Awareness Psychotherapy, Trauma therapist Oregon, Telehealth therapy oregon, shelby houston portland, gestalt therapist portland
Hello! I’m Shelby, a fellow spirit trying to navigate the human experience just like everyone else. I identify as white, queer, cis, femme, neurodivergent, mostly able-bodied while living with chronic illness, spiritual, and kinky, and a person who holds many privileges, such as my race, nationality, body size, age, and primary language, to name a few.
My path to becoming a therapist was shaped by living through my own challenging life experiences. On my growth and healing journey I found myself developing a deep compassion for others, a reverence for the human experience, and a drive to be of service. My therapy practice is how I choose to share what I learned (and am still learning) about living a life worth living.
In my free time I love hanging out with friends and loved ones, exercising and playing, going out dancing, listening to music, cuddling with my pup, and general adventuring. Those closest to me have described me as a passionate, playful, and authentic individual.
I specialize in working with…
Trauma & anxiety
Relationship issues
Stressful life transitions
Issues of an existential nature
Queer/trans folks
Poly/ENM relationship structures
Kinky folks
Neurodivergence
Sex workers
People often work with me to find…
Improved self-awareness
More satisfying relationships
The confidence to live in alignment with self
A greater connection to their body
A more regulated nervous system
Deeper fulfillment in life
Professional Background
I’ve worked in mental health since 2018 with children, teens, adults, and families in community mental health and private practice settings. I hold a Master of Counseling in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Oregon State University, and a Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Ethics from Creighton University. I’m in my third year of postgraduate training in Gestalt Therapy, and I receive ongoing supervision in this modality. I’m certified in Emotion Focused Therapy for Traumatized Individuals Level 1, Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal Theory, Comprehensive Interpersonal Neurobiology, and Cognitive Processing Therapy. I incorporate parts work and somatics into my therapy practice. I’ve engaged in professional counseling research in the topic areas of sizeism, kink, and neuroscience-informed approaches, and have presented at state and national counseling conferences.
I am supervised by Jon Frew, PhD, #576.
Trauma Informed
✧
Anti Oppressive
✧
Sex Positive
✧
Present Focused
✧
(503) 389-5522
Trauma therapist Oregon, Telehealth therapy oregon, shelby houston portland, gestalt therapist portland
