Therapists in Tigard, OR

I'm currently accepting new clients! I specialize in working with individual clients who are dealing with issues related to eating disorders, anxiety, and, self-esteem. I also work with couples, integrating an emotion-focused therapy lens. I’m here as a resource to work alongside you in your journey towards growth, discovery, hope, and healing.

A quick note about reaching me: using email will allow me to respond more quickly. My dog Lady, an emotional support animal, occasionally sits in on our sessions. You may choose to opt out of having her in the room if you are uncomfortable with her presence. Therapy is a sacred space to express yourself fully and honestly with the assurance of receiving empathy devoid of judgment. Lady is an expert at this! Our life stories are shaped by relationships and events. Work-related stressors, grief, difficult relationships, substance use struggles, anxiety, depression…all of these take a toll on our mental well-being.

I am passionate about working with young adults and women. I have worked with a variety of clients, many of whom are experiencing a loss of trust, stability, love or hope in their lives, and are trying to find a place of safety and healing. Finding a therapist you connect with is crucial to your journey. I believe in the power of a great connection and strive to create a space where each person feels heard and valued on their unique path to wellness. My style is warm, thoughtful and calm. I combine it with a direct approach of finding ways to help you navigate a healthier and happier way of being in the world.

Need therapy as an individual or a couple? Looking for EMDR? Or help with depression? Anxiety? I help people suffering from anxiety, depression, PTSD, disordered eating, relationship issues, abuse recovery, finding your identity again, and learning new coping skills. I help people work on changing their eating patterns, their emotions around food, body image, and commitment to recovery. I help couples using Gottman and EFT to de-escalate conflict, and begin to communicate in a healthy way together. I can also help you use meditation, sound, movement, art, or spirituality in addition to talk therapy as complimentary therapy.

So you’re a millennial woman listening to podcasts and reading books about how to show up “bigger” in your life, have more confidence, and create the life you really want. You want to understand and resolve the anxiety you feel when you think about saying no to friends or expressing your true opinions at work. You’re so tired of agreeing to things only to later regret it and then feel guilty if you don’t follow through. Maybe you’re staying in relationships that feel more like an obligation than a true pleasure, resulting in dread or avoidance. Life is really busy with lots of friends, but you’re left feeling empty and unfulfilled.

I serve adolescents and young adults who have a desire for understanding what is happening within them and discovering ways to improve their mental well-being as they develop. I strive to provide a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere where crying is accepted and laughter is encouraged. I deeply value getting to know an individual's true self and embracing the unique ways they see the world. My goal is to guide clients in learning skills and discovering their own personal strengths so that they can find confidence in their ability to heal and work through struggles on their own after counseling is complete.

I believe anyone can benefit from therapy, and I commend you for taking the first step towards change. I offer a non-judgmental, insight-oriented approach to meet your specific needs with respect to your circumstances and intersecting identities. I have experience working with college and graduate students, as well as young and middle-aged adults, coping with phase of life issues, interpersonal challenges, and eating and body image concerns. I am especially interested in working with individuals who want to focus on relationship concerns, issues related to family-of-origin, trauma, identity development, and life transitions.

As we all continue to navigate life's transitions and changes, we eventually find ourselves needing guidance and support along the way. Whether you or someone you know is currently thriving or struggling in life, deciding to seek therapy can often be a helpful, rewarding, and life-changing experience. Finding and choosing a therapist, however, could be challenging and overwhelming. Not only must practical matters be considered, such as fees and scheduling, so must the therapist's style, approach, and qualifications. In other words, it has to be a "good fit" and it must "feel right."

I am, first and foremost, interested in working with people as people, not as their diagnoses. As a fellow human and collaborative therapist I'm interested in meeting my clients where they're at with whatever they are facing. As an ADHD-er myself I particularly enjoy supporting other neurodiverse folks traversing this neurotypical world. I am also passionate about supporting other therapists through the challenges they face as caregivers and humans.

My clients are cycle breakers..... "A cycle breaker is someone who grew up without an example of the life they wanted or needed, and they fought like hell to build that life anyway." -Nate Postlethwait- To be a cycle breaker is a burden and a gift. When you create a path forward in life, of your own vision, it requires determination and a natural tendency towards hyper-independence. It can be rewarding, and exhilarating but equally lonely, and exhausting. It is time to put those burdens down, and express your true authentic self.

Are you finding yourself overwhelmed, exhausted, disoriented by major change or perhaps weighed down by who you are, where you’re not, or just feeling off? Maybe you’re in need of extra support, even just a little. I get it. I’ve been there and would like to help.

My counseling approach is all about understanding the connections and systems that shape our lives. Instead of just fixing surface-level issues, we'll dive deep into the emotions that drive our connections, exploring how you feel and relate to others. As we understand our emotions, then we can change our behaviors. Whether you're facing conflicts in your marriage, coping with the loss of a loved one, navigating the joys and challenges of parenthood, or wrestling with overwhelming worries, I'm here to help you through it all.

Life transitions bring new opportunities for personal growth, communication development, and emotional connectedness. With couples & families, our approach is to deepen the bond by focusing more effective communication while understanding the needs of the relationship, Individual therapy centers from life experiences of resilience & strength, redefinition of self, challenges around family history, or a recognition of new life boundaries. As we work with younger clients, we utilize interventions in our play therapy room to provide an environment open and welcoming to the needs of everyone.

I believe that people are generally capable of overcoming obstacles in their lives, but sometimes they need help with finding the right tools. I provide hope, encouragement, insight, and guidance so that my clients can find their path to happiness. My goal for clients is to help them become more effective, insightful, self-confident, and successful at overcoming future hurdles in their own lives and in their relationships.

Excited. Persistent. Results oriented and good sense of humor. That's me! You’re not alone when you say, “I really don’t want to get out of bed today, just a little while longer,” as you pull the covers over your head. Today feels gray, you feel overwhelmed, even numb and the nagging “duties” of the day pull at your attention, one after another. You want to scream and hide under a rock to make it all go away for a minute, but you open your eyes to see the list of “should’s” just get longer. And worse yet, you feel alone in all of it.

I welcome children, individuals, couples, and families dealing with relationship conflicts, parenting, depression, anxiety, trauma, life stress & balance, developing sexual health, or personal identity. I was a teacher for many years and welcome children ages 3 and up for play therapy to help them communicate their inner experiences as they learn new skills and practice new ways of coping.

Summer is here! Life is full of transitions and can tug at our strings in search for identity and times of uncertainty that can increase anxiety, depression, and trigger previous trauma. Children can feel changes and try to adapt without the words to express how they feel that can create additional tension. Put this together, it can become a cesspool of emotions for both the parent(s) and child. My personal experience of living abroad for 20 years and raising 5 children, helped me to understand transitions and their complexities.I work with both children and adults, parenting for relief.

Beginning the counseling process can be intimidating. I aim to provide clients with a safe and neutral space to share their story and feel wholly accepted without judgment. I believe that inviting the vulnerable parts of ourselves to be seen, heard, and cared for can lay the groundwork for effective therapy. By exploring past and present experiences, thoughts, and feelings, we can identify and alleviate barriers that are preventing you from living the life you desire.

Emotional connection is crucial for thriving and satisfying relationships. Shame and trauma can keep us stuck in negative cycles of thought and behavior. I work with individuals, couples, families, and groups within the context of their current and prior relationships. I primarily employ Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Restoration Therapy (RT) techniques.