Therapist in Tualatin, Oregon Lisa, Therapist

I believe the most important aspect of counseling is the therapeutic relationship. If our personalities clash or if you aren’t comfortable then progress will be more difficult. Our first session is a chance for you to get a feel for me and for me to gather information to see if I can help. I do not believe that I am any better than my clients, I am simply a safe open place for you to come in and figure out how you want to change your life. I like to think I am warm, accepting and compassionate while also being very straight forward and tactfully blunt when needed. I am comfortable and friendly with all genders, sexual orientations and practices including polyamory and the kink community. The way I counsel individuals is different from how I counsel couples or families. Individual Work: I believe people come to counseling with different needs and desires for how to sort through their difficulties and I shape therapy to what works best for each person. I am always strengths based and solution focused but implement techniques from various theories and styles as suited to each person. That can include shifting your thinking, your behaviors, gaining insight, processing emotions/traumas, establishing a support network, etc. When working with children therapy looks different depending on their age and what their issues are. If children are processing trauma or learning to cope with difficult times I may engage in play therapy or art therapy. If they are struggling with behavioral issues therapy is generally more structured around skill building and establishing clear rewards and consequences at home. Couples/Families: When you enter into couples or family work I look at the system as opposed to any one person’s difficulties. If any individual appears to need focused work I refer them to their own therapist and I work on shifting the system to a healthier way of operating. I use many theories and techniques from John Gottman’s work. I assess each family system for unhealthy/unproductive patterns and we work on changing them together through exercises, practice and accountability.