Existential Therapy for Adults and Adolescents in Portland, Oregon
Find meaning. Live authentically.
Life isn’t what you thought it would be.
People say that everything happens for a reason, but try as you might, you can’t apply the laws of cause and effect to so much of what is happening in the world and in your life. It is hard to make sense of things. If you’ve ever thought about life in this way, you’re not alone. In fact, what you are experiencing is a natural part of being human. If you find yourself asking “why” and you just can’t find a good answer, don’t despair.
Perhaps you just need to ask a different question.
When you look around, so many people seem to have it all figured out and it can make you feel like you’re somehow deficient. Feeling this way can make it so hard to be in the moment and enjoy life. It can sap your energy and make you feel hopeless. What you may not know or just may not be remembering is that there is no such thing as perfection. Being a human is messy business. I’m here to help you embrace the mess.
Embrace the beautiful complexity of existence. Move forward with courage.
Therapy can help you to view the imperfections of life with acceptance.
It can help you to think more flexibly and to replace judgement with curiosity. When you face things that you can find no reason for, therapy can help you to find meaning. It can help you to embrace your imperfections. When you own your nature as a complex human being, you can find an enduring confidence that is not dependent upon flawlessness.
I specialize in helping people like you to redefine what it means to be worthy and successful as a human, so that you can live more authentically and fully.
I’m here to help you to:
Navigate life’s challenges more confidently
Become more centered
Balance acknowledgment of the world’s ills with appreciation of its gifts
Increase acceptance of what is
Identify ways to mobilize compassion and concern
Make peace with inner struggles
Embrace complexity
Reduce anxiety
Emerge from depression
Find meaning
Move past regret
Live more fully
Pursue self actualization
FAQS
What others have wondered about existential therapy
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Existential therapy uses a philosophical framework as a foundation for treatment that is centered around the following themes of inner conflict:
Freedom and Responsibility
Living with the inevitability of death
Meaning and Meaninglessness
Isolation and connection
Therapists who use existential theory in their practice seek to normalize rather than pathologize these inner conflicts and to support our clients in identifying where their choices lie, finding meaning and living as authentically as possible .
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Existential therapy normalizes anxiety as an aspect of the human condition. Anxiety is related to the uncertainty that our brains are wired to perceive as a mortal threat. We all face uncertainty in life. By working with a therapist on embracing uncertainty in balance with what we know in the here and now, we can allow ourselves to live more fully and release some of the resistance that makes us feel stuck in our anxiety.
More questions? Check out my FAQs page.
