feel empowered to express ourselves as human beings. Much of our symptoms are the effects of emotional, psychological, and physical isolation and self-alienation which can even happen when we are surrounded by other people.

Whether the focus is self esteem, depression, anxiety, relationships, trauma, addiction, or other sorts of pain, you will feel understood within a safe, caring and growth enhancing private therapy. A deeper understanding and comfort with yourself will empower you to live a richer, more productive and satisfying life. Discover important mind-body connections, better identify your desires and goals, be more organized, hopeful and able to enjoy relationships. Design and direct your life in creative, powerful and satisfying ways. Embrace this opportunity for insight, greater happiness and positive change. I can help you to become your most hoped for self.

Currently Accepting New Clients! My approach is person centered: You are the expert in your own life and I am here to help and support with your journey whatever that looks like. I use a variety of techniques that are both collaborative and strengths-based and draw from social justice and equity work. I don’t just look at you as the individual but also how your surrounding environment impacts you. My counseling style is warm and compassionate. I want to offer you a safe space to heal and grow. It would be an honor to work with you on your life journey. You are the expert and I am here to support you on that journey.

By addressing troubling thoughts and feelings, self-sabotaging behaviors, and traumas, life can be made more manageable, productive, and fulfilling. Feelings such as grief, shame, anxiety, sadness, and anger often signal that something needs to change. Listening to and working with these feelings—some that consume us and others that gently nudge us—can move us forward. Through this, we sometimes discover that our everyday dilemmas are part of larger patterns waiting to be resolved as a whole.

Are you feeling internally conflicted? Is that is making you feel stuck and anxious? Maybe that internal conflict is manifesting in conflicts with others? Maybe you are just going around in circles in or your head, or worse, on a downward spiral? Do you berate yourself and it doesn't help? Are you ready to be kinder to yourself? Are you ready to be curious about yourself? Are you ready to get along with yourself and others better? Do you want more freedom, choice, autonomy, even agency in your life, but are struggling with how to get it? I can help with a "yes" to any or all of these questions.