Therapists for college students near Portland State University

At Assert Your Boundaries Counseling, we provide trauma-informed therapy for adults, couples, and professionals across Oregon and Washington. We specialize in EMDR therapy, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, burnout, life transitions, and culturally responsive mental health care. Led by Dr. Pauline Botchway, our practice offers compassionate, evidence-based support for individuals seeking healing, growth, and healthier boundaries. We work with clients navigating trauma, stress, identity concerns, workplace challenges, and emotional overwhelm. Our practice also provides clinical supervision for LPC associates and supports clients seeking accessible, inclusive care in a welcoming environment. We offer both in-person and telehealth therapy sessions.

Many students come to therapy feeling stressed, anxious, or stuck in patterns that hold them back. Balancing school, relationships, and life changes can feel overwhelming. Therapy provides a supportive space to pause, reflect, and explore your experiences. I work with students to navigate emotions, stress, and relationship challenges while building coping skills and self-understanding. Together, we focus on what matters most to you and make meaningful changes in a supportive, relational space. Starting therapy can feel vulnerable, and I honor that courage. You’ll have a gentle, safe space to process challenges, reflect on your experiences, and build confidence as you move through school and life.

I believe healing and growth occur in psychotherapy when you first establish a supportive, collaborative therapeutic relationship. That is why I offer a safe, nurturing space where you can speak and be listened to with empathy and free from judgement. Past experiences, and how you attempt to understand them, can affect numerous areas of your life and sometimes lead you to feel stuck in certain patterns of behavior. In therapy, we will work together to help you better understand your behaviors, overcome life challenges, navigate obstacles, and build skills to cope with difficult emotions, so that you can find a new way forward. I value the unique aspects of each individual and therefore integrate a culturally sensitive approach with my patients. This means I understand that racial, cultural, religious, gender, and sexual identities interact with one’s beliefs and behavior, and believe that it is more effective to vary my therapeutic approach from person to person, depending on a client’s culture group, rather than to simply use the same standard treatment approach for everyone. My goal is to build a relationship based on authenticity and open communication throughout the course of therapy to ensure satisfaction. I’m here to listen, support and guide you on a healthy, empowered path.

Kim is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Oregon. She chose social work as a second career, after having spent 20 years as manager and mentor in various government agencies. It was her own therapeutic journey, providing the insight and understanding to help her find grace in navigating the journey of life, which led her to further her education and complete her Masters of Social Work program. “I learned why I made decisions and choices in the past and how to use this knowledge to accept myself and move on. This is why I became a therapist, and this is the support I hope to offer you as my client. I have experienced the delicate balance of having a career, raising a teenager, taking care of elder parents and trying to identify what I needed for self-care.” After earning her degree, Kim worked for several years in a hospital behavioral health unit. Her approach is non-judgmental, person-centered and strength-based, incorporating evidence-based modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, Psychodynamics, Family Systems Therapy, and Strengths-Based Therapy. Kim has lived most of her life in Oregon and, as a single mom, adopted her now young-adult daughter from Guatemala. She has since added a loving husband, a huge Newfoundland dog and two rescue cats. Her interests include gardening, cooking, traveling and yoga. “My intention is to use my life and clinical experience to offer you a safe, trauma-informed space to help you discover you, and to help you find your path. I will listen and be supportive, helping you identify and untangle what gets in the way of you living life to the fullest. Life can be tricky, and its challenges sometimes seem overwhelming.” “It would be my privilege to help you in this journey.”

I draw from person-centered care, treating anxiety through mindfulness-based therapy, and evidence-based approaches including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). I especially enjoy working with college students navigating career and life transitions, as well as adults experiencing anxiety, depression, or Bipolar II Disorder. My style as a psychologist is warm, collaborative, and grounded in kindness, while also making space for humor and lightness when appropriate.

Do you ever feel like you’re trying to meet everyone else's expectations while quietly struggling yourself? I work with teens, adults, and couples in unpacking childhood trauma, navigating infidelity, tackling life transitions, and motivation struggles. Whether you’re an overwhelmed overachiever, or feeling stuck in a “failure-to-launch” phase, I help clients gain clarity, strengthen relationships, and move forward with greater confidence. If you're looking for a therapist who will support and challenge you through grace, humor, an honesty, I look forward to working with you! :) My approach is rooted in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) with elements of Internal Family Systems (IFS). Together, we’ll explore how past and present relationships shape your patterns, emotions, and sense of self—so you can better understand yourself, reduce shame, build confidence, break unhelpful cycles, and create lasting change. Life is full of taboos. The self-doubts, the drama, the ‘I-probably-shouldn’t-say-this’ thoughts. In my office, nothing is too weird or too heavy, and we’ll sort through it together. My hope is that you leave each session feeling a little more seen, a little less alone, and more connected to the parts of yourself you’ve been carrying quietly for too long.

My counseling style is warm, compassionate, casual and accepting. I want you to know you are seen and heard, and I am curious about what it’s like to be you in the world. I strongly believe that you are the expert on you and that, once given a little time to breathe in a safe space, you will begin to connect to important parts of yourself that will foster healing and growth. I will be your partner in this process, helping you to gain fresh insight, feel self-compassion, and see your strengths.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who grew up in rural Northern California, where adequate mental health care was not accessible, and differences were not celebrated. I developed a passion for helping others after watching people I cared about struggle without support and going through my own challenges as an adolescent and young adult. After settling in the Portland Metro Area, I have developed a great love of our area's diverse populations and green landscapes, combining all the beauty the Willamette Valley has to offer with the convenience and luxury of inner-city resources and diversity. I have experience working in community mental health, hospice, and counseling with adults and teens ranging from late adolescents to the elderly. I especially enjoy working with those struggling with life transitions, trauma, chronic illnesses, depression, and anxiety. I believe that fostering safety and unconditional positive regard is the backbone of the therapeutic relationship. I use these core Rogerian principles and a strength-based approach along with techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectal Behavioral Therapy, and Existential Therapy to aid people in broadening their perspectives, changing behaviors that are not working for them, and developing practical tools they can use in their day-to-day lives. I do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to therapy and am variably directive in my approach depending on client needs. I am honored by those who share their brightest and darkest times with me. Time and time again, I am amazed by the strength and resilience of those who actively seek change. When I am not with clients, I can be found wrangling my two young children. I am a music, gardening, hiking, equine, and canine enthusiast. I also feel passionately about women supporting women and have enjoyed networking with other women in my local community.

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!

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

We are a thriving group practice with an amazing team of clinicians that help students grow their resilience. Stress, trauma, grief, life transitions, identity work, and hardship have an impact! This deserves care, not critique! With support, resources, hope, and witness, you can process, heal, and growth your strength and power. We're for you and with you on that journey. Email us to learn more about services and to find your right fit in a therapist so you can get started!

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.

I consider it a privilege to sit with individuals who feel driven to take on the challenge of personal growth. It’s hard to face the messiest parts of ourselves. We tend to avoid this at every cost, often with behaviors and habits that keep us distracted and numb. But therapy is about waking up. It’s about committing to the work of undoing old patterns that no longer serve us so we can show up more fully in our lives. I specialize in working with adults and teens (16+) who struggle with anxiety, depression, eating disorders and/or body image concerns. There isn’t one approach that works for everyone. I enjoy getting creative and finding a framework that best serves each client.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

As a psychologist, Emily supports people to live richer, fuller lives aligned with their personal values. She views her clients as the experts on themselves and sees her role as their collaborator, working together to help bring forward their greatest potential. Emily works with a diverse set of individuals, and with a variety of concerns such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, OCD, trauma, interpersonal relationship challenges, overcoming barriers to goals, and other issues her clients strive to work through. She utilizes an assortment of therapeutic modalities, often blending these approaches, including mindfulness, Jungian analysis, Behavioral Modification, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), Ecopsychology, and relaxation training, always with a focus on the individual needs of the client. Emily believes that an integrated approach to overall well-being is important, including aspects of nutrition, exercise, and sleep hygiene, with an understanding of how these interact with and impact psychological well-being. Over the years, Emily has worked with children, adolescents, young adults, and not-so-young adults, each seeking help with a range of concerns, problem behaviors, and disorders. Emily also enjoys working with couples as they address problematic areas in their relationship, and as they find ways to improve and reconnect with each other. When she works with children, she is also working to make sure parents are appropriately involved, and helping to implement therapeutic assignments beyond the counseling environment and at home. This is especially important as we impart positive parenting approaches to reinforce certain behaviors, and to help a child feel secure as they learn to cope with trauma, anxiety, or depression. Emily completed her Bachelor’s of Science degrees in Biopsychology and Ecology and Evolution at University of California, Santa Barbara, later earning a PhD in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in neuropsychology, and a second PhD in Wildlands and Wildlife Conservation at Brigham Young University. When Emily is not engaging with her clients in psychotherapy, she teaches psychology undergraduate college courses, and enjoys hiking, spending time with her family, connecting with nature, and cooking.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Living with a mind that rarely slows down can make even ordinary days feel like a lot. When mental loops and daily frustrations take up so much of your energy, therapy can offer a space where you don't have to carry it all on your own. I specialize in supporting teens and adults with OCD, ADHD, and anxiety disorders in-person in Portland and virtually across Oregon. Together, we'll take time to understand what you're going through with curiosity and compassion. From there, we'll shape therapy around who you are and what you need so daily life can begin to feel more manageable. You're a person first, and therapy should make room for everything that makes you, you! I tailor our work to your needs and draw from evidence-based approaches like ACT, CBT, ERP, and Motivational Interviewing. I'll explain the why behind what we do and share tools openly so you always feel informed and involved as we move through the process together. I strongly believe therapy should be a collaborative process where your perspectives, experiences, and feelings matter at every step along the way. If you'd like to explore working together, I'd be glad to take that first step with you.

I am a social worker, musician, and expressive arts therapist. I believe everyone is innately creative, and each person has within them what they need to heal and change. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Oregon and Louisiana, and a Registered Expressive Arts Therapist (REAT). I use a multi-arts, or intermodal, approach in individual and group therapy and facilitating. This means I use movement, visual art, music, writing, and mindfulness as therapeutic tools to initiate healing and change. Since this work is based on the creative process and not the resulting product, no background or training in the arts is required to benefit.