In the time of COVID-19, we need access to quality therapists, coaches, and specialists now more than ever. PDX Local has assembled a guide of Portland area service providers for mental health and holistic/physical health offering consultations by video and phone. If you have additional practitioners you would like to suggest, please contact us.
Abri Radically Open DBT. Abri, based in Portland, Oregon, is one of the first psychotherapy clinics worldwide to specialize solely in Radically Open DBT for disorders of over-control. Both LiLin and Kirsten are on the RO DBT Senior Clinician team and are approved RO DBT trainers. They are enthusiastic practitioners of RO DBT, stay current with the research and have an active consultation team with other senior clinicians in the Northwest. Their mission is to provide excellent full-fidelity treatment in a lovely and inviting setting. (503) 386-1515
Connective Therapy Collective. Committed to intersectional, trauma-informed,
pleasure-centered clinical work in sex and gender. (971) 361-8303
The Counseling Umbrella. We are a mental health counseling private practice, committed to helping clients & our community engage around mental health issues. Masters in Professional Mental Health Counseling, Social Work. (503) 473-1600
Emerging Path Counseling, LLC. Mental Health counseling, general practice as well as specializing in trauma and anxiety. Stephanie Garneaux is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor III, and a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. She has worked in behavioral health for over 10 years, and as a Qualified Mental Health Professional since 2014. Stephanie has a Masters Degree in Community Mental Health Counseling. (971) 291-0579
Family Roots Therapy. Family Roots Therapy is a counseling practice in Portland, Oregon focused specifically on the unique mental health needs of new parents and young children. (503) 746-3373
Kirgin Consulting. I am a Jungian psychologist and business/leadership consultant. I am working virtually with individuals, couples, leaders at this time. Contact Online
Marchick Counseling and Consulting. My philosophy is that in every stage in life there is an opportunity for personal growth and acceptance of self. Together we will evaluate the options available to you, discuss how to navigate family dynamics, create appropriate plans and strategies, and learn about self-care. Exploring and establishing healthy habits can help one find balance and feel success. (503) 683-3179
MindTree. I am a licensed child and family therapist primarily working with children ( 4 plus) and women. Currently offer virtual sessions! (503) 766-4895
Rachael A Ringwood. Specializes in mood disorders such as depression, anxiety and bipolar conditions. (385) 203-7622
Root and Bloom Counseling. Specializing in Holistic, Inclusive Pregnancy and Postpartum Counseling, Including Depression, Anxiety, Traumatic Births, Grief, and Loss. (503) 905-9839
Sarah Hart, Psychotherapy. My approach is dynamic & collaborative. I work from a culturally-informed, inclusive model & incorporate all aspects of an individual’s identity/experiences into treatment. My specialties include anxiety, depression, identity, Autism & relationships. (503) 967-9767
Urban Counseling Collective. We are open to new telehealth intakes for anyone that is wanting to begin psychological services or anyone needing additional support during this time of social distancing. 503-610-2044
Veronica Wilson. Therapist in Portland currently open to new clients for remote/teletherapy. I am inclusive and welcoming, and specialize in body image, health, wellness and weight loss. 503-765-7177
Coaches
Alignment and Alchemy. Hi, I’m Sarah, and I help women reconnect with their authentic selves and achieve greater health and happiness through movement, mindfulness, and mindset. Contact online
Apothic Energy. Working from a place of love and genuine desire for all to have well being, Apothic Energy utilizes old and new energy medicine techniques to bring people into a true sense of health. Contact online
Alyssa Rose Healing Arts. My focus and passion rests with end of life care and working with grief. I find Craniosacral Therapy and unwinding to be extremely beneficial for people at this stage of life, and love this work. I also practice massage (relaxation, wellness, MVA’s, myofascial, and deep tissue). (503) 345-0530
Beatriz Reyna. Inner child work/shadow work/journeys into your inner world.
Beloved Coaching. I am a Sex and Intimacy Coach who has completed Advanced Training in the Somatica® Method. My heart’s work is to help people explore, deshamify, and celebrate their unique sexual selves. (971) 238-8131
Coach Woida. Certified life coach specializing in mental health, building confidence and emotional intelligence. (802) 498-5062
The Courage Practice. The Courage Practice is offering FREE intuitive 1:1 coaching sessions via Zoom throughout April. Please share the love with someone you love. We are here for you and your community, friends. Contact online
Grief Warrior. I hope to soften the armor of grief by validating the pain and witnessing the emotion. Together, let’s make sure that the grieving know they are not alone. (800) 901-4617
Grounded Alignment. The Grounded Alignment work incorporates tools and practices from several disciplines, including guided breathing/visualization exercises, writing and daily practices. Contact online
Enhance Your Life. I work with heart-centered healers & women in business to create their ideal life. With over 30 years experience, Jan is a Transformational Coach, whose background includes: Tapping Into Wealth coach program, Naturopathic Physician (ret) instructor/speaker, hypnotherapist, and behavior therapy. (503) 593-3360
Inner Skye Counseling. Our inner world is multi-faceted, like the terrain of the Sky(e). I am honored and inspired to join you in navigating your inner landscapes. Now offering telehealth therapy sessions. (971) 361-8861
MCHealth Life Coach. I have a private Health & Life Coach practice where I specialize in transformational habit change, being an advocate for living healthy, and an accountability partner to keep you striving to reach your ultimate goals. Contact online
The Nature In You. Katrina Nilsson-Gorman, is a certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide and Intuitive Healer. She holds certifications with The Association of Nature and Forest Therapy, the Tree of Totems Spiritual Wilderness School as an Ayu-Shamanic Practitioner, and a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Puget Sound in Music and English. (970) 556-4562
Nurture Life Coaching. Certified Life Coach & Licensed Massage Therapist, Focusing on Women and LGTBQ Individuals. Cultivating your inner clarity for positive change. (503) 473-4754
Rachel Li Coach. Rachel works with leaders to offer soulful solutions to the disquiet spoiling the workplace. If you are tired from too much screen staring and from having partially present dialogues come recharge with some deep healing. Contact online
Soul Talk Coaching. Phone support for LGBTQIA + Individuals, couples, and families, help with anxiety, depression, dating, relationships, family, career, financial worries, spiritual growth, and much more. Contact online
Stella Harris. Stella Harris is a certified intimacy educator, coach, and mediator, who uses a variety of tools to guide and empower her clients and she teaches everything from pleasure anatomy, to communication skills, to kink and BDSM. Stella has appeared at conferences across the US and Canada, and regularly provides workshops and guest lectures to colleges and universities. Stella’s writing has appeared widely, including a weekly sex advice column in her local paper. Highlights of her media appearances include speaking as an expert on Banana Slug sex and appearing on the evening news discussing the importance of sex education in schools. Stella is the author of two books, Tongue Tied: Untangling Communication in Sex, Kink, and Relationships, and The Ultimate Guide to Threesomes. (503) 568-1275
The Vital Spirit. I am an empath, spiritual teacher, and intuitive healer living in Portland, Oregon. I created The Vital Spirit to be an instrument in the ongoing shift in human consciousness. I serve empaths and lightworkers through intuitive energy alignment and strategic business consulting. I align my clients with their true nature and their spirit-led businesses. (503) 784-3119
Sophia Treyger. Sophia is a Relationship & Intimacy Coach, and owner of Radical Pleasurist, teaching the global community how to have meaningful and deeply connected relationships through embodiment, courageous communication, and the creation of genuine agreements without needing to be a people-pleaser. Radical Pleasurist shifts people from pleaser to pleasure. Contact Online
Other Providers
Arbor Vitae. Massage & Somatic Therapies for every body, mind and spirit. Tap into the root of health at ARBOR VITAE. (503) 367-7659
Aurora Remember. My mission is to help Highly Excitable people use their fire without getting burned by connecting with their powers, balance their energy and feel a sense of accomplishment in their life. Contact Online
The Brain Breakthrough. Unlocking Your Brain’s Potential! Breakthrough anxiety, trauma, reading struggles, and concussions! (971) 231-5214
The Bodhi Tree. Dr. Sage Dillon The Bodhi Tree offering exercise, rehab, nutritional counseling, exams for new or old musculoskeletal injuries and referrals to imaging. I am also able to answer questions if somenone is unclear if they need to go to ED. Insurance is accepted for telehealth if you are in OR. (503) 331-1800
Dovetail College Counseling. Amy Romm Lockard is a dedicated college admissions expert and founder of Dovetail College Consulting. M.S.Ed. (609) 706-6492
Flying Squirrel Consulting Partners, LLC. I am offering discounted virtual business coaching: survival and recovery strategy. Flying Squirrel provides flexible support services for motivated business owners who are seeking mentoring, coaching, & experienced perspective. (503) 926-3601
Ikigai Wellness. Walking along in your journey of life, you’ve come across physical trauma, difficulties and stressors that have affected you in many ways. Your health is the foundation you walk on, a wholistic environment comprised of your physical, mental-emotional and spiritual well-being. My purpose is to assist you with reducing your pain naturally, finding your balance and returning to the activities you love. (503) 308-8676
Kirin Bhatti. Earth-Based Healing+Strategy Guided By The Rhythms Of The Seasons And Our Bodies. For The Change-Makers, Leaders And Healers Who Are Hungry To Resurrect Ancient Blueprints On How To Lead And Live Naturally. Email
New // Narratives. Robin Carlisle is a Multidisciplinary Healing Arts Practitioner, working with a wide range of therapeutic modalities from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Mindfulness, as well as variety of Somatic practices. (503) 457-2749
Tara Jade Nichols. Star Alchemy ~ a seemingly magical process of turning one’s life into gold. Astrology readings allow for discovery of your Soul’s contract, blessings, and challenges. This insight can lead to significant personal growth. Contact online
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to give health or fitness advice. Exercise at your own risk. Consult your doctor or another health professional if you are unsure whether a service or form of therapy is safe for you to use. All opinions expressed are those solely of the PDX Local blog, and do not represent its sponsors, affiliates, or guest contributors. No paid advertising or paid endorsements have been provided for the products featured above. The reviewer makes no claims regarding the efficacy, workmanship, utility, or safety of any of the products listed above.
We’ve put together a list of helpful national and local Portland, OR and Seattle, WA resources for mental health and suicide prevention, updated for COVID-19. Please let us know if any of these links are broken, or if you have new ones to suggest. Thank you, and be well.
Helplines
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 (formerly 1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. Telephone and online chat available.
https://calltosafety.org A Call to Safety advocate can connect you with resources through the crisis line, or you can explore some Portland Metro resources below. Learn more about domestic and sexual violence, stalking, and sex work on our site.
https://oregonyouthline.org For teens, they can call, text, chat and during certain hours can talk to peer support.
IAPMD.org The International Association for Premenstrual Disorders (IAPMD) is a not-for-profit organization providing education, support, advocacy, and resources for those affected by Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) and Premenstrual Exacerbation of underlying disorders (PME).
https://www.nami.orgNAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Oregon NAMI Chapter:https://namior.org/
http://gettrainedtohelp.com – Suicide First Aid. Free trainings in suicide prevention for the general public, youth workers, and more. Includes the ASIST curriculum.
https://grantsforseniors.org – Website to guide seniors and retirees when they need help. Includes categories such as financial help, health care, food, housing, and transportation assistance, as well as help and resources for daily life.
https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org – Nationwide organization providing training to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a crisis.
https://www.detoxrehabs.net/ – This site helps you find centers in your home state or out of state. We also provide information for different community needs, such as help for our veterans, LGBTQ+ friendly programs, free or Medicaid accepting treatment, and pet-friendly facilities.
Employment Resources for People Recovering From Substance Use – Studies have shown that finding employment plays a huge factor in maintaining sobriety. Having a regular work schedule builds a routine and structure as well as provides a sense of purpose. This online guide helps people in recovery gain meaningful employment. It provides information on job searching, addressing employment gaps, interview preparation, and the laws that protect them.
www.AlcoholRehabGuide.org – This guide doesn’t promote any specific clinic or service, but it does provide valuable information to help people understand the effects of alcoholism and the variety of ways to find help.
www.alcoholhelp.com – Browse resources and get connected to treatment that is right for you.
I’ve put together a list of helpful national and local Portland, OR and Seattle, WA resources for mental health and suicide prevention. This list reflects that there is no one-size fits all solution — text or online chat may be a better option for somebody who doesn’t have privacy to talk, and with “warmlines,” people may wish to seek help even if their life is not imminently in danger. Please let me know if any of these links are broken, or if you have new ones to suggest. Thank you, and be well.
Founding Members of the St. John’s Suicide Prevention Team: Elizabeth Gadwa, Laura Bee, and Kristen Gray
Helplines
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 (formerly 1-800-273-8255)provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. Telephone and online chat available.
https://oregonyouthline.org For teens, they can call, text, chat and during certain hours can talk to peer support.
https://www.nami.orgNAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Oregon NAMI Chapter:https://namior.org/
http://gettrainedtohelp.com – Suicide First Aid. Free trainings in suicide prevention for the general public, youth workers, and more. Includes the ASIST curriculum.
https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org – Nationwide organization providing training to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a crisis.
www.AlcoholRehabGuide.org – This guide doesn’t promote any specific clinic or service, but it does provide valuable information to help people understand the effects of alcoholism and the variety of ways to find help.
Tomorrow, a beloved St. John’s neighborhood restaurant, Dub’s St. John’s, will be closing. The decision to close was a matter of economics, the owners say. Even though they appeared busy and popular, they simply could not keep the doors open. I have spoken with the owner, and we hope to run an interview on their new catering business in the near future. But news of this closure got me thinking — or rather, it jumpstarted some thoughts that had been a long time rumbling.
I would like to invite you to a focus group about technology, community, and sustaining independent businesses. Time, location, and date TBA. Snacks and drinks provided.
The purpose of this session is to brainstorm actual features and requirements for a new app, to be developed for launch in January 2019. Format will be based on the IDEO design thinking methodology.
You are welcome to attend, if you are A) over 21; B) a resident of the Portland metro area; C) a user of the Internet and/or social media. We will cap the session at 20 respondents; if we get more than that we may organize additional sessions. We have about 270 person hours earmarked for this project, and we’re hoping to do something memorable and cool.
Please use the site’s contact form to respond if you are interested; let me know what times and dates are good, and also any dietary needs and preferences.
Please note: This article has been updated since its original publication. In Fall 2023, I received a new diagnosis from my doctor: PMDD (Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder). She believed that PMDD was the best way to describe my medical history, because it gives insight into causes as well as symptoms. PMDD explains the mood swings and reactions to hormone-based medication that impacted me over the same 7-year period when I suffered from severe fibroids.
Regardless of the label or diagnosis assigned, individuals with bipolar symptoms deserve the same level of compassion, support, and empathy as anyone suffering from a life-threatening physical disease. Discrimination and ignorance make a serious condition that much worse; social isolation actually produces changes in the brain and can lead to worsening symptoms. Many — perhaps most — bipolar people lead full and healthy lives. It is the fear of stigma and bias that renders us invisible.
Me, standing under the bridge in my neighborhood in Portland, Oregon. The bridge is the site of weddings, festivals, film shoots, and deaths.
How to Save a Million Lives
It starts with being visible.
November 2, 2019
In anyone’s memory, certain dates stand out forever.
I remember standing in my aunt and uncle’s sunny family room in San Mateo, California on April 18, 2018. That was when the customer service rep on the phone told me I did not qualify for life insurance. This was a problem. In fact, it was a huge problem. It meant I would not be able to obtain what is called “Key Man” Insurance, which shields professional investors in case of the accidental or untimely death of the CEO or other essential team members. Key Man Insurance is a must for any startup seeking serious investor funding (seed round or VC). Unknowingly, I had raised funds from friends and family for a venture that could not succeed with me at the helm.
I checked it out. I got a second quote. It didn’t matter that I was healthy and had managed the condition successfully for 19 years.
This wasn’t a case of bias, or stigma. It was a numbers game. The diagnosis is bipolar disorder. The reason I couldn’t get life insurance was that my diagnosis carries a 15 – 20% lifetime fatality rate. That means that as many as one in five people with bipolar disorder may die by suicide. (National Institute of Mental Health, as cited by DBSA.)
If present trends continue, over 855,000 of the 5.7 million individuals living today with bipolar disorder in the U.S will die by suicide. That’s almost a million people.
We are living in the middle of an epidemic. And one ever seems to notice.
Our company’s investor woes seemed pretty trivial in comparison.
Which brings me to the other date. Just over a year ago.
October 17, 2018
On that single day, in my home city of Portland, Oregon, we lost three people to suicide. One of the deaths happened a few hundred feet from my apartment, when a woman jumped off the St. John’s Bridge. I found out when I heard the sirens and saw the flashing red lights. I took some roses out of a vase, went outside, walked down the hill, and put the roses by the police line.
For me, that death brought home the reality of the suicide epidemic in America. I don’t know whether any of the three people who died had a diagnosis, but given the high risk factor and the fact that 1 in 23 Americans are bipolar, it is likely. Suicide fatality rates are actually higher for people with bipolar disorder than for those with unipolar depression(NCBI). Because suicide is a social epidemic, the death of one individual can result in the deaths of other individuals, who may not even share the same diagnosis. There a lot of reasons why this post has been hard for me to write. One of them is that this year, in the time since I started writing this blog post, about three weeks ago, I learned of two other likely suicides in my home communities: one here in Oregon and one in Massachusetts. The taboo around speaking about suicide is strong, just like the taboo against discussing bipolar disorder. I went to a walk this month by the American Society for Suicide Prevention. It’s a worthy event, and it does a lot of good for survivors. But nowhere — nowhere — was bipolar disorder mentioned as a cause or a killer. Talking about America’s suicide epidemic without talking about bipolar is like trying to talk about heart disease and never mentioning high blood pressure.
Last fall it felt like the bodies were literally dropping from overhead. Those deaths, in particular the one so close to home, jolted me out of complacency. I kept thinking to myself, “If fifteen percent of bipolar people are dying by suicide, why don’t we hear about it? Why aren’t we doing more to stop it?”
I had been marked as a plague victim and I didn’t even know it.
I found a replacement CEO for my startup. After stepping down, my plan had been to take a course or two in data science and rejoin the corporate world. Instead, I found myself on an entirely different path. I earned a certification in Life Coaching, another as a Peer Support Specialist, and completed the excellent QPR suicide prevention training which is offered for free to lay people in the Portland area. The goal: work part time coaching bipolar and entrepreneurial clients from around the world. Spend the rest of my time learning a new coding language and building something cool.
The crazy thing is, one year later it actually seems to have worked.
The people I have coached confound my expectations. They are C-level executives, computer programmers, bankers, and accountants. Leave every expectation you have surrounding bipolar people and their temperament or personality type at the door. Just know, above all, we are here. And there are a lot of us. Mostly you can’t tell us apart from anybody else. Because when the medication works well for us, like most other Americans, we’d much rather concentrate on our lives and families and hobbies than on getting riled up with anything that resembles activism.
Coaching is intense. I have had more than one occasion where the client burst into tears during the first session. Unlike therapy, the emphasis is on achieving short term goals. Most of my service offerings are designed to last 3-6 sessions, although some clients stay on much longer. I think my favorite sessions are the outdoor fitness sessions, where we do the coaching during an hourlong walk or hike. I never agree to work with a client unless they are also seeing a licensed doctor or clinician. Confidentiality is key. In the event of a situation where someone’s safety is at risk or where someone expresses suicidal thoughts, I will of course contact emergency services, as well as other members of a client’s care team.
Whatever assorted coaching gurus may promise, my type of coaching won’t make you rich. That’s not why I do it. I just know that it’s important for bipolar people to be visible.
This is where the saving lives come in. It’s about much more than the coaching, although I believe that’s important and meaningful work. It’s about being visible, and letting people know that bipolar gets better. Coming out is risky, and it has a cost. You may not get asked on that second date. As a programmer the last thing you want is your supervisor wondering what medications you were taking when you pushed that last commit! But I’ve come to believe that the cost of silence is greater. Silence equals death. Stigma equals death.
Here’s how we can save one million lives over the next generation:
1.) Make stigma against bipolar people unacceptable. End the jokes. Stop using bipolar as shorthand for a personality disorder. Educate yourselves. This shouldn’t be my job, as the person with the disability, but I need to take responsibility first and foremost for my own actions. I am not “out” in every professional or social social situation, but I try to live my life in a way that I can communicate to others, who may be more closeted, that there is hope.
2.) Improve quality and access to mental health care. Bipolar people face special challenges. We encounter more stigma than people with depression or anxiety disorders, and if we are misdiagnosed, the consequences can be serious. But all mental health conditions deserve treatment on a par with physical health. The quality of generic medications has taken an alarming dive. I have experienced these issues myself, and heard alarming reports from others. Legal or regulatory action must be taken to ensure that vulnerable populations do not suffer.
3.) Work for a cure. Amazingly, for a disease that affects millions of Americans and people the world over, we still do not understand the causes of bipolar disorder. It receives only a fraction of the federal funding for diseases with a similar mortality rate. Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical industry shows off its latest advances: a pill with a tracking device to make sure the patient complies and takes their medication. We are solving for the wrong goal here.
You may have noticed that the beginning of this piece promised to tell you how to save one million lives. And you may have noticed that based on the figures above, we’re still 145,000 lives short. There’s a reason for that. The reason is that bipolar people, when we are well and healthy, save lives.
The reason is that bipolar people are our best and our brightest. We are leaders. We are artists. We are entrepreneurs and innovators. We are mystics. We are heroes. We feel deeply, and we act on the courage of our convictions. From Winston Churchill to Kanye West, the names of famous bipolar people read like a roll call. Bipolar people who are able to live out their lives to their fullest potential will design lifesaving vaccines, help mitigate climate change, and create songs and stories that sustain and offer hope for an imperiled planet. We give back every day. We are mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles, teachers and mentors, some of the best and most loyal friends you will ever find. We are generous. We go the extra mile. Maybe we are still trying to prove we are “good enough.” Maybe deep down we know that we different, and also blessed. There is a reason we are in this genome.
We have so much to give, and we are irreplaceable.
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