Therapists for college students near Portland State University

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker providing individual therapy for adolescents and adults, and family therapy for children (4-18 years old) and their caregivers. I have over a decade of experience working in healthcare, social services, and mental health treatment, and seek to create a peaceful, trauma-informed atmosphere where my clients can feel safe processing their emotions and experiences. I hold a Master of Social Work Degree from Portland State University, and have undergraduate education in public health, aging across the lifespan, and substance use counseling. I grew up in a large, diverse city and had the opportunity to interact with people of all different cultures, ages, and life paths. This has directly influenced my counseling perspective. I offer an eclectic approach, providing different therapy models and interventions to match the diversity of the client experience. What helps one person may not be ideal for another, and I am here to support each client as they explore the routes that inspire them. I draw from psychodynamic therapy, nondirective therapy, motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, Jungian therapy, and others. I also offer psychoeducation and coaching in anger management, conflict resolution, and nonviolent communication. I offer play therapy, parent coaching, and collaborative problem solving for families with young children. I regularly attend seminars, trainings, and other forms of continuing education to better serve my clients and expand my treatment offering. Here are some of the challenges and symptoms I work with: -Anxiety -Trauma -Depression -Anger -Loneliness -Substance use disorders -Compulsive behaviors and process addictions -Grief and other major life losses and changes -Men’s issues -Romantic relationship difficulties -Eating disorders and body image challenges -Difficulty with finding meaning and self-actualization -ADHD -Sensory processing issues -Dissociation and dissociative identity disorder -Communication and conflict -Processing the return home after periods of incarceration -Stigma and prejudice -Chronic health diagnoses When I’m not working with clients, you’ll usually find me spending time with my family and pets (two dogs and a cat!), playing chess, reading everything from Stephen King to historical nonfiction, playing guitar, and watching all types of films.

My counseling style is warm, compassionate, casual and accepting. I want you to know you are seen and heard, and I am curious about what it’s like to be you in the world. I strongly believe that you are the expert on you and that, once given a little time to breathe in a safe space, you will begin to connect to important parts of yourself that will foster healing and growth. I will be your partner in this process, helping you to gain fresh insight, feel self-compassion, and see your strengths.

Among all the uncertainties of life, making the choice to start therapy is yet another risky plunge into the unknown. Before you decide to give me a call I’d like to try and give you a sense of who I am and what it might be like for us to sit together. Although my title is doctor, my clients call me Sarah. I think of my role as one of accompaniment, you’re the lead and it’s my job to follow your pace, your volume, your moments of free expression. Together we get curious in a way that is, open, receptive, and non-judgmental. Sometimes this process is playful, and sometimes I encourage us to look deeper at the hard things. I am always holding your experience with profound respect and the certainty that you have been doing your best to survive in a world that challenges your flexibility. Whether you’re somewhere along the path of higher education or starting off your career, the challenges of young adult life are uniquely complex and ripe for psychological distress. At this stage in life, you may find yourself with more questions than answers and more pressures than solutions. Stressors and concerns may run the gamut from challenges in relationships, family conflict, financial/housing/food insecurity, or answering questions like, “Who am I” and “What do I want in life?” I can appreciate the need for a space to unpack it all, take a step back, and find more clarity.

I am a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in working with adults who are experiencing a wide variety of mental health issues including but not limited to depression, anxiety disorders, behavioral problems, relationship conflict, and trauma recovery. In addition to individual work, I also provide family therapy and parenting consultation, when indicated, to support parents and promote healthy communication and interactions. I strive to help each person feel safe enough to be open and honest about the state of their life. I believe that we all deserve someone that will listen without judgement and support us through life’s difficult moments. Through therapy, you can begin to make sense of your emotions, decrease your distress, and experience more fulfilling relationships. I utilize an integrative approach to psychotherapy, drawing from both cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic forms of treatment. I seek to help you better understand the root cause of your pain as well as discover practical strategies that will help to shift patterns of thinking and behavior that lie behind your difficulties. I view therapy as collaborative in nature and my hope is that we can partner together to help you make positive changes in your life.

I work well with students who feel overwhelmed by anxiety, low mood, or emotions that seem too big to manage, and who want to understand what's going on, not just be handed a prescription. Many of the people I see are trying medication for the first time and feel nervous about it. Some are carrying difficult or painful experiences from their past. Some are just exhausted and unsure where to start. I take time. Appointments aren't rushed, and I want to understand your story before we make any decisions together. You'll never be pushed to move faster than you're comfortable with, and you're always welcome to keep seeing your own therapist or counselor while I help with the medication side. If you've been putting off reaching out because talking to a psychiatrist feels intimidating, I try to make it feel like a conversation instead.

As a psychologist, Emily supports people to live richer, fuller lives aligned with their personal values. She views her clients as the experts on themselves and sees her role as their collaborator, working together to help bring forward their greatest potential. Emily works with a diverse set of individuals, and with a variety of concerns such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, OCD, trauma, interpersonal relationship challenges, overcoming barriers to goals, and other issues her clients strive to work through. She utilizes an assortment of therapeutic modalities, often blending these approaches, including mindfulness, Jungian analysis, Behavioral Modification, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), Ecopsychology, and relaxation training, always with a focus on the individual needs of the client. Emily believes that an integrated approach to overall well-being is important, including aspects of nutrition, exercise, and sleep hygiene, with an understanding of how these interact with and impact psychological well-being. Over the years, Emily has worked with children, adolescents, young adults, and not-so-young adults, each seeking help with a range of concerns, problem behaviors, and disorders. Emily also enjoys working with couples as they address problematic areas in their relationship, and as they find ways to improve and reconnect with each other. When she works with children, she is also working to make sure parents are appropriately involved, and helping to implement therapeutic assignments beyond the counseling environment and at home. This is especially important as we impart positive parenting approaches to reinforce certain behaviors, and to help a child feel secure as they learn to cope with trauma, anxiety, or depression. Emily completed her Bachelor’s of Science degrees in Biopsychology and Ecology and Evolution at University of California, Santa Barbara, later earning a PhD in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in neuropsychology, and a second PhD in Wildlands and Wildlife Conservation at Brigham Young University. When Emily is not engaging with her clients in psychotherapy, she teaches psychology undergraduate college courses, and enjoys hiking, spending time with her family, connecting with nature, and cooking.

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Hi. If you have ended up here chances are you are questioning if you need help trying to figure something out in your life. Don't close the page...You are here and that is good. Being in college can be a really difficult transition and so much harder than you thought it was going to be. Classes, grades, friends, socializing, drugs, sex, identity, expression, first time independence, and feeling home sick. Perhaps you have dealt with mental health issues before now or maybe this is the first time you are noticing something feeling different. Whatever has brought you to deciding to seek help, know you are making a good choice. Please take a moment to look at my site, and if I am not the right one for you, then look at others. Find someone to talk to today.

I draw from person-centered care, treating anxiety through mindfulness-based therapy, and evidence-based approaches including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). I especially enjoy working with college students navigating career and life transitions, as well as adults experiencing anxiety, depression, or Bipolar II Disorder. My style as a psychologist is warm, collaborative, and grounded in kindness, while also making space for humor and lightness when appropriate.

I support college students through relationships, academics, anxiety, stress, depression, ADHD, and trauma. Working toward goals in these areas of life can be stressful and overwhelming, and you don't have to do it alone! Together we will partner to identify your needs, develop ways of getting through the day to day, and make lasting changes. Feel tree to text, call, or email me, and we can get started right away.

I use relationship building as the foundation of my therapy practice. I believe feeling seen, held, and safe are vital components of being able to grow. My hope is to create an atmosphere where the people I meet with feel met and known which will allow us to walk together through vulnerability. With all my clients I take a Neurobiological approach, which is a fancy way to say I think a lot about nervous systems and how to regulate them. Our nervous systems need co-regulation before they can learn to self-regulate. Together we will explore what feels soothing to your particular system and build strategies from there. I pull Internal Family Systems (IFS) or parts work and Narrative Therapy techniques. My style is client centered, collaborative, affirming, and trauma informed.

Hi there! Starting your healing journey can be a daunting process, and you have already taken a tremendous first step by searching for a therapist. I strive to create a therapeutic space where you feel empowered to navigate concerns related to anxiety, depression, insomnia, trauma, and identity issues. Additionally, I am a BIPOC and queer therapist and enjoy working with BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ clients. To help you develop effective coping skills, we may use tools from CBT and solution-focused therapy. I also use a person-centered stance to ensure you feel accepted and our relationship feels authentic. Finally, I incorporate cultural humility and relational-cultural therapy to ensure our work is sensitive to your experiences. I appreciate you reading my bio. I currently have openings for in-person and telehealth sessions. If you are interested in booking a free, initial consultation, please feel free to contact me. I look forward to connecting with you!

Michelle is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with over 15 years of experience. She earned her Masters Degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, and eventually moved to Portland where she began a career focusing on helping individuals and families learn to heal and thrive. With experience working in healthcare and public education, Michelle understands the complexities and demands that so many members of our community experience. She is committed to addressing cultural issues around bias, racism, equity, and injustices for communities of color and those with diverse backgrounds. Her engagement with anti-racism learning is active, ongoing, and explicit. Michelle is collaborative, encouraging, and playful. She focuses on helping clients to identify their resilience and strength to overcome obstacles, and she offers a safe place to be open and honest without fear of judgment. She has experience working with children and adults struggling with depression, anxiety, women’s health issues, infertility and pregnancy, post-partum, life transitions, parenting issues, and addiction. Michelle approaches therapy with a trauma-informed lens and relies on her background and education in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Strength-Based Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Play Therapy, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. Michelle believes it is a true privilege to be able to work in this field and to share space with people during some of their hardest and most vulnerable moments. She remains continuously grateful for the opportunity her clients give her, and she is committed to continuing to grow and learn. When Michelle is not practicing, she can be found with her spouse, dog, and their two young children - exploring outdoors, skiing, paddle boarding, enjoying good food, and following that beautiful and often scarce PNW sunshine.

I am a social worker, musician, and expressive arts therapist. I believe everyone is innately creative, and each person has within them what they need to heal and change. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Oregon and Louisiana, and a Registered Expressive Arts Therapist (REAT). I use a multi-arts, or intermodal, approach in individual and group therapy and facilitating. This means I use movement, visual art, music, writing, and mindfulness as therapeutic tools to initiate healing and change. Since this work is based on the creative process and not the resulting product, no background or training in the arts is required to benefit.

My practice is guided by the belief that every person strives to do the best they can. The individual or family system may need assistance in developing necessary skills and guidance in solving problems. Working collaboratively with clients I help them to narrate new ways of interacting with their environment. I work with several young adults / young professionals as they navigate major life transitions (college, grad school, careers, families and parenting) and the accompanying challenges (ie: depression, anxiety, ADHD, isolation, imposter syndrome, challenging relationships, perfectionism). A major part of my practice is helping clients with trauma - esp developmental trauma.

Our compassionate and skills counselors help people grow more into themselves and their resilience. With a strengths-based, culturally-affirming, trauma-informed approach, we can support you through the stress of what life is bringing you. A therapeutic relationship is powerful and productive. We're here to see you do well, all the way through the hard and heartache, and into a hopeful future. If you are struggling but motivated to process, reflect, and experience some change, this is the right time to connect with us! We look forward to next steps with you. You can learn more about us and start the process through our website: www.SecondGrowthCounseling.com

With over a decade of experience as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Rachel has seen firsthand the profound transformation that compassionate care can bring. Her mission is to empower clients with strategies to unlock their most confident, courageous, and authentic selves. She is honored to guide others as insight from their work together enables them to navigate challenges and build resilience. Rachel deeply appreciates the courage it takes to try something different. Rachel earned her Bachelor of Social Work from Pacific University and her Master of Social Work from the University of Utah. Her clinical experience includes working with children and adults in medical settings, with over ten years at a Portland-based children's hospital. Most recently, she has supported children and families navigating chronic illness. Rachel takes an eclectic approach to therapy, drawing from Internal Family Systems (IFS), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), tailoring interventions to each client’s unique needs. Throughout her career, she has worked as a group facilitator, crisis worker, case manager, and trauma responder, providing compassionate, evidence-based care in complex situations. Rachel lives in Oregon with her spouse, daughter, and their Golden Irish, Yoshi. As a family, they value balance and time outdoors—you’ll often find them rock climbing, hiking, or camping in the Pacific Northwest.

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I consider it a privilege to sit with individuals who feel driven to take on the challenge of personal growth. It’s hard to face the messiest parts of ourselves. We tend to avoid this at every cost, often with behaviors and habits that keep us distracted and numb. But therapy is about waking up. It’s about committing to the work of undoing old patterns that no longer serve us so we can show up more fully in our lives. I specialize in working with adults and teens (16+) who struggle with anxiety, depression, eating disorders and/or body image concerns. There isn’t one approach that works for everyone. I enjoy getting creative and finding a framework that best serves each client.

Find a therapist you can connect with and relate to! If you are looking for support, we have 32 therapists with a variety of backgrounds and specialties here to help. We take most insurance. We are located in Portland and available for online therapy statewide in Oregon. Find our current openings on our home page and check out our team profiles at http://www.healthalliescounseling.com to find your perfect match.