Resources
A List Unfinished
Use what helps and leave the rest!
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Not therapy-specific, just a slice of things that have helped me beyond Western psychology
Book- When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chödrön
(Teaches about how to turn towards difficulty rather than running away from it or wishing for something else, based in Buddhist philosophy)
Book- Succulent Wild Woman by SARK
(The self-help book that put me on the path to therapy and self-reflection! Lots of self-acceptance and self-embracing lessons)
Book- A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle
(The self-help/spirituality book that focuses on the power of presence.)
Book- The Prophet by Khalil Girbran
(Poetry on life and its experiences.)
Poem- The Guest House by Rumi
(Rumi’s “The Guest House” is taped to the door of my therapy office and I try to read it whenever I enter. It’s a wonderful reminder of the importance of holding space for all of our emotional experiences)
Poem- The Past by Oodgeroo Noonuccal
“Let no one say the past is dead. The past is all about us and within.”
Books/ Poetry/ Philosophy- Yung Pueblo
(Poetry & explorations of self, emotions, relationships, compassion, self-Love.)
(An epic series that teaches about the human body, how humans are wired, and how our bodies and minds are connected. With episodes on our sensory system, our nervous system, the heart, and more.)
Show-One Strange Rock
(If you’re ever feeling like the world is a bummer of a place, watch this show to inject some awe in your life and appreciate how much magic there is in our existence at any given moment. Awesome interviews with passionate astronauts.)
Show-The Planets
(Another awe-inspiring show about how our solar system came to be.)
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Crisis Resources
Call/text lines
If you find yourself with a mental health emergency, 911 is no longer suggested, please call or text 988 or your local crisis hotline:
Clackamas County Crisis Line: 503-655-8585
Clark County Crisis Line: 360-696-9560
Multnomah County Crisis Line: 503-988-4888
Washington County Crisis Line: 503-291-9111
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1.800.273.TALK(8255)
Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor.
For Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) in crisis
People’s Crisis Line: 503-200-7993 (Call/Text)
BlackLine: 1-800-604-5841 (Call/Text)
Lines for Life: 503-575-3764
(The crisis line will be answered by BIPOC counselors, Mon–Fri 10am–7pm)
(or call the previous number if outside those hours)
Other Crisis Lines
Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255
Alcohol & Drug Crisis Line: 1-800-923-4357 (24/7)
Aging & Disability Help Line: 503-988-3646 (24/7)
The Trevor Project Line: 1-866-488-7386 (LBGTQ+)
Reach Out Oregon: A support team of families and friends to support caregivers of youth navigating mental health challenges.
Call their warmline at 1-833-REACH-OR / 1-833-732-2467, hours are Monday-Friday 12-7
Cascadia Urgent Walk-In Clinic
The Urgent Walk-in Clinic in Portland is open 7 days a week from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m at 4212 SE Division St., Suite 100, Portland
Request for services M-F, 8.30 a.m.-5 p.m.,503-674—7777.
Mobile crisis services are available if you can’t get to the urgent walk-in clinic, or are trying to get help for someone else. Call 503-988-4888 for help.
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Clackamas County Crisis Line: 503-655-8585
Clark County Crisis Line: 360-696-9560
Multnomah County Crisis Line: 503-988-4888
Washington County Crisis Line: 503-291-9111
Rose City Resource: Find reduced cost or free services in Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties (food, housing & shelter, transit, and much more)
Portland Meditation Spaces (Buddhist foundations)
Cascadia Urgent Walk-In Clinic :The Urgent Walk-in Clinic in Portland is open 7 days a week from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m at 4212 SE Division St., Suite 100, Portland. Request for services M-F, 8.30 a.m.-5 p.m., 503-674—7777.
Central City Concern: Resources for housing, healthcare, recovery, and jobs.
p:ear : Open to youth 15-24 years old experiencing homelessness, p:ear is a place to build relationships, get basic needs met, and find opportunities.
211 info: All kinds of local resources. Free, confidential information about health, community and social services in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Calls answered in over 150 languages. Click the link above, Dial 2-1-1; Text your zip code to 898211; or email at help@211info.org.
Behavioral Health Resource Center: A safe and welcoming day center where anyone who is houseless and experiencing addiction or mental health challenges can take a break from living on the street.
Independent Publishing Resource Center (IPRC): Provides affordable access to space, tools, and resources for creating independently published media and artwork.
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The Body Keeps the Score : Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D
(One of the most recommended books on trauma, describing how trauma occurs and how it affects our mind and body, plus how we can engage in healing. It’s hefty and dense and may be activating, so take your time and check in with yourself as you’re reading.)
Healing Trauma: a Pioneering Program for Restoring the Wisdom of Your Body by Peter Levine, PhD
(A short book on how to somatically engage with healing trauma, with step-by-step practices to try (and photo descriptions!))
Compiled by a human diagnosed with CPTSD, full of many resources for learning about CPTSD, grounding, flashbacks, treatment, supportive media outlets, groups, and much more
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The Self-Acceptance Project : How to Be Kind & Compassionate Toward Yourself in Any Situation
(Lots of writers from different backgrounds sharing about ways to access self-compassion)
Brené Brown- Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead and The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are
The Call to Courage, Netflix special on vulnerability:
TedTalk that is shorter and covers a lot of the same topics:
Inner child drawings activity
Discovering and working with our parts
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RAIN: A mindfulness tool for managing intense emotions
Background: The RAIN technique was created by a Vipassana meditation teacher named Michelle McDonald and was used by Tara Brach in her book, Radical Compassion.
Here’s the more in-depth description
Here’s a 10 minute RAIN meditation
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Attachment Explained blog article: Written by me, Kelsey Williams! There’s a part one and two.
My attempt at explaining different attachment styles, how they can develop, and how they can show up as adults and in relationships.
Come As You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski
Written for women and those who love them (research unfortunately does not include experiences of trans women), this book is excellent for understanding how stress impacts our sex drive and how we’re all working with different systems
The State of Affairs : Rethinking Infidelity by Esther Perel
A fresh take on infidelity, why it happens, and how relationships can heal from it
Hold Me Tight : Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love by Dr. Sue Johnson
Written by the founder of emotionally-focused therapy, uses attachment theory to describe the relational patterns so many of us fall into
Attached : The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find – and Keep – Love by Amir Levine & Rachel Heller
Explains some of the mechanisms of attachment theory in relationships and what each attachment style tends to need
Polysecure: Attachment, Trauma and Consensual Nonmonogamy by Eve Rickert and Jessica Fern
Attachment theory for nonmonogamous relationships
Gaslighting Recovery Workbook: Healing from Emotional Abuse by Amy Marlow-MaCoy, LPC
For anyone who has been in an emotionally abusive relationship
Dating after an abusive relationship article
Here are some attachment style quizzes to try out:
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Here are some resources for wellness. These are just some models of wellness, others have more or less categories.
Here is an info sheet describing each of the categories
Here is a reflection exercise
And if you feel like you’d like to start with an assessment, here is a wellness assessment as well
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Mindfulness for Beginners : Reclaiming the present moment—and your life by Jon Kabat-Zinn
A good beginner book for starting to understand mindfulness
Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana
Another good beginner book for those interested in exploring mindfulness
Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation by Dr. Daniel Siegel
Uses current neuroscience to explain mindfulness and how it can help us connect to and heal our experiences
Portland Meditation Spaces (Buddhist foundations)
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YouTube Channel for meditations and teachings for anxiety, ADHD, and general mindfulness: Being Integrated
Sleep/relaxation meditations:
-Body scan for sleep: (1 hour, female voice)
-For sleep, stress reduction, and ruminating thoughts: (1 hour 50 minutes, female voice)
-Release the day, sleep meditation: (3 hours, male voice)
-Letting go of suffering, sleep meditation: (3 hours, male voice)
Other sleep resources
Other meditations:
-Body scan with flowing water sounds: (22 minutes, female voice)
-Relaxation meditation, visualizing the beach: (23 minutes, female voice)
-Visualizing self as tree meditation: (30 minutes, male voice)
-This is one of my favorite 10 minute meditations for self-soothing
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Bearing the Unbearable: Love, Loss, and the Heartbreaking Path of Grief
A wonderful book on going through and healing traumatic grief, with ideas for activities to try. Lots of stories of grief and loss, so be prepared for that.
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In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction by Dr. Gabor Mate
A compassionate and systemic take on how/why addictions are present for so many of us in so many forms
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Resource List for Neurodivergent Couples
What is the DIR/Floortime approach?
Book: Engaging Autism by Serena Weider and Stanley Greenspan
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The Mindfulness & Acceptance Workbook for Depression, for Anxiety
The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook
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Probably my favorite therapy podcast, the hosts come from an attachment perspective but feature lots of guests
A podcast by myself and another therapist & great friend of mine, Regine Henderson, about what it means to be human and healing in our modern, capitalism-driven world.
Non-conventional relationship podcast
Another broad therapy podcast
Esther Perel Relationship podcasts
One of my favorite therapists and relationship therapists, Esther Perel
“Explores the human experience through a vibrant lens of myth, story, and imagination.”
Eckhart Tolle: Essential Teachings
Teachings and spiritual wisdom from Eckhart Tolle on all kinds of topics, presented by Oprah Winfrey.
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Polyvagal (nervous system) theory -(keywords: trauma, triggers, glimmers, emotional regulation, self-regulation, sensory system)-
-Mapping your own nervous system
-Befriending your own nervous system
Essentially what we are exploring is:
-How would you label your nervous system states and what do they feel like in your body or experience? For example, I tend to use the word “activated” for the fight/flight/fear response, and “shut down” to describe a freeze state. I might use the words “calm” or “regulated” to describe my ideal nervous system state.
-What are the signs that tell you or other people you’re in each of these or heading into one of them? Are there internal cues from your body (heart rate, clenching, heat, sweating, dizziness, etc.)? Are there things other people might notice (eye contact, pacing, breathing, etc.)?
-What are some triggers you know tend to make you feel activated and/or shut down? If you start to write a list of triggers (writing helps us move into the front parts of our brain, where logic lives!), try to notice if your body or mind respond in any way as you write down or think about what you’re writing. And, if you start to feel overwhelmed, please always feel free to pause and we can work on the list together too.
-What are the people/places/things that help you feel calm/regulated/safe? For each of the 5 senses, can you think of 1 or more things that your body responds to with positive feelings? Basically we are creating a “feel good toolbox” for helping us and our nervous systems through difficult experiences.
-Check out the “practices” tab for compassion activities to try
Internal Family Systems