Therapists for college students near Portland, OR

Hello! I work with people from all different backgrounds and identities that are struggling with anxiety, self-doubt, traumatic experiences and more. It might show up as perfectionism, constant worrying, people pleasing, unhealthy relationships, being hard on yourself, difficulty setting boundaries, struggling with body image, conflicts with friends or family, a lack of confidence, motivation or just feeling overwhelmed by your thoughts and feelings. Whatever it is that you are noticing, I take the time to really get to know you and your inner world and from there, provide the support needed to build a path forward that feels right for YOU. Please reach out if you have any questions or want to see about getting started!

By developing insight into your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, and by practicing new skills and ways of relating to yourself and others, our work together will help you heal emotional pain, increase self-understanding, improve relationships, and cope more effectively with future challenges. Offering therapy, psychiatry and medication services.

Do you worry constantly, have a persistent fear of failure or judgement and feel on edge with just about anything? Feeling like you’re not good enough, not living the life you want to live, or that you’ve lost touch with the things that bring you happiness with little hope that you can live life in a fulfilling way? Have you had a traumatic experience that left you feeling disconnected and having a hard time trusting people, with the need to protect and numb yourself? These things can impact our physical and mental wellbeing, keep us up at night, make us feel disconnected from the people closest to us and reduce our ability to achieve what we want in life. I may be able to help. I have experience guiding people with these concerns to make meaningful changes to increase their satisfaction with life. A sense of safety, confidence, hope, fulfillment and loving connections with your important people is what I work to achieve with you and it can be done. Research shows that 75% of people experience positive results after seeing a therapist. One of the most important predictors of positive outcomes in therapy is the therapeutic alliance, or the partnership between therapist and client. Therapeutic alliance means shared decision-making, mutual respect, non-judgement, empathy and understanding in the therapy room. I focus heavily on these elements so we can work smarter and not harder and to create an alliance that produces the results you want in therapy.

College can feel like a lot to manage at once. Classes, friendships, dating, family expectations, and trying to figure out who you are and what you’re doing with your life. I work with students who are dealing with anxiety, self-doubt, and relationship stress. A lot of the people I see are functioning well on the outside, but internally feel overwhelmed, stuck, or like they’re constantly overthinking everything. Therapy can help you quiet the mental noise, understand your emotions without getting taken over by them, and feel more grounded in your decisions and relationships. You get to slow down, sort through what’s actually going on, and focus on what matters to you. My approach is practical and collaborative. We start with your goals and what’s not working right now, then build clear, research-based strategies to help you feel better. I also pay attention to patterns, like overthinking, people-pleasing, or relationship dynamics that keep repeating, so you can understand them and shift them long-term. You know your life better than anyone. My role is to help you make sense of it and move forward in a way that feels right to you. I provide out of pocket sessions at a reduced rate with limited pro bono sessions available. If you’re curious about working together, you can reach out for a quick consultation and see if it feels like a good fit.

I consider it a privilege to sit with individuals who feel driven to take on the challenge of personal growth. It’s hard to face the messiest parts of ourselves. We tend to avoid this at every cost, often with behaviors and habits that keep us distracted and numb. But therapy is about waking up. It’s about committing to the work of undoing old patterns that no longer serve us so we can show up more fully in our lives. I specialize in working with adults and teens (16+) who struggle with anxiety, depression, eating disorders and/or body image concerns. There isn’t one approach that works for everyone. I enjoy getting creative and finding a framework that best serves each client.

I especially enjoy working with teens and young adults, while also welcoming adults of all ages. Whether you're navigating anxiety, OCD, ADHD, self-esteem, life transitions, identity, relationship challenges, or just feeling overwhelmed, therapy can be a place to we can slow down and reconnect with ourselves. We'll collaborate together to build practical skills, better understand the patterns keeping you stuck, and create meaningful and lasting change! My approach is collaborative, compassionate, and grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). I believe growth often begins in moments of discomfort, and you don't have to face that alone. We'll explore what's worked and what hasn't, and try new approaches that align with your values, goals, and strengths. Starting therapy can feel pretty intimidating, and it's okay if you're unsure where to begin! You don't need to have everything figured out before reaching out. If you're ready to approach life's challenges with curiosity and support, I'd be honored to work alongside you as we take that next step together.

Find a therapist you can connect with and relate to! If you are looking for support, we have 32 therapists with a variety of backgrounds and specialties here to help. We take most insurance. We are located in Portland and available for online therapy statewide in Oregon. Find our current openings on our home page and check out our team profiles at http://www.healthalliescounseling.com to find your perfect match.

With over 14 years of experience as a licensed psychotherapist, Marilyn is a thoughtful listener who uses a trauma-focused, collaborative approach. She works to foster a resilient therapeutic relationship and empower her clients to take an active role in treatment. Marilyn is a Licensed Professional Counselor who earned her master’s degree in counseling psychology from Pacific University in Hillsboro, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Portland State University. She incorporates a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Written Exposure Therapy and Schema Therapy. Marilyn works with clients from age 18 to 80, across a broad range of adult needs and life circumstances. She works with clients experiencing depression, anxiety, trauma, problems with self-esteem, attachment problems, discrimination, domestic violence, relationship problems, oppression, childhood abuse and mood disorders. Marilyn grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, and has a passion for experiencing life in different countries. She is a US Army veteran, and enjoys listening to jazz music.

I love supporting people in better understanding themselves. I value a collaborative relationship with clients as well as crafting the therapeutic experience to meet the needs of each individual I work with. I welcome members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community and provide affirming care for folks on the gender spectrum and/or amid gender transition. I have experience treating anxiety disorders, depression, trauma, life transition issues, and relationship concerns (family, partners, social) and have specific training in DBT, CBT, and post-modern models. I am a systemic therapist and will often bring larger systems, identity intersections, and relationships into our conversations.

I recognize that seeing a therapist can feel like a big step to take. It is the beginning of a new relationship, a change to how you have been living, and a reflection on how you got to where you are today. For all of these reasons it is normal to feel anxiety or stress about making sure you find the right fit in a counselor. I believe in approaching counseling through a holistic lens, considering the ways that your environment, work or school related stress, relationships, social systems, and traumatic or other lived experiences might affect you in the present. With these considerations, I will support you in building a greater sense of self-awareness, allowing you to develop tools to live more closely in line with your values and aspirations. I work with clients in a manner that is both sensitive and analytical. You might be coming to counseling with something very specific that you would like to work on, or you might be unsure why things are not feeling right in your life. Perhaps you are feeling like your life is not going the way you had hoped, and you are missing a sense of purpose, excitement, or connection. Maybe you are struggling to change a behavior, relationship structure, or just the way that you're feeling day to day. In all of these cases, I will support you in figuring out the best path forward. My goal is to create a compassionate, collaborative space where you can better understand your experiences, resolve internal and relational conflicts, and move toward a more authentic and fulfilling life.

I use relationship building as the foundation of my therapy practice. I believe feeling seen, held, and safe are vital components of being able to grow. My hope is to create an atmosphere where the people I meet with feel met and known which will allow us to walk together through vulnerability. With all my clients I take a Neurobiological approach, which is a fancy way to say I think a lot about nervous systems and how to regulate them. Our nervous systems need co-regulation before they can learn to self-regulate. Together we will explore what feels soothing to your particular system and build strategies from there. I pull Internal Family Systems (IFS) or parts work and Narrative Therapy techniques. My style is client centered, collaborative, affirming, and trauma informed.

You may be coming to sex therapy now because you are needing a bit more expertise around how to talk about and process the sexual relationship with yourself or partner. You may be tired of not feeling good in your body or in your relationship and can remember a time when it felt better. You are ready to find out why you feel so disconnected from yourself and from the person or people you care about most. You’ve been having the same conversations over and over again, arriving at the same destination, and feeling as though you can’t get out of the spiral. You want to feel safe. You want to feel heard. You want to be seen. You are ready to make the commitment to know yourself in a deeper way. We will start by figuring out when you noticed there was a problem. Did something happen? How are you making sense of the problem? What have you tried to fix the problem? At times, getting good information and experimenting is all you need to start feeling good. Sometimes we need to keep digging.

Dr. Kittinger is passionate about entering into the depths and carving out an intentional space that cultivates curiosity and authentic connection. As a relational psychodynamic therapist, Dr. Kittinger’s approach to therapy focuses on transformational change through the context of relationship. She engages her patients with a balance of acknowledging suffering and challenging difficult patterns to facilitate each persons own unique healing. Dr. Kittinger prioritizes the authenticity of the moment, attending to and unlocking conscious and unconscious patterns of how we relate to ourselves, to others, and to the world around us. She utilizes a soft but direct approach to explore with each patient what it means to increase awareness into their own needs, wants, and to increase agency in their own lives. Wherever you are at in your process, her hope is to co-create a space open to deep and thoughtful self-reflection established gradually with trust and safety to take steps toward healing, transformation, and personal fulfillment. Dr. Kittinger meets with patients in-person and virtually and is licensed in Oregon and Washington.

Do you say mean things to yourself, like "I'm a loser," "annoying," “dumb,” and struggle to make decisions, and trust yourself? If yes, then we might be a good fit. I work with people that struggle with shame and self-criticism and often feel “not good enough.” I particularly work well with people wanting to get unstuck from the cycle of anxiety/avoidance, and “self-sabotage”, and start moving towards their goals and values while building self-acceptance. My name is Jeannie (like “in a bottle”) I grew up in outer east Portland/Rockwood and Like many clients, I faced life challenges and adversities growing up, such as a single parent home, delinquency issues, and parental addiction, incarceration, and death. Before working as a therapist, I worked in the restaurant industry for several years and in higher education doing career counseling, academic advising, and college admissions. My role is not to tell you what is best for you but to listen to you, understand you, and provide a genuine and empathetic space that helps you trust your intuition. If we work together, you can expect a collaborative partnership built on trust, empathy, authenticity, a healthy amount of swearing and humor sprinkled in the mix. Areas of Focus: Shame/guilt College Student Stress Mens issues Internet use concerns (gaming, pornography, Gambling) People pleasing Complex trauma/relational trauma Work and societal issues Chronic pain/illness/disability Grief/loss Low self-esteem/self-worth Anxiety/Avoidance Depression Mood disorders Body image concerns

My name is Dr. Susan Stormer, and I provide cognitive behavioral therapy to people who feel under-appreciated or overwhelmed by the demands of life. You may be feeling fatigued, experiencing miscommunication or invalidation in relationships, or struggling to prioritize healthy behaviors. It is possible to feel energized and happy, have higher self-esteem, and feel comfortable with asking for help when needed. I will help you to practice setting boundaries, improve communication at school or work and home, and learn to treat yourself with kindness.

I believe that anyone can benefit from therapy. Whether you’re facing life’s challenges, experiencing anxiety or depression, or you are just interested in growth and strengthening your sense of self; we all need a neutral person to talk to from time to time. I carry with me a warm, grounded presence. I have a nonjudgmental demeanor and prefer to avoid giving advice, but instead work together to explore options and possible solutions to issues. I have an eclectic approach that is primarily rooted in psychodynamics and tailored to the needs of the individual and their circumstances. I am open to working with anyone interested in pursuing therapy; some examples of challenges I am skilled at working with are anxiety, depression, interpersonal challenges, grief, life transitions, relationships, gender, sexuality, family issues, existential challenges, and individuation. I am LGBTQ+ friendly and poly friendly

If you woke up tomorrow and your life was exactly how you wanted it to be, what would be different? Maybe you’re feeling stuck and weighed down by the past, and you want to be unburdened and able to move forward with your life. Perhaps you want to manage stress better, improve relationships, or feel less depressed and worried. You may want support around uncertainty, grief, anxiety, or fear related to the world around you, with concerns related to discrimination, politics, or the future of our country and world. Whatever you are facing right now, therapy can be a powerful tool for creating meaningful and lasting change. I support clients in healing from past pain and lessening its impact on life now using EMDR and other modalities. My approach is integrative and personalized. With warmth and authenticity, I collaboratively work with clients to put the past in the past, create healthier patterns, live more fully, and move forward with greater freedom.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

I specialize in working with college students, graduate students and early career professionals who struggle with anxiety, perfectionism, trauma, depression, burn out and more. If you're asking yourself "how am I supposed to balance school/work, having a social life, eating healthy, exercising, having hobbies and taking care of my mental health?!" you are not alone. Adulting is hard, especially when you still feel like you're new to it. You might feel like your thoughts are always negative or spiraling out of control or you're always tense or can't seem to stay in the moment for things that are "supposed" to be fun. My approach to therapy focuses on helping you learn to relax, reduce the impact of negative thoughts, savor the joyful things in life, and live in alignment with your values. In therapy with me you will learn concrete strategies to improve your life while also having time to just "talk it out" in a warm and supportive environment. I offer a free, 15-minute phone consultation prior to scheduling our first session to determine if I am the best fit for your care. Please call, text or email now to schedule a consultation. Looking forward to speaking with you!

Stone Circle is a counseling space for people seeking healing for their spirit, along with the mind and body. You may have reached a crossroads, or are challenged by depression, trauma, anxiety, and other worries that contribute to feeling overwhelmed and stuck. Perhaps you have experienced a spiritual awakening, or want to explore your spiritual identity in a safe and accepting space. Stone Circle is a safe space to to explore your journey.