Male Therapists in Hood River, OR

I work with people across the lifespan. I specialize in working with trauma, parents and children, and couples. My approach to therapy is centered on you, the client. I rely on you to teach me about your life and tell me what it is you hope to change. We can then work together on understanding how symptoms have developed with particular attention on emotions, relationships, and your experiences. Understanding can then lead to clarity which in turn can lead to change and growth. In addition to therapy, I provide consultation to therapists with particular emphasis on Family Systems and Psychodynamic Theories.

Those that I work with describe me as receptive, kind, extremely engaged and at times even challenging. I am not a passive listener; my therapy work takes the form of an active, two-way dialogue. While my style is compassionate, informal, and truly nonjudgmental, I believe it is often essential for our default positions to be explored within a safe context. Good therapy provides the help of someone trained to see and artfully communicate what we sometimes cannot see ourselves. The therapeutic relationship must be compassionate, open-hearted, and enjoyable, yet honest.

Sometimes we can be unkind to ourselves, feel disconnected in our relationships or overwhelmed by life's problems. I believe counseling is a learning process. I will work with you to develop a compassionate understanding of who you are and new insight about areas in your life where you want support to change. I am passionate about working with individuals and families to support mental health and healing from addiction. I believe our well-being is informed by a healthy connection to family and community. In the therapy process I incorporate perspectives including relationship attachment, developing insight through mindfulness and understanding the effects of trauma.

My primary focus is couple therapy. I am a trained Certified EFT Therapist. EFT stands for Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples and is far and away the best treatment for couples. I have successfully treated couples who struggled with communication issues, infidelity, childhood trauma, attachment concerns, and emotional disconnect. As an EFT therapist I have worked with many couples in which one of the partners has ADHD. I also treat trauma using EMDR therapy with individuals and in the couple setting.

I believe that the experiences we go through in life shape us, the people around us impact us, and I believe that the process of growing is a life long journey. I practice psychodynamic therapy informed by person centered ways of relating. That’s just a fancy way to say that I think your life impacts who you are, how you behave and feel, and that an empathetic, supportive relationship is the best place to work on the change you want to see.

Need some tools for your personal/relational toolbox? Every man, like every home, can benefit from a little attention and care. Sometimes we start to build a life that no longer fits our needs. Sometimes life crashes into the world we created. Other times, it is time that takes its toll. We might need a little tweaking and some elbow grease to do the trick. We might need to build a different life entirely. Whatever condition you find your life is in, you don't have to settle, give in, or give up. You can do this!!! I can help.

Working in the field of human services since 1988, I bring an understanding and experience around the issues of relationships, sexuality, depression, anxiety, teen life issues and transitions. I work with these issues because our culture does not address them in helpful ways. I help and encourage you to develop tools and skills for success in your life. Using tools from a mindful, humanistic & cognitive/behavioral orientation, we work together to help you focus on your situation and what will work to create change/healing in your life. I work with individuals and couples.

Hello! I am currently accepting new clients in-person or video telehealth. Life poses challenges to us all, and I collaborate with my clients to help them to understand and to process difficult life situations, and to build on their strengths and develop new coping strategies. My focus is helping teens and adults address symptoms of anxiety and depression caused by various difficult life experiences, and to develop skills supporting your desire for improved communication, relationships, personal growth, resilience and self-esteem.

When pain lingers long enough or becomes greater than our ability to keep pushing forward, we finally become willing to do whatever it takes to get relief. Psychological and emotional distress affects our sleep, our eating behaviors, use of alcohol and other drugs, our well-being, and our ability to function at home, work, and in our relationships. We're often plagued by fear, anxiety, anger, frustration, confusion, depression, self-doubt, failure, hopelessness, and even total despair.

Therapy can be a compassionate space for insight, personal development, and healing. Each one of us has our own unique history and growth process. My goal is to support your overall mental, emotional, and relational health. I work with a range of experiences including anxiety, trauma, shame, and grief. I also specialize in: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD); trauma including dissociation, disembodiment, panic, and fear; an intrusive inner critical voice / part of ourselves; and helping couples identity and repair unhealthy relationship patterns and coping mechanisms related to these experience.

Please visit my website www.whitesalmoncounseling.com in order to request a session and to learn more about me. My approach is called "integrative" counseling which is a blend of several different counseling methods and theories. I can do brief solution-oriented counseling or longer term insight-oriented counseling which emphasizes personal growth and transformation. Each client is unique, therefore the therapy should be customized and flexible. With most clients, I focus on their entire lifestyle including physical activity, diet, sleep, work, purpose, and relationships. I'm a big fan of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.