Therapy, with me.
I started Tập Counseling to focus on creating greater access to culturally responsive mental health services. As a long time participant in mental health and social services myself, I understand firsthand the needs and systemic shortfalls that people marginalized by dominant culture face when trying to access tailored and anti-oppressive mental health care. I would be honored to be a fellow traveler in the healing journeys of those who identify as people of color and/or adult children of immigrants.
My style in providing therapy is collaborative, direct, and honest. We will focus on how you can be in more alignment with (and be more accountable to) yourself and your communities. We will explore the intersections of your identities and how power/privilege and marginalization interact in your relationships and the systems you move through. My practice is inclusive of: LGBTQIA2S+ identities, sex work, ethical non-monogamy, neurodivergence, chronic illness, and health at every size. We will explore the impact of the trauma of all the “isms” (racism, sexism, ableism, classism, colonialism, imperialism, capitalism, etc). We will also identify and hold space for the complex, the nuanced, and the subtle. We will work together to discover and create agency, choice, empowerment, connection, and belonging in an oppressive world. We will also find pockets of joy—and probably do a lot of laughing in session!
Clinical Approach
I provide individual therapy to adults (18+) in the state of Oregon using a relational-cultural approach. I am formally trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), and I rely heavily on Internal Family Systems (IFS). My work is also informed by principles within Disability Justice, Transformative Justice, and the Peer Movement. I recognize that no evidence-based practice will rid of the impact of systemic and historical oppression; however they may reduce suffering and provide relief for symptoms commonly associated with the diagnoses of PTSD, depression, and anxiety.
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Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a modality that uses bilateral stimulation to reduce distressing symptoms of trauma/anxiety and develop positive adaptive beliefs. If you find that retelling your trauma over and over has been unhelpful and potentially harmful, EMDR may be a good fit for you. This modality helps guide the brain to dislodge fixed negative core beliefs developed from trauma, keeping verbal narration to a minimum.
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is an approach that uses a person’s motivating values, mindfulness, and acceptance to help them move through difficult experiences. ACT liberates us from suppressing unwanted thoughts and emotions, and instead guides us towards acceptance and then action. It accepts that suffering is part of life however does not define it. Using ACT, we will explore what brings us joy and how to move towards the life we desire for ourselves.
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Narrative Exposure Therapy is a technique most helpful for those with multiple or complex traumas, using the art of storytelling to contextualize trauma events and place them where they belong on a timeline. The end result of this technique provides you with a written testimony of your experiences.
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Internal Family Systems is a model of therapy that honors the multiplicities of our inner world. IFS helps us develop compassionate connection with our protective and wounded parts, explore the relationship they have with one another, and create trust, balance, and harmony within the system.
Clinical Background
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been providing mental health services to adults (18+) since 2013. I completed my Master of Social Work at Portland State University and my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Boston University. I spent a number of years working in residential treatment homes, assertive community treatment, and outpatient community mental health before starting Tập Counseling.
Specialized training:
IFS Foundations Course with a special focus on trans, nonbinary, and queer communities through QTIFS | February - May 2024, In progress
Sex Therapy Foundations for Clinicians through Connective Therapy Collective | January 2023
EMDR Intensive Training through EMDR Consulting | October 2021 (practicum and supervision hours completed July 2022)
Narrative Exposure Therapy Training through Dr. K Hixson | April - May 2021
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy through Daystar Education Inc. | October 2019
For information on Rates and Insurance, click here.