Services
About My Clients
You may feel entrenched in old, ineffective patterns that are difficult to break. You may feel confused or directionless due to unexpected crisis. You may be adjusting to a change in your physical, mental, or social abilities. Or you may feel that something is wrong without even knowing what the problem is. I provide mental health counseling for individuals in the Portland area so they can navigate these kinds of transitions and answer their inner call for change.
My Background and Approach
I practice pragmatic depth therapy. My approach combines the powerful change that comes from addressing our inner psychological world and more practical behavioral change that takes place outside ourselves – in our actions, our choices and our relationships. After collaborating with you to increase your hope, resiliency, and self-awareness we can begin to untangle the beliefs and behaviors that restrict wellbeing and ownership of your life. Then, with this freedom, I work with you to create a life where who you really are is aligned with the choices you make out in the world. Together, we uncover the way to more satisfaction, joy, and meaning in your life. The make-up of my approach includes humanistic-existential theories, Internal Family Systems therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy. As we get to know each other, I tailor the right balance of these approaches to best suit your needs.
My Values as a Therapist
•You possess the capacity to heal within yourself. Powerful healing can also happen from deepened human connection. In life, we need both kinds. •Emotions are important. They have something to tell you about what truly matters to you. Emotions are worthy of being listened to. And not just the painful ones – laughter and joy get space in our work. •Concern and curiosity are important signals, too. They are our trailheads to the rich wisdom you carry inside. •A large part of greater mental health means greater wholeness: living more fully in line with who we really are; and living with more harmony between all the different parts of ourselves we have inside. •Feeling the need for therapy does not necessarily mean you have a “disorder.” And having a “disorder” does not necessarily mean that you absolutely must have therapy. •You are worthy of being treated gently, both by me and by yourself.