Portland Psychotherapy - counseling and classes

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Portland Psychotherapy - counseling and classes We provide evidence-based counseling and classes in Portland, OR. We help people to live better, rather than simply to feel better.

Portland Psychotherapy provides effective, evidenced-based counseling and therapy to all members of our community. We also provide training to therapists and conduct scientific research - so we know what works.

A 2025 study by Dover and colleagues found that transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth screen positive for depressio...
10/12/2026

A 2025 study by Dover and colleagues found that transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth screen positive for depression and su***de risk at much higher rates than cisgender peers, but disparities emerge in follow-up care .

Key findings:

🔹 32% of TGD youth screened positive for su***de risk vs. 10% of cisgender peers
🔹 Nearly half of TGD youth met the cutoff for moderate depression vs. 20% of cisgender youth
🔹 TGD youth were less likely to receive primary care follow-up after a positive screen
🔹 Same-day integrated behavioral health consultation closed that gap

The takeaway: Standard screening tools work. But screening without affirming follow-up can do more harm than good.

For families seeking affirming mental health support for an adolescent, our teen therapy team provides compassionate, evidence-based care for LGBTQIA2S+ youth.

📖 Read the full blog post at PortlandPsychotherapy.com: https://portlandpsychotherapy.com/2026/05/depression-and-su***de-screening-for-gender-diverse-youth-what-pediatric-primary-care-can-learn/

🧠 World Mental Health Day is October 10.Mental health is health. And even when things feel tangled, there is a path forw...
10/10/2026

🧠 World Mental Health Day is October 10.

Mental health is health. And even when things feel tangled, there is a path forward.

Healing is built on connection. And with care, we find our way forward.

At Portland Psychotherapy, our therapists use evidence-based approaches like ACT to help people move through pain and toward what matters, because everyone deserves a life of meaning, connection, and well-being.

📌 Learn more about our services:
https://portlandpsychotherapy.com/about-portland-psychotherapy/

🧠 Psychological flexibility refers to the ability to stay present with thoughts and feelings, even when they are uncomfo...
10/07/2026

🧠 Psychological flexibility refers to the ability to stay present with thoughts and feelings, even when they are uncomfortable, and to act in ways that align with one's values.

It involves six interrelated processes displayed in the graphic.

When people become psychologically inflexible, they tend to avoid painful emotions, get entangled with self-critical thoughts, and drift away from meaningful action. This rigidity is linked to many forms of psychological distress, including depression, anxiety, trauma, and substance use.

ACT aims to increase flexibility. Rather than trying to eliminate difficult thoughts and feelings, ACT helps you develop a new relationship with those emotions, so they have less power to run your life, and you can move toward what truly matters.

At Portland Psychotherapy, our therapists specialize in ACT, an evidence-based approach with strong research support for anxiety, depression, trauma, and more.

📌 Learn more about ACT therapy at Portland Psychotherapy at https://portlandpsychotherapy.com/act-therapy/

🧠 What happens when standard therapy falls short after a challenging psychedelic experience?A May 2026 qualitative study...
10/05/2026

🧠 What happens when standard therapy falls short after a challenging psychedelic experience?

A May 2026 qualitative study, including PIPS researcher Jason Luoma, PhD, explores how psychedelic-informed therapy can help bridge gaps in care.

Key findings:

🔹 Standard therapy often felt misaligned: therapists interpreted experiences through a narrow diagnostic lens

🔹 Therapist attitudes shaped what people felt safe to disclose: judgment or uncritical enthusiasm both limited honest communication

🔹 Recovery isn't always linear: destabilization sometimes connects to growth

What is psychedelic-informed therapy?

It means helping clinicians respond effectively when clients bring psychedelic experiences into the room, with openness, compassion, and sensitivity to non-linear recovery.

📌 Read the full blog post:
https://www.pipsinstitute.com/blog/when-therapy-falls-short-after-challenging-psychedelic-experiencesnbsp

🧠 October is ADHD Awareness Month.ADHD isn't just about trouble focusing, it can affect emotional regulation, organizati...
10/02/2026

🧠 October is ADHD Awareness Month.

ADHD isn't just about trouble focusing, it can affect emotional regulation, organization, relationships, and quality of life. It looks different for everyone, and it's often misunderstood.

At Portland Psychotherapy, our team specializes in evidence-based approaches like ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) and CBT to help people with ADHD develop practical strategies, reduce overwhelm, and build lives that work for them.

If you've been struggling with focus, follow-through, or feeling like your brain works differently than others, you're not alone, and help is available.

📌 Learn more about our therapy services:
https://portlandpsychotherapy.com/about-portland-psychotherapy/

🧠 5 common myths about psychotherapy, and the real facts behind them.If you've never been to therapy or had a bad experi...
09/30/2026

🧠 5 common myths about psychotherapy, and the real facts behind them.

If you've never been to therapy or had a bad experience, you might have some misconceptions. Pop culture doesn't always help either.

Swipe to separate fact from fiction. 👉

📌 Learn more about the in's and out's of psychotherapy at https://portlandpsychotherapy.com/

🧠 Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a severe mental health condition marked by obsessive focus on perceived appearance f...
09/28/2026

🧠 Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a severe mental health condition marked by obsessive focus on perceived appearance flaws, often leading to significant distress and impairment.

While CBT is the gold standard, many don't respond adequately. In a study published in Behavior Modification, a team including Portland Psychotherapy's Jason Luoma, PhD developed an approach that directly targets the shame fueling BDD symptoms.

Why shame matters in BDD: Shame involves seeing oneself as fundamentally flawed. In BDD, it drives behaviors like excessive mirror checking, comparing to others, and social avoidance. Higher shame levels are linked to greater symptom severity and lower quality of life.

The ACT with Compassion approach: This 12-session protocol combines ACT with compassion-focused elements, including psychoeducation, mindfulness, and experiential exercises to foster self-compassion and psychological flexibility.

Promising results: In a pilot study, 4 of 5 participants showed significant reductions in BDD behaviors and self-criticism, with improvements maintained at six months.

The bottom line: By targeting the emotional drivers of BDD, this approach may offer a more effective option for those who haven't responded to traditional CBT.

📖 Read the full article at https://portlandpsychotherapy.com/2024/12/addressing-shame-in-body-dysmorphic-disorder-a-promising-new-approach/

At Portland Psychotherapy, we protect access deliberately, providing Medicaid (Oregon Health Plan), training scholarship...
09/25/2026

At Portland Psychotherapy, we protect access deliberately, providing Medicaid (Oregon Health Plan), training scholarships, and low-fee services.

Because healthcare isn't healthcare if it's not accessible.

📌 Learn more about our commitment to access:
https://portlandpsychotherapy.com/insurance_information/

🧠 De-Mystifying Self-As-Context in ACT: Practical Strategies for ClientsOctober 23, 2026 | 12:00pm-3:15pm PDTVirtual Wor...
09/23/2026

🧠 De-Mystifying Self-As-Context in ACT: Practical Strategies for Clients

October 23, 2026 | 12:00pm-3:15pm PDT

Virtual Workshop

Join Brian Pilecki, PhD and Jonah Stabinski, LCSW for a practical workshop on self-as-context, one of the six core ACT processes that is often misunderstood as overly difficult, complicated, or philosophical.

What to expect:

🔹 A clear, accessible overview of self-as-context with language you can use with clients

🔹 How self-as-context can help conceptualize self-esteem, confidence, identity, and inner conflict

🔹 Practical interventions you can flexibly use in sessions

🔹 Structured role-play exercises in breakout groups to practice new skills

Please note: This workshop is for mental health professionals and graduate students.

📌 Learn more and register at https://www.portlandpsychotherapytraining.com/selfascontext

Address

3700 N Williams Avenue
Portland, OR
97227

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 9pm
Tuesday 8am - 9pm
Wednesday 8am - 9pm
Thursday 8am - 9pm
Friday 8am - 9pm

Telephone

+15032814852

Website

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