Therapists for college students near Portland State University

Our ideal clients often feel like they don’t quite fit in- like they’re too much, not enough, or just misunderstood. They may be kids with big emotions, teens exploring identity, or adults navigating anxiety, trauma, or disconnection. Many are neurodivergent or highly sensitive. Adults often seek therapy to unlearn shame and move toward self-acceptance. All are seeking safety, understanding, and meaningful connections. We offer trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming therapy for children, teens, adults, and families. Using play, nature-based, and relational approaches, we help clients build emotional regulation, process trauma, and strengthen relationships- all in a space that is creative, compassionate, and deeply supportive. We know reaching out for support can feel overwhelming. Whether you're navigating big emotions, family stress, or just need a place to feel heard, you're not alone. We're here to walk alongside you with compassion and care. If you're ready to begin or just curious about what therapy could look like, we’d be honored to connect.

Hello, I am licensed psychologist and I provide culturally-sensitive, insight-oriented psychotherapy to individuals, couples, and groups. I also provide online psychotherapy services. My services are anti-racist, LGBTQ-affirming, trauma-informed, sex-positive, poly-aware and kink-knowledgeable. I am a generalist with over 10 years of experience working a wide range of presenting concerns. My areas of clinical expertise include: • PTSD/Trauma • Depression • Anxiety & Stress Management • Women’s Issues • Coping with Racism and Microaggressions • Interracial/Cross-cultural Relationships • Sexuality, Love, and Relationship issues • Sex Therapy • Sexual Identity • Gender Identity • LGBTQ-affirming therapy • Perfectionism • Group Psychotherapy I am a Latina and have a personal and professional interest in diversity (cultural, ethnic, racial, gender, & sexuality) and social justice issues. I view my work through a multicultural, feminist lens, meaning that I work to understand my clients and their concerns within the context of societal, cultural, and contextual factors. I bring an appreciation for cultural differences and I strive to be sensitive to issues of race, gender, sexuality, ability, social class, and body size. My services are LGBTQ-affirming, trauma-informed, feminist, sex-positive, poly-aware and kink-knowledgeable. I am native Spanish-speaker and can provide bilingual (Spanish and English) services

By developing insight into your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, and by practicing new skills and ways of relating to yourself and others, our work together will help you heal emotional pain, increase self-understanding, improve relationships, and cope more effectively with future challenges. Offering therapy, psychiatry and medication services.

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.

College can be exciting, but it can also be stressful and overwhelming. You may be struggling with anxiety, self-doubt, relationship challenges, family concerns, or the impact of difficult experiences from the past. Therapy offers a space to better understand yourself, navigate life's challenges, and build stronger relationships with yourself and others. Many of the students I work with are thoughtful, capable, and hard on themselves. They care deeply about their relationships, responsibilities, and future, but often find themselves overwhelmed or carrying more than they know how to manage. You don't need to have everything figured out before starting therapy. Sometimes what people need most isn't advice or a quick fix, but a place to explore what's happening, gain perspective, and determine what feels right for you. If this resonates with you, I'd be happy to connect. Feel free to reach out or schedule a free consultation to see if working together feels like a good fit.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Are you struggling with burnout, feeling stressed and overwhelmed by big decisions in your life? Do you dream about living a more wholehearted, vibrant, and meaningful life? I support folks on a path towards developing more nourishing relationships, a better understanding their emotions, and living a life aligned with their values. My clients are people who are dealing with burnout, anxiety, depression, or are facing big life transitions. I look forward to supporting you in developing skills and insight to lead a fulfilling life.

College can be a lot to juggle, not only are you balancing your classes and course work, but also relationships and expectations. All while trying to figure out what you actually want for yourself. As a first-generation child of immigrants, I understand the pressure that can come with balancing your own goals while staying connected to where you come from. I work with college students who are dealing with anxiety, burnout, identity questions, and major life transitions. You might notice overthinking, procrastination, people pleasing, or feeling like you have to show up differently depending on the space you’re in. A lot of my clients are used to pushing through, even when they feel overwhelmed or unsure of themselves. My approach is trauma-informed, relational, and culturally responsive. I help you make sense of your emotions, understand patterns that may be keeping you stuck, and build tools that actually work in your everyday life. Whether we’re talking through stress, working on anxiety, or exploring identity and relationships, we’ll go at a pace that feels right for you.

Linda is a Licensed Professional Counselor who is an Existentialist and a Rogerian, with a down-to-earth approach. As an Existentialist, she believes that people are at greatest ease when they feel a sense of meaningfulness in their life experiences. Everything that happens to us, shadowy or light-filled, holds valuable lessons for growth and makes us all that we are, and all that we have the potential to be. As a Rogerian, her therapeutic style is to provide safety and unconditional positive regard to those with whom she is working. Rogerian therapists typically believe that through modeling unconditional positive regard to you, you may catch on to the idea and begin to similarly value yourself. The end result is increased self-esteem and efficacy in the world. Linda has been counseling people in the Portland area for over a decade and has extensive training and experience in her field. She is specially trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. These modalities contain practical tools that will help you to recognize unhelpful thought patterns that often have people repeating the same life circumstances over and over. The more we can look at and recognize our contribution to our circumstances, the more likely our circumstances are to improve.

Feeling foggy or like you're in a dream (in a bad way)? Feeling detached from your body or your joy? At the risk of sounding like an infomercial, I'm passionate about helping clients feel more present, embodied, and connected whether they're experiencing grief, dissociation (depersonalization or derealization), or burn out. I work best with folks who are motivated to put in work inside and outside of session in order to inch closer to change. There is so much to grieve in the world right now but I'll be alongside you to sit in the messy feelings and cheer on your wins. I use experiential (creative) and somatic (body-focused) techniques for additional ways of processing grief, loss, or disconnection. Experientially, we might write, make art, use music, or create a tangible coping tool you can use. Somatically, this might mean grounding exercises, movement, guided visualizations, or just pausing and noticing the body. Your healing process is important and I don’t believe in taking away coping mechanisms that have allowed you to survive until now. Instead, the idea is to explore different options to help you sift through complicated situations or feelings and help you evaluate what's no longer serving you. Reach out if we might be a good fit. I'd love to hear from you!

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

With over 12 years experience providing mental health therapy, I pride myself on my ability to connect and build strong relationships with all kinds of people. My therapy is based in our relationship – it’s the vessel for building trust, rapport and from which change emerges. My style is energetic and conversational, using the language of emotion to explore our body’s responses and reactions to issues. I specialize in investigating trauma, relationship difficulties, substance use issues and have many years of experience treating depression, anxiety and other frequently experienced mental health conditions. Equity is a major foundation of both my work and my personal ethic – I have experience treating people from many diverse backgrounds, with recent experience working with folks navigating sexual and gender identity questions. I am open and friendly toward working with individuals exploring kink and other non-traditional relationship styles. Outside of therapy, my passions include music (creating It, listening to it, going to see it!), gardening and preserving food, and spending time with my partner and dog and our friends. I am a keen enjoyer of all things nerdy – from video games to comics and most especially heavy metal music of all kinds. Because I believe in balance, I am also an avid enjoyer of sports, especially soccer and baseball!

My work is guided by the belief that mental health care should be compassionate, collaborative, and personalized. With a background in community mental health and primary care behavioral health, I offer an integrative, culturally responsive, and values-based approach to therapy. I believe therapy is most effective when it goes beyond symptoms—when we explore your values, goals, and passions together. Through this lens, we co-create a foundation rooted in curiosity, connection, and emotional safety, opening space for healing and growth. I’ve had the privilege of expanding gender-affirming care at a community health system in Seattle and helped develop a behavioral health department embedded within a community center—where I facilitated programming focused on emotional wellness and connection. These experiences have shaped my commitment to making therapy accessible, affirming, and grounded in real-world community values. My value of community and connection continues to be nourished at Aspire Psychology.

I have extensive experience working with undergraduate and graduate students, having worked in college counseling centers since 2009 and I enjoy supporting clients through personal identity exploration, role changes, and life transitions including sexuality and gender exploration, parenthood, and loss. Additionally, I am a supportive presence for those recovering from experiences of interpersonal violence and oppressive experiences.

Please complete our patient interest list at www.mindfulhealthnw.com and we will contact you if you might be a good fit for one or more of our psychiatrists. Thank you!

Real life is complicated and often times, it hurts. The struggles that we experience can take on a variety of forms, ranging from depression and anxiety, to trauma. As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I am dedicated to supporting my clients on their journey towards healing, empowerment and hope. I strive to offer a personalized and collaborative approach in therapy that focuses on developing strong, trusting relationships with my clients. I utilize a trauma-informed, humanistic, strength-based, non-judgmental style to provide a safe space for my clients to explore, heal and grow. I work with a wide variety of clients and work in depth with trauma/abuse, women’s issues, anxiety, depression, young adult/phase-of-life challenges, and childhood & relationship issues. I aspire to help my clients improve their coping skills, enhance relationships, increase self-esteem and build positive communication skills. I encourage potential clients to reach out to me in order to see how the two of us connect. I truly look forward to meeting you, and hope we can work together to find the growth and change that you are looking for.

We have experience working with youth, adults, couples, and families from many different cultures, socio-economic, sexual orientations, situations, and needs. We use different techniques and strategies to help you get to the root of the problem, make conscious change to find stability, growth, problem resolution, and emotional relief. Some of the techniques and interventions we use are: EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy for trauma attachment based treatment. (For more information about EMDR. www.emdr.com) Neurofeedback Person Focused Therapy Family Systems Therapy Psychodynamic Therapy Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Cognitive Therapy Solution Focused Therapy Interpersonal Techniques Collaborative Problem Solving Interventions Mindfulness Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Relaxation and Sleep Hygiene Technique

Are you struggling or wondering about what is happening and going on inside of you? Struggling with connecting, communicating, how you see yourself, or feeling different when around others? Do you feel your values and morals have become different then your family or community due to life experiences or learned knowledge? Let us talk and explore for yourself and your life experiences to help calm your thoughts and body.

Jonathan holds a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology, with an emphasis in health psychology and community mental health. Jonathan believes that everyone deserves to thrive mentally, physically, and socially in ways that are meaningful to themselves. He is trained in several evidence-based psychotherapies and is currently utilizing trauma- and attachment-informed narrative therapy, Lifespan Integration, EMDR for adults and children. Jonathan has experience working with children, adults, older adults, and families. He works with people who are struggling with depression, anxiety, attention deficits and hyperactivity, parent-child conflicts, and serious mental illness. Jonathan additionally has a background in clinical research. He began as an undergraduate research assistant for the Director at the University of California at Irvine, School of Medicine, Traumatic Stress Program examining the interplay of PTSD, psychiatric interventions, and brain imaging. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, listening to audiobooks, exploring the nature of the Pacific Northwest and volunteering for the Holocaust Survivor Services.

Dr. Kittinger is passionate about entering into the depths and carving out an intentional space that cultivates curiosity and authentic connection. As a relational psychodynamic therapist, Dr. Kittinger’s approach to therapy focuses on transformational change through the context of relationship. She engages her patients with a balance of acknowledging suffering and challenging difficult patterns to facilitate each persons own unique healing. Dr. Kittinger prioritizes the authenticity of the moment, attending to and unlocking conscious and unconscious patterns of how we relate to ourselves, to others, and to the world around us. She utilizes a soft but direct approach to explore with each patient what it means to increase awareness into their own needs, wants, and to increase agency in their own lives. Wherever you are at in your process, her hope is to co-create a space open to deep and thoughtful self-reflection established gradually with trust and safety to take steps toward healing, transformation, and personal fulfillment. Dr. Kittinger meets with patients in-person and virtually and is licensed in Oregon and Washington.