Help for people who feel stuck

 

Pain is inevitable.

Suffering isn’t.

As a licensed psychologist, I work to help people hold their pain with compassion, so they can enjoy their lives.  I’m experienced counseling people with a range of concerns, such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and others. My specialty is trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder, which is the focus of this website, but I'm comfortable treating a broad range of conditions. I work with adults and individuals.

My approach is semi-structured, meaning that I can make treatment more or less structured depending on the goals and needs of the person. I am comfortable working in the short-term (8-12 sessions), as well as in the longer term. I don't believe that people need to be in therapy for years to make significant changes. Additionally, I focus less on one's history than on understanding what's getting in the way of people living the life they want to live right now.

I am committed to treatments supported by research. My main treatment approach is called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), an evidence-based treatment within the cognitive behavioral tradition. Additionally, I spend part of my time as a researcher and have presented work nationally and been published in scientific peer-reviewed journals.

I am part of the Portland Psychotherapy Clinic, Research, and Training Center, and the Portland Mood Disorder Clinic.

I have included additional links that you might find helpful on this website. Please contact me if you’re interested in treatment. Together, we can assess within the first session or two what may be the most appropriate course of therapy and discuss your options.