Therapists for college students near Portland, OR
*I am licensed in both Oregon and California, and can work with students who often travel between these two states.* When the difficult experiences from your past are still impacting you, it is hard to know what to do. You don’t feel like yourself anymore, and the people in your life are starting to notice. It’s coming out at school, in your relationships, in your mood. You might be thinking “I just want to move on with my life. Why can’t I just get over it already?” But no matter how many times you try to move on, you still feel stuck. You are not alone. I help people who have been through difficult childhood, sexual, and relationship experiences look at how their experiences have shaped them, and explore how to take back their lives from the memories that have burdened them for so long. Together, we will build a trusting relationship where you can feel safe enough to explore what happened in your life, the ways you have survived, and how to get unstuck so you can move toward a life that is ruled by you, and not by the past. I know reaching out to begin therapy can be an overwhelming experience. I offer a free 15-20 minute consultation, where you can share a bit about what you would like to work on, ask me any questions you may have, and we can determine whether I might be a good fit for your needs. Please feel free to visit my website to learn more and schedule a consultation. I'm looking forward to meeting you!
Our practice utilizes evidenced-based treatments, which anchor your care in the best scientific evidence available. The therapeutic approaches we employ are gold standard treatments based on large-scale randomized clinical trials. Our skilled psychotherapists will develop a tailored treatment plan based on current clinical research, as well as your preferences, values, culture, and life experience. This goal-directed and science-backed approach, coupled with your active engagement in the therapeutic process, will guide you along the path toward meaningful change.
I'm a compassionate, trauma-informed therapist helping adults navigate anxiety, identity, trauma, and life shifts with care and curiosity. You may be feeling anxious, disconnected, or overwhelmed by everything you’ve been holding. Maybe you’re exploring your identity, healing from trauma, or navigating a life shift that’s left you feeling unsteady. You’ve likely been doing your best to push through, but now you're ready for space to slow down, feel understood, and reconnect with yourself. If that resonates, you're in the right place. Healing doesn’t happen through pressure or quick fixes. It happens in spaces where you feel safe, seen, and supported. In our work together, I’ll meet you with presence and curiosity, not judgment. We'll explore how past experiences, relationships, and systems have shaped how you move through the world today. My approach is trauma-informed, affirming, and collaborative. I draw from somatic practices, mindfulness, CBT, expressive work, and attachment theory to support your goals and help you reconnect with yourself in meaningful ways. Whether you're healing from trauma, navigating identity, managing anxiety, or feeling the quiet weight of burnout or chronic illness, therapy can offer space to pause, reflect, and rebuild on your terms. Together, we can create a space where you feel safe enough to be honest, supported enough to try something new, and encouraged to take steps toward the life you want.
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 have one of the best jobs on the planet! Being asked and invited to be with someone in the process of healing and change is a true privilege and deeply meaningful to me. With over 14 years of experience working with students and young adults, I enjoy working with students from all backgrounds and a wide array of presenting concerns. Some of the areas I specialize in and frequently work with are: - Trauma recovery (particularly complex, developmental, and family trauma) - LGBTQIA2S+ students - Graduate and international students - Relationships (of all kinds) - Men's issues - Identity - Neurodivergence - Family-of-origin - Living in recovery I am passionate about social justice advocacy and supporting students in understanding and navigating their multiple, intersecting social identities. Students who I work with describe me as warm, caring, honest, and authentic. My therapy style is relational, process-focused, and experiential. This means that I will guide us in using the relationship between you and I as a space to support your growth and change. It also means that both the content of therapy (what we are talking about) and the process of therapy (what is happening as we are talking and interacting) are both important for us to engage with. Lastly, it means that I will offer activities ("exploring by doing") that will help you learn more about yourself, develop new choices, and have new experiences in support of your therapy goals. If something here interests you and you’d like to explore working together, I’d love to hear from you!
Helping Young Adults Feel Safe, Seen, and Understood You may be here because something just doesn’t feel right. Maybe your child is behaving in ways you don’t fully understand—or withdrawing in ways that concern you. Maybe your teen is struggling with anxiety, school pressure, or big emotions that feel too heavy for their age. Or maybe you’re a young adult trying to make sense of everything you’ve been through while figuring out who you are and where you’re headed. If any of that sounds familiar, I want you to know: it’s okay to ask for support, and you don’t have to figure it out on your own.
We here at Brave Acorn help people in the greater Portland area align body, mind, and emotions in their daily lives. We are trauma-trained, take a Health at Every Size approach to food and weight issues, and encourage people to work with their body and emotions as allies (rather than enemies) on their journey towards growth and healing.
It’s important to me that that therapy is a space for all people to feel safe and accepted. I have extensive experience working with people from diverse backgrounds and belief systems. I specialize in working with LGBQIA+, Trans*/GNC, and poly-identified clients. My approach fosters a space where you can be unapologetically YOU. My perspective is warm, accepting, and uses a harm reduction lens. It is important to me that we find what works for you, so I truly value your feedback in the therapeutic process.
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker located in East Portland. Perhaps you are seeking therapy because you are unhappy with something in your life. Your happiness is important and I believe it's possible to feel more joy. Therapy can feel like a scary step, but you are worth the risk. Therapy is a place where you get to talk to someone who is non-judgmental and nurturing and who can offer you a more objective perspective on how to make the changes in your life that you desire. I view therapy as a collaboration, an exchange where we work together to reach your goals. Reach out to me for more information or to see if we would be a good fit. Email is the best way to reach me: kit@kitmurraylcsw.com
Do you often feel misunderstood and hurt? Do you feel as though your emotions are controlling you and you don’t know what to do to change that? Does it leave you feeling anxious and depressed? I know what that feels like and I can help with that. My Approach to Helping I believe that people are doing the best they can with the information and skills they currently have. I also believe that they can grow and create better lives for themselves with the appropriate support. My approach to helping clients develop the skills to effectively identify, regulate and communicate their emotions, needs and boundaries to others is validating and skills-based. Therapy with me is relational, non-judgmental, body positive, sex positive and LGBTQ+ and poly competent. My Personal Beliefs and Interests I'm a psychologist and certified alcohol and drug counselor. I have a background in research (on behavior change) and loved working in academia for a long time, before transitioning to working in community mental health for a few years. I love being a therapist. I am also a mother and an immigrant with strong progressive values and I bring that to the table as well. I believe that Black Lives Matter and that community action is more powerful than waiting for government to act in our best interest. I bring this perspective to my work.
My goal will ultimately be to help you change your patterns, address relationship issues and/or anxieties, and find your inner wisdom. Through a combination of traditional talk therapy and ancient healing practices, we will journey towards a deeper understanding of yourself and your inner world. I utilize a holistic framework with clients; incorporating the unique experiences of mind, body and spirit. Diversity and authenticity are essential to becoming who we truly are, thus I aim to hold safe and inclusive spaces during our journey together. I welcome you here with an open mind & heart.
Are you caught in an unending cycle of feeling insufficient, regardless of your achievements or efforts? As you navigate various roles in your life – partner, friend, caregiver, parent/child, coworker, or manager do you constantly feel like you're falling short, despite your best efforts? Anxiety, depression, grief, burnout, and fear can be an overwhelming experience. You are “fine” and you’re waiting for that other shoe to drop. I specialize in helping adults struggling with trauma, grief, and life transitions by navigating intense emotions, finding peace, and rebuilding connections with themselves and others. As a multiracial therapist, I am deeply committed to supporting BIPOC individuals, particularly in addressing family of origin and ethnic identity/cultural concerns. I also enjoy working with military families. My approach is grounded in scientific principles, tailored to help you break free from a cycle that keeps you from the life you want. Whether stemming from past trauma, intricate learning histories, or the pressures of daily life, these challenges may make you feel like you're merely existing rather than truly living. If you're ready to move beyond survival mode and embrace a life that aligns with your true self, I'm here to support you every step of the way.
I support college students through relationships, academics, anxiety, stress, depression, ADHD, and trauma. Working toward goals in these areas of life can be stressful and overwhelming, and you don't have to do it alone! Together we will partner to identify your needs, develop ways of getting through the day to day, and make lasting changes. Feel tree to text, call, or email me, and we can get started right away.
I am a 2nd gen, female, Korean-American psychologist practicing in Portland, Oregon. Growing up in a bi-cultural family, I understand the challenges of integrating aspects of culture into our identities and relationships. My hope is to build a warm, authentic, and supportive relationship with my clients to facilitate awareness and a strong sense of self. My psychotherapy style is unique to me. It is collaborative, warm, relational, and open. I integrate my specialized training in child and adolescent development, Gestalt Approaches, and EFT. Currently, I am receiving training in AEDP, which is an experiential approach focusing on using the safety and security of the therapeutic relationship to undo aloneness
The particularity of our stories matter. Even stories of harm and shame are evident of our desperate and deepest attempts to be seen in our aliveness together. Despite the sufferings and stressors that may plague our lives, I believe your inner world holds a beautiful hearth that longs to center you and call you home. By working together from a place of safety and empowerment, I am interested in exploring together what it means to heal and live a life that you find meaningful. As a Relational Psychodynamic therapist, I bring a depth of training that honors the beautiful complexities of the human spirit, as well as the belief that what arises in the therapy session is always worth our attention and curiosity. I specialize in working with trauma, grief, shame, anxiety, life transitions, relationship dynamics, and more. I strive to practice with an open mindset that is culturally sensitive and anti-oppressive. What arises in you will always be worthy of love, presence, and curiosity during our work together. I admire your openness and commitment to taking the next step. If you think we may work well together or have any questions, I would love to chat more!
I am here to tell you that your body is not something that needs to be fixed. I consider myself to be a body inclusive therapist who specializes in helping clients recover from disordered eating behaviors, weight stigma, body image concerns and impacts from diet culture. I also serve clients experiencing depression and anxiety symptoms, family issues (such as divorce & addiction), adjustment issues, impacts from COVID-19 and trauma (such as intimate partner violence & sexual assault). I currently offer individual therapy for teens and adults.
I work with clients from all walks of life—whoever you are, wherever you are on your path, I welcome you just as you are. I connect well with clients who are curious about themselves & the world, have a sense of humor, and are motivated to engage in the process of therapy. I particularly enjoy working with folks who are new to therapy and those who are motivated to roll their sleeves up and get to work.
I can manage most all needs for psychiatric diagnoses and medication management, if indicated.
I have over 15 years of experience as a Clinical Psychologists. My integrative approach to treatment is rooted in evidence-based practices that honor the uniqueness of each individual and combine the strengths of Emotion Focused Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, and Accelerated Resolution Therapy. I treat individuals and couples who are struggling with anxiety, depression, interpersonal and work challenges, abusive relationships, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
You might be here because something inside you feels tangled, uncertain, or out of reach. Maybe you’re trying to navigate the weight of anxiety, low motivation, or a mood that shifts in ways you can’t always predict. Maybe you’re carrying grief, confusion around identity, or a deep sense that parts of your story haven’t been fully understood. Whatever led you here, there’s space for it and support as you navigate what comes next. I specialize in working with adults across Oregon who are navigating: - Anxiety, overthinking, or a persistent sense of unease - Depression or feelings of disconnection and emptiness - Bipolar disorder and emotional shifts that feel hard to manage - PTSD and the lingering impact of past trauma - Identity exploration, especially for queer and trans individuals - Grief, loss, and major life transitions - Relationship challenges and self-esteem concerns My approach is affirming, trauma-informed, and centered on helping you build insight and compassion for yourself and the systems that have shaped your experience.