Brainspotting Therapists in Oregon

If you are feeling anxious, discouraged, stuck or overwhelmed and want to feel and live your God-given best, we would like to help. Being out of balance within produces feelings of distress, anxiety, uncertainty, fear and despair. We use a combination of Cognitive Behavioral modalities (DBT and ACT), Imago, Internal Family Systems and Brainspotting to process deeper at the subcortical and somatic levels.

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.

It seems we are taught the same general A+B+C equals health, but it’s not that simple. When we find ourselves somewhere in between angry, hurt, ashamed, confused, chaotic, and in pain; there is nothing general about it. By choice or force we have been opened and we find ourselves agonizingly and explicitly pulled in multiple directions at once. These tensions are unavoidable in life and are a part of the human experience. At times we can deal with this on our own, at others we need help raising what we cannot yet see within that offers to not just manage our obscured ailments, but to transcend and operate outside them with others.

Growing up in a dysfunctional family, being in a toxic or abusive relationship, or experiencing the horrors of a traumatic event can set you on a collision course with daily triggers to anger, sadness, overwhelm, panic, or dissociation. Maybe you notice your reactions in your relationships are causing harm, and you regularly experience the dreaded “shame spiral.” You minimize your pain, or others regularly do. If this is you, I’m glad you’re here. Long-term healing is possible. Even if only a small part of you hopes for change, I'm confident it's enough to start the journey toward a peaceful and thriving life.

We are living in unprecedented times. Change is constant and the ability to stay calm, reflective and aligned to our truest selves isn't so easy. I believe each person has the power and ability to heal themselves. And, we could all use some guidance, support, and tools as well as age-old wisdom along the way. If you struggle with trauma. anxiety, or depression, or want break old patterns that aren't serving you -- to live a life with more meaning, value, and joy, I am happy to be your guide. The journey to healing, balance and connection with your highest self awaits you -- to live more deeply, mindfully and awakened.

My goal is to help you regain purpose, be more authentic, and enjoy life and your relationships again. I am trained in Brainspotting therapy which provides a brain-body processing option for difficult-to-change ongoing challenges that talk therapy has not been able to change. Brainspotting is useful for such things as difficult to treat trauma, anxiety, depression, or impulse control, as well as improving things such as performance anxiety, physical pain, and addiction. I also offer a LGBTQ and polyamorous safe counseling experience and provide informed relationship and family counseling for these communities.

Leisha Miller is EMDR certified and trained in Brainspotting. Both are researched based practices that help people process experiences in a different way than traditional talk therapy. Motivational Interviewing and mindfulness exercises are frequently part of counseling sessions.

Everybody has a story. Often our stories about ourselves and others are formulated when we are very young, trying to make sense of what is going on around us. These stories are often untrue. However, the negative narrative continues into adulthood. I use therapy approaches and techniques that help clients re-author a different story about themselves, others and events that might have occurred. When this healing process occurs, I am inspired as a witness to my clients' transformation as they take steps from struggle to healing. I have been in practice for over 30 years and am a provider on most private insurance plans.

Are you looking to make a change? Do you wish to gain insight into yourself, the meaning behind your difficulties? Do you have a desire to discover a closer connection with your emotions, unlocking an ability to feel better, and be more fluid with your feelings as they emerge? Perhaps you live with physical pain, tension, or chronic stress that plagues your body. Are you seeking strength and solace through connection with a deeper source? You are not alone.

Mike will primarily utilize EMDR therapy and/or Brainspotting therapy to help people/athletes overcome common mental and emotional symptoms that can impede progress, performance, or welness. Example of these performance block can be: fear, uncertainty, intrusive thoughts, inability to execute muscle memory movements, feeling of being locked, stuck, or frozen, anxiety, inconsistency, avoidance, frustration and depression. I am also seeing people who have trauma and addiction backgrounds. I'd love to work together to bring awareness to causes of being stuck, and freeing yourself from these anchors.

Do your past experiences, relationships, or losses have you feeling stuck, anxious, or overwhelmed? Perhaps you find yourself unable to shake certain memories or move smoothly through difficult emotions. Many people cope by numbing out, disconnecting from themselves and others in their lives through substances, screens, or something else. Are you struggling to connect with loved ones in authentic and meaningful ways? Are you straying from your true north, struggling with self-esteem, communication, or behavioral challenges? Does your family feel like a place of harmony and strength, or like a minefield of insults or silence?

I work with couples who are experiencing interpersonal distress associated with negative cycles of communication and disconnection. I utilize Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy to help build insight into the attachment issues underlying each other's reactivity within the cycle. In addition, I address attachment trauma utilizing EMDR, Brainspotting and Internal Family Systems, helping to build understanding and compassion within the relationship.

I draw on over 25 years of experience with somatics, mindfulness/meditation, and the creative arts to bring a unique synergy of skills to my counseling approach. In our sessions, you can expect to go beyond conventional therapy, merging somatic practices with a deep exploration into your emotional world and, often, what lies beyond the self. In our time together, we will engage with your body's wisdom and reimagine personal narratives, turning these insights into practical actions for holistic healing and self-growth.

Stress levels are rising, yet we have less time to focus on our needs. Most cannot take time off work for therapy. Mothers struggling with childcare need support. Mobility issues can be a barrier to counseling. I believe that the solution is Telehealth. I'm dedicated to providing compassionate and evidence-based therapy to navigate life's challenges. I create a safe and supportive environment to explore thoughts and emotions authentically without judgement. Therapy and trauma work do not have to be exhausting. Together we will do small steps: identify patterns, symptom management, discover healthy ways to cope, and problem-solve.

Veterans, First Responders, families, individuals and teens. PTSD, MST, addiction, life transitions and grief. We will work together to find the best path for you to reach your personal goals. I also offer assistance in the process of obtaining Service Dogs and ESAs.

I partner with you to explore options and heal whatever is getting in your way & keeping you uncomfortably stuck. Our goal is to have you live the life you want to live, how you want to live it. I'm available for TeleHealth Sessions throughout Florida. If you want to tackle issues such as: Addiction, Codependency, Trauma, Sexuality, Unmanageable Stress and Anxiety, Gambling, ADD/ADHD, Feeling Intimidated by a Life Transition, Feeling Stuck, or wanting to make Personal or Career Changes, we can work together to meet your needs. I use Brainspotting, talk therapies, & a variety of treatment methods like CBT, MI, & DBT with you.

I love working with a variety of people. I have a lot of experience working with: survivors of trauma, neurodivergent/neurospicy brains, parents, therapists, LGBTQIA+ folks, people in poly and open relationships, people in monogamous relationships, and people who are just generally tired of hearing their therapist respond to everything with “mmmmmm…. How does that make you feel?” While I will ask you how things make you feel, (I am still a therapist after all) I am very engaged and proactive as a therapist. I love helping people get somewhere in their life that they didn’t believe they could.

My clients seek me out for many different reasons, including (but not limited to) mood, anxiety, and stress disorders; adjustment difficulties; and relationship and family-of-origin concerns. Sometimes, they just know they're stuck or lost and need help. I use evidence-based approaches (i.e., what we know to be effective with certain concerns) to help clients gain awareness of the interactions between their thoughts, feelings, and behavior; recognize the influences that have shaped these patterns; and develop the knowledge and skills to respond, rather than react, to them.

Accepting NEW clients. Everyone has a story, that should be heard, and have a space where their healing journey can begin. I aid to create a safe, non-judgement space and a therapeutic relationship for clients to share their story, process their pain, and find healing. I specialize in working with children (5+), teens (12+), women, and couples struggling with feeling stuck, behavioral issues, emotional regulation, anxious distress, depressed mood, grief/loss, postpartum issues, trauma, eating disorders, unhealthy body and food relationship, and communication issues and high conflict. I'm also a certified Brainspotting therapist.