Star Rise Counseling

I am a mental health professional with a master's degree in counseling psychology since 2008, practicing in the Pacific Northwest since 2015. I am a licensed provider for residents of the state of Oregon, as well as the state of Washington as of December 2024. I prefer an integrative approach that recognizes all parts of your life (and inside your self) as potential contributors to who you are, how you think, & how you feel. WHAT IS INTEGRATIVE COUNSELING? First, integrative counseling recognizes that there are no lines between the different areas of your life, including the emotional, mental, physical, social, and spiritual. Challenges that show up in emotional and mental health can originate from anywhere in you as a whole "system." Wherever they come from, your greatest and smallest challenges faced can be made useful and even propel you forward. Integrative counseling uses the past in such ways as identifying past beliefs, processing trauma, and analyzing the chain of actions and events that led to certain decisions or outcomes. If we work together, we'll use your desired future as a guiding vision. We will work to recognize, too, that your power to be, to change, and to take action is entirely in the present moment. Integrative counseling ultimately focuses you on the point where past and future meet: right NOW. To take inventory of your skills, areas of overdevelopment, and areas to be developed, is to begin finding the balance that can ground you. Let's be specific with your intent; concrete goals are the easiest to work with. You can also question and wonder about what you want. Starting with a general direction is more than okay, and it is the starting point for a lot of people. Clearly you care about creating your life consciously, otherwise you wouldn't be here. Integrative counseling brings in any and all of the tools that are appropriate for your situation, to help you use all you've been through, and all you've thought and felt deeply about, in order to achieve what you want. Secondly, integrative therapy can also mean working with the material that came up for you after you had a psychedelic experience. Oregon is a leader in the nation on psilocybin-assisted therapy because we have a legal program for adult supported use of psilocybin. Integration comes after that decision and experience. WHO I WORK WITH I work with individuals over age 14. Each potential collaboration is something I consider carefully. I like to have a short, no-cost phone conversation with each person first, to answer any questions and to see if our schedules and such are a match. I have extended training and experience in some areas, such as working with people with anxiety and depression, trauma, disordered eating, the rainbow of people in the LGBTQ+ community, people with bicultural or multicultural backgrounds, and as mentioned above, adults (age 21+) who have used psychedelics for therapeutic reasons and goals. For those 55 and older, I've been asked to invite you to see https://www.caring.com/senior-living/assisted-living/options-for-seniors-with-mental-health-conditions/ - a comprehensive guide that delves into prevalent mental health conditions among seniors and explores the available options for supportive housing and care. MY BACKGROUND IN SERVICE My parents came from service fields: my mother was a nursing teacher and my father a psychology professor and military veteran. I've spent most of my professional life in service to others, adding my voice to that of those most in need of being heard. Among other places lesser known, I've worked for: the Boys and Girls Club YWCA Lutheran Social Service Minnesota state Housing Finance Agency for supportive housing ​My work has included: * 11+ years in non-profit organizations * 6+ years focus on LGBTQ+ community * 5 years working in/with homeless shelters, serving unhoused and formerly unhoused families and individuals * Working with people with serious persistent mental illness in their homes to increase their stability and community * Coordinating volunteers and donations in programs assisting formerly unhoused families and individuals (paid and volunteer) * Teaching and tutoring English as a second language (paid and volunteer) * Raising funds to send rural Cambodian youth, primarily young women, to college (paid and volunteer) And my time and work continues to be dedicated to service of the underserved, including people and our beloved animal companions. "Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” ~ William James