COSMIC THERAPY

~~All parts, identities, cultures, races, sexual orientations, gender identities, shapes, sizes, abilities, interests, religious and spiritual beliefs— welcome in. Body positive. Sex positive. LGBTQ+ proud. Love is Love.

~~All parts, identities, cultures, races, sexual orientations, gender identities, shapes, sizes, abilities, interests, religious and spiritual beliefs— welcome in. Body positive. Sex positive. LGBTQ+ proud. Love is Love.

My therapeutic style is relational, nurturing, and imaginative, with a dash of humor and a sprinkling of science-enthusiasm. I seek to be my genuine, human self in our time together and to provide a truly nonjudgmental space where you can feel free to discover and be wholly, authentically you.

My therapy philosophy is grounded in compassion, existential-humanism, relational neuroscience, and systems-based and strengths-based perspectives. These frameworks help us understand our selves and our experiences, find meaning and purpose in life, and quiet the voices of shame, guilt, and should-haves. This creates space for us to focus on understanding the experiences and contexts that have made you into who you are, the survival mechanisms that have kept you alive in this world, and how you can offer yourself compassion through it all.

Some of my favorite tools are mindfulness, parts work, breath work and meditation, and somatic (body-based) therapy. We have the power to gently shift how we see and interact with ourselves and life, and these tools help us to feel connected to ourselves, others, and the world around us. I also love to incorporate spiritual beliefs and practices into therapy for those who are interested, and I believe in identity-affirming care, even as we explore ideas of interconnectedness.

I believe that healing happens interpersonally (with others) through relationship experiences of feeling seen, heard, and accepted just as we are. I also believe that healing happens intrapersonally (with self) through intentionally going inwards. What this means for our work together is that we will use traditional talk therapy and our relationship as tools for healing, and I will also be encouraging you to slow down and communicate with yourself.

I hold a Master of Science degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Georgia State University and a 350-hour certification as a meditation teacher. My meditation background and training includes traditions of mindfulness, various forms of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Yogic traditions. My spiritual background and education is varied, but I’ve spent the most time with philosophies of Daoism, Buddhism, Hinduism/Yoga, Western astrology, and Celtic/Northern European magical traditions. I love learning and I support spiritual sovereignty. I welcome your spiritual beliefs, traditions, and practices into our sacred space as we explore what spirituality means to you.

I am currently being supervised by Rhoberta E. Michaels, a Licensed Professional Counselor.

  • Individual therapy for Oregon adults 20 and up.

    Humanistic, holistic, trauma-informed therapy 

    Here’s some of the human experiences we might explore in our therapy work together:

    Life, relationships & their effects on the body+mind

    -early childhood and family-of-origin exploration 

    -attachment theory (exploring the impact of family and significant humans) 

    -compassionate boundary-setting and communication 

    -understanding codependency and people-pleasing tendencies

    -significant life events, transitions, and coping with stress 

    Trauma & its effects on the body+mind

    -somatic, body-focused approaches to trauma (bottom-up approaches)

    -cognitive approaches to trauma like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) (top-down approaches)

    -neuroscience & the nervous system

    -self-regulation skills & finding your window of tolerance  

    Parts work

    -inner child/inner parent/ inner wise adult

    -Internal Family Systems (IFS) philosophy

    Social/cultural exploration

    -social identities and locations exploration

    -cultural/ancestral lineage exploration

    -understanding the systems we’re a part of and how they influence us

    -cultural and systemic oppression

    -exploring generational trauma and generational strengths

    Autism- and sensory-related challenges

    -Developmental, Individual-Differences, Relationship-based (DIR)/Floortime philosophy  

    Anxiety

    Depression

    Grief

    Emotions and how to help ourselves with our emotional responses

    Perfectionism

    Self-compassion 

    Narrative therapy (looking at the ways we tell our stories & label our experiences)

    Values exploration 

    Benefits of journaling and/or creating art

    The power of awe 

    The power of gratitude 

    Being highly sensitive and/or empathic

    Meditation-related explorations  

    -mindfulness

    -breathwork

    -the power of thought

    -visualization meditations (for connection, stress & anxiety management)

    Spirituality-related explorations 

    Looks different for each person. Can include (but not limited to):

    -investigating spirituality’s meaning to you and the influence it has on your worldview and ways of being in the world

    -building a sense of connection to Spirit (whatever that means to you)

    -exploring meaning and purpose in life

    -building a sense of trust and/or acceptance with life and self

    -exploring ideas of duality and non-duality (oneness/interconnection)

    -building connection to Earth, our cosmos, and the rhythms of nature

    -creating and engaging in rituals that connect us to the Earth and cycles of life

    -connecting with your ancestral spiritual lineage

    -understanding and exploring the energy body (chakras, karma, etc.) 

    -exploration of intuitive methods of healing/engagement like tarot & oracle cards, astrology, sound vibrations, crystal healing properties

  • If you’re anything like me, living nestled amongst the mighty mountains, magnificent evergreens, and beautiful, bountiful bodies of water is one of the most magical parts of being in the Pacific Northwest. You can feel it when you pause and tune in— this land is deeply sacred and wild at heart. (Just like us.)

    Being and moving outside in nature is of benefit to our minds, bodies, and spirits in so many ways. Join me in the great outdoors as we invite nature to hold and guide us through our therapy work together.

    In walk & talk therapy we can cover many of the same topics we would cover in individual therapy, with the added benefit of being outside.

    Other benefits of being outside + walk & talk therapy:

    -Reduces stress chemicals and tension in our bodies

    -Increases feel-good chemicals and relaxation in our bodies

    -Offers grounding perspectives and experiences

    -Bilateral stimulation (good for regulating the nervous system)

    -A more active and freeing way to process and release emotions

    -Encourages awe, curiosity, and mindfulness

    -Increases mind+body awareness

    -Movement included

    -Helps improve sleep

    -Boosts our creativity, focus and attention, & problem-solving abilities

    -Learning from nature

    -Organically attuning ourselves to the Earth & its seasons

    -Seeing ourselves reflected and connected in nature

    -We don’t have to make direct eye contact the whole time!

    *Walk & Talk therapy is only available for clients in the Portland, Oregon area.

I’ve found that clients can achieve their greatest potential when they are active explorers and collaborators in their therapeutic journeys, when they are open to connecting with their inner-truth, and when they understand that healing is often a non-linear journey. I encourage you to shape this process and relationship so it works for you.