Therapists in Damascus, OR

Hello, let me introduce myself to you. I am a therapist who is dedicated to work with clients motivated to improve their lives. Are you a client who want to learn how to think more clearly, make better decisions, and avoid drama? Call me if you want a guide who will help you improve your relationships, reduce your stress, and create a more fulfilling life. My goal for my clients is to help them improve their attitudes so they will feel better about themselves and obtain the life that they desire. I work with clients who believe that they can change and grow and want to improve their lives. I design the therapy to meet each person's needs. The best therapy is creative and interactive. I am trained to use art and guided imagery in addition to talk therapy. My clients walk away from a session feeling they have learned something about themselves and have been given skills to solve their problems. I value each client I work with. I believe that together we can learn from each other. At this time I am working with clients through telemedicine in Oregon and California.

I have been helping individuals to develop healthy relationships with themselves and others for over 18 years and I look forward to helping you work toward your goals. My education and training are from the University of Southern California School of Social Work. My style integrates an individually selected group of professional skills targeted to meet your specific needs. I am direct and interactive and enjoy working with individuals who may be challenged by a background of trauma; wrestling with career or personal relationship difficulties; or are wanting to explore their unique path in life. I work to create a respectful and emotionally supportive relationship with you in order to promote your understanding of yourself and your place in the world. This collaborative effort facilitates identification and clarification of your personal goals in a safe, dependable environment. The work involves skill-building, setting objectives and monitoring progress toward your goals. Throughout the process we honor and celebrate who you are and what you bring to the world.

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 20 years of experience working in helping professions. I have a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy. I’ve had an opportunity to work with clients experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, bipolar disorder and psychotic disorders to name a few. Generally speaking, my theoretical approach will be Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Solution Focused Therapy. This doesn’t mean I don’t incorporate other therapeutic approaches. You’re an individual therefore I don’t attempt to force a particular framework. I am an active listener who enjoys supporting clients with self-discovery and development of personal goals. It’s amazing how beneficial it can be to speak with someone unbiased, nonjudgmental and eager to be supportive. I enjoy being a part of a process where people learn, grow and develop based on their standards and ideas of success. You know your life better than anyone else. Sometimes as humans, we need assistance in realizing this. I look forward to being a part of that process if given the opportunity. Take care in the meantime.

Hello and thank you for learning about me! I am a California and Oregon state Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist with over 30 years of experience in a wide variety of settings, working with differing populations and ages. I have helped others who are looking to start or maintain their healing journey or are experiencing obstacles such as depression, anxiety, relationship conflict, addictions and trauma (including multi-generational trauma). My current clinical focus is on individual adult men and women from various ethnic backgrounds. What has become abundantly clear to me, especially since working within a Telehealth format which reaches people far and wide, is that no matter where we are from we all have in common the needs for purpose, meaning and value in our lives. Those who have worked with me on BetterHelp know that I pay close attention to words, love metaphors, and use humor when it is appropriate to do so. My style is warm and actively engaging and my approach pulls from various sources including solution-focused, dialectical behavior, narrative, and experiential therapies. I can't believe it has been 4 years already since I joined BH. I have developed a model "in honor" of this milestone. I hope it brings clarity to you as to how I may approach your situation. I look forward to meeting you: Joy’s CHIPS Model© … Chipping away at human problems Cognitive Distortions - checking in on narratives Communication - listening vs hearing Comparisons - soul killer Compassion - Kindness towards Self? Others? Regret & Resentments Context - environment, culture, religion, health Control - can/can’t (anxiety/panic, codependency, addictions) Healthy Distractions - Skills & Tools Honesty - transparency Humility - gratitude? narcissism? I - Am I making it all about me? codependency? narcissism? I - Interpretations & Assumptions Patience Paying Attention - and Mindfulness Petrified - including fear of feeling better Physical - health, including its cause for MH issues Projection - onto others & forecasting Proof - of assumptions Purpose Self-Awareness Self-Sabotage Substances Support System "Don't cling to a mistake just because you spent a lot of time making it." ― Aubrey de Grey “To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.” ~ Joseph Chilton Pearce

I am licensed in Oregon with 5 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, & trauma and abuse. My training and practical experience has been eclectic, touching on approaches including humanistic (relation-centered), action-centered, cognitive behavioral, narrative, and somatic. I also include in my grasp of any client appreciation for their family, social-cultural, and socioeconomic context. More recently my focus includes some emphasis on the impact of trauma. I have lived in Japan for 14 years of my adult life, as well as spent 30+ pursuing the practice of aikido, a Japanese martial art. Philosophy and Approach Every person has the natural capacity and tendency to heal and return to a healthy equilibrium. A person considering counseling is already making the first step of exercising that tendency. I believe that “loosening up” and releasing the many things we hold, particularly unconsciously, allow us to activate that capacity and return to, or discover, a healthier state of being. Top-down, this would involve uncovering our various thought patterns, reactions, and story that we have about ourselves. Bottom-up, it involves noticing and feeling - the various ways our body is in relation to how we are mentally. I hope to cultivate a relationship with each client to embody trust, safety, inquiry, and honesty, so that healing change can start in the therapy room and extend into one’s life.

I am licensed in North Dakota with 3 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with coping with life changes. I believe everyone has a story and I am interested in learning yours. During our visits we will discuss what you want to talk about. Taking the first step to seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am here to support you in that process.

I am licensed in Oregon with 11 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, trauma and abuse, coping with grief and loss, & depression. I believe that you are the expert of your story and that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you. Taking the first step is most important. We can keep taking it one step at a time.

I am a licensed clinical social worker with 30+ years of post-graduate experience. I was the Executive Director of a non-profit counseling agency and have worked with clients in prison, hospital, residential, wilderness, probation, group home and outpatient settings. Clients have included children, adults, couples, groups and aging adults. I have worked with people of varied sexual orientations, ethnicities and races. My counseling style is cognitive-behavioral. I help clients focus on the role thoughts play in driving emotions and behavior. I believe the mind is our greatest tool, but too often our chief critic or saboteur. I have helped many navigate the waters around addiction, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, grief, anger, unforgiveness and other "stuck thinking." I have helped patients come to terms with terminal illness, loneliness, caregiver stress, divorce and life purpose. I start with a lot of listening. My clients describe me as being a calm and grounding presence in their lives. Together we will create a customized treatment plan that addresses your needs and helps achieve your goals. I look forward to working with you!

Are you Depressed? Anxious? Angry? Stressed? Confused? Looking for Direction? Concerned about your Children? Loosing ground in your Marriage? Caring for elderly parents? You are not alone! Together with the tools, support, and a warm nurturing environment you can began to live your Best Life NOW! I specialize in building STRONG HEALTHY Families. Is your family next?

I am licensed in Washington with 5 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, & motivation, self esteem, and confidence. I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey.