Therapists in Bend, OR

Life is both wonderful and messy. Situations in life sometimes become too much for us. I partner with clients ready to work their way through bouts of not feeling right, significant changes in life circumstances, aging at any age, and/or relational conflict.

Waitlist for clients seeking after school or work hours, open availability for daytime hours. I truly believe it takes great courage to reach out for help! A therapeutic relationship is just like any other relationship in life, the right fit is important so I want you to know how I can help. Are you feeling hopeless? Struggling in relationships? Struggling to manage anxiety? These and many other important reasons are why people enter my office. My goal as your therapist is to create a space where you feel validated, understood, valued, and educated on ways to heal while working through the pain that brings you to my office.

Accepting new clients as of August 2024. Real world counseling is compassionate, collaborative, and outcome oriented. I rely on evidenced-based therapeutic practices alongside holistic functional approaches. I specialize in modern men's issues, addictions, and couple's sessions. Together we can work towards a greater sense of wholeness and stability. Common concerns involve relationship enhancement and communication, sex and dating, attachment issues, substance use, process addictions, trauma, identity crisis, co-dependency, anxiety, depression, loneliness, anger, and assertiveness training.

I currently have new client availability. Please go to the practice website for more detailed information about my offerings and the steps to becoming a client. I'm really looking forward to getting to know your story and working together with curiosity, reflection, and calmness. Our journey will be built on trust and mutual respect as we explore the skills and strategies that will help you regulate your nervous system. We'll create a unique toolkit just for you, aiming to empower you to walk your life’s path confidently and independently.

I am constantly humbled by the ways those I work with teach me and make me a better human, and I believe we all have within us the innate, resilient power to heal ourselves. You want your life to look different, but you may not know where to start or even what that means. I believe the therapeutic relationship thrives on genuine empathy and nonjudgment, which supports change. I enjoy working with people to improve their quality of life by healing trauma and challenging unhelpful patterns of behavior and thought, and have experience and interest in supporting individuals with trauma recovery and severe persistent mental illness.

Engaging a Mindfulness-based, cognitive approach can greatly benefit anyone exploring lifespan challenges and/or their journey towards personal growth. The most powerful relationship you will ever have is the relationship with yourself. Specializing in couples and individual counseling, I have over 28 years of experience addressing marital issues, trauma, anxiety, depression, and grief. In addition to being a psychotherapist and hypnotherapist, I also provide a space (drumming circles) for individuals and/or groups to experience a healing approach through sound and self-expression.

I specialize in working people who are in search of their authentic self. They often have too much on their to-do list and feel a lot of stress. There is a sense that life isn't quite what they want it to be or that they are over committed to things that just aren't giving back or are not fulfilling. Most of the people I work with are highly intelligent emotionally, intellectually or both and might struggle to find where to best put their efforts.

You are bright, sensitive, and insightful but either feel like you’re stuck on ON (easily startled, racing thoughts that are difficult to control or turn off, struggling to relax and feeling flooded emotionally), or stuck on OFF (flat, lethargic, exhausted, foggy, unmotivated and disconnected from your vitality and energy). You may have even spent years in talk therapy, gained a lot of insight but have hit a plateau and may be wondering if you’re not meant to fully heal or if therapy actually works. It is possible to deeply heal - you just need an approach that supports your life's history and how it's stored in your body.

Accepting new clients! Life’s challenges and stressors can deeply impact our adult lives, leaving us feeling stuck, overwhelmed, and alone. Meanwhile, children may respond with big emotions and behaviors. Whether you or your child is facing difficulties, I am here to offer support to you and your family. I work with children (ages 4-12) and adults, using an approach that draws on elements from Relational Cultural Theory and Attachment Theory. I believe that relationships and social and cultural contexts greatly contribute to shaping how we show up in the world, so exploring these relational dynamics will be a part of our work.

I teach people how to build a strong sense of Self and use that powerful foundation to create the life they desire. To make it in this world, you may have invested in “being normal” or just "surviving" and, in that process, forgotten who you truly are. Many people who identify as highly sensitive, or neurodiverse find themselves in this situation, as well as people who have experienced trauma or significant change. Reconnecting with your authentic self allows you to: experience increased success & abundance, cultivate closer relationships, undam your creativity, and build resilience.

I've been there. I know what it is like to walk around feeling disconnected to the rest of life. Feeling you are running around constantly without achieving what actually matters. Giving and giving without making progress. Feeling a constant wrestle of wanting multiple things simultaneously that seem conflicting. Believing there should be more to life, yet not having any clue of what it is or how to make it happen. I was able to stop making decisions in fear and start trusting my own self through a willingness to be curious and honest about who I was and what I needed. And I believe the same can be true for you.

My practice reflects my personal commitment to ongoing growth and expansion. My approach is direct and practical, integrative and holistic. Having been in practice 30 years I offer you a plethora of skills,tools, training and experience. Regardless of presenting issues most people seek counsel because something is not working and feels painful. This pain comes from resisting the call to make changes, literally blocking your aliveness/energy making you feel unhappy and "stuck". My role is to offer ways to release this resistance at all levels: mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I tailor sessions to meet your individual needs.

Life is difficult and complicated and we all need help at times when we get stuck. Getting unstuck is often short term work. Avoiding getting stuck over and over again is longer term work. Symptom versus problem resolution.

New Group - See below! Your inner critic can make you see yourself through a cruel funhouse mirror, where all you can see are the parts of you that you don’t like. You may have had past experiences - in relationships, your family, school, or society - that left you feeling like there's something wrong with you. Maybe you’ve been told you’re “too sensitive” or “too much,” and now you tell yourself those things on repeat. You may struggle with listening to and trusting your feelings, intuition, or body, and you long for more confidence & self-trust. My clients are people who want to go deep (even if a part of them is also afraid to!).

**CURRENTLY FULL.** I believe that no matter where you have come from or what you have been through, that you have been created with so much value and potential. It is my goal to work alongside an individual to recognize, encourage and remind them of their strengths and capabilities. I believe that trust, respect and authenticity are vital in the counseling relationship and that humor should be incorporated into life whenever possible. I work to holistically treat individuals/couples and I offer services for adult patients with a variety of backgrounds and diagnoses.

I understand that the process of therapy can be overwhelming. I applaud you for the first active steps you are taking to seek support. I encourage you to find a therapist that you connect with. The therapeutic rapport is extremely valuable and an instrumental part of healing and growing. It is your choice who you want to share your story with. I have been providing therapeutic support for adults, youth, couples and families for the past 16 years. I hope through meaningful conversations to engage my clients in authentic dialogue that encourages change, reinforces strengths, and helps foster new awareness.

**CURRENTLY ACCEPTING OHP & PACIFIC SOURCE CLIENTS WITH TELEHEALTH AVAILABILITY.** As a person, I believe that you are valuable and capable. I believe that, no matter your circumstances or experiences we can work together to create and achieve amazing goals and explore an environment for healing alongside developing skills for wholeness, resiliency, and even purpose. Trust, respect, and authenticity are central in the counseling relationship. I will work in a holistic and honest manner, with action-oriented modalities to treat individuals, couples, and teens with a multitude of backgrounds or diagnoses.

Finding someone to speak with and asking for help is a courageous step. I understand how it can be to share personal information with someone you have just met and I will hold this position with respect. Many people come to therapy for support with anxiety, depression, stress, loss and relationship issues. For some, therapy is more about understanding themselves, changing patterns of behavior that are outdated and they are making efforts to move forward. Therapy is not about advice giving, although many times, problem solving is part of the process. Change seems more likely when there is someone listening to us and we feel encouraged. It's also useful to speak with someone who has knowledge of the most effective strategies for change. It is my hope that whatever your reason for seeking therapy, together we can create a useful experience for you.

We all have the power to heal and grow. I am passionate about helping to heal traumas, connect with our core strengths and resiliency, and help you manage ongoing stress. As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I use a collaborative and strengths-based approach to help you create the changes you want to see in your life and in your relationships. Increasing the compassion, curiosity, and confidence you have in yourself will carry out to the relationships around you.