About Me & My Practice
Hi, I’m Trish.
I'm so glad you have found yourself here. It means you are exploring what it may be like to begin therapy. Landing here means that you have already taken a big step towards actualizing the change that you want to create for yourself.
A little about me… I grew up in the Bronx, NYC. Growing up in the city taught me to hold complexity, to see both struggle and strength, and it shaped the way I show up as a therapist. I bring that same blend of directness and warmth into my work, creating a space where your full story is welcome, and where healing is both possible and real. I moved to PDX in 2017 and I’ve used my time in the PNW to lean deeply into the power and art of slowing down (I still walk like a New Yorker though.)
Truthfully, my interest in therapy began with my own healing journey. I entered therapy for the first time as a young adult. These affirming therapeutic relationships gave me hope when I needed it most, and allowed me to completely transform my self-concept, and therefore, my life. I carry that same hope into the work I do with clients today.
I have a background in working in agencies, non-profits, teen homeless and runaway shelters, community outreach, and as a school counselor. I have extensive experience working with folks who are creative, sometimes misunderstood, straddling cultural lines, figuring out how to allow their unique gifts and strengths to flourish even under systems of oppression, and people who know what it’s like to navigate “the grey areas” of life.
My approach is a balance of compassionate and directive. I will encourage and hold all parts of you with kindness and warmth, while also supporting you in staying aligned with the change you long for.
My hope for you is that you can reclaim your life through talk and connection as has been done by our ancestors for generations.
Identities
Our identities and cultural positionalities are big parts of who we are, how we move through the world, how we come to know ourselves, and how others interact with us. It shapes the opportunities available to us, and the ways that we have to adapt. I acknowledge that these cultural threads shape not only who I am, but also how I approach my work as a therapist.
As an Indigenous (Mi’kmaq) mixed-race, bicultural therapist, I bring the gift of multiple perspectives into my work.
"Etuaptmumk" is the Mi'kmaw word for Two-Eyed Seeing. This teaching from Mi'kmaw elder Albert Marshall refers to the bridging of multiple perspectives to draw from the strengths of Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing with one eye, and using the other to integrate the strengths of Western knowledges and ways of knowing.
I am also guided by a liberation psychology framework, and I encourage the disruption of systems and beliefs that have perpetuated cycles of harm to our life ways, relationships, and self-concepts. As a White-passing clinician, I am committed to continuous learning, listening, and training, as well as deepening my understanding of my biases and privileges. I actively work to unlearn ways I may inadvertently contribute to inequality, oppression, and the legacy of colonization.
Credentials
Masters of Science in Counseling, Portland State University (2022)
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, The Pennsylvania State University (2015)
Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University (2015)
Professional Counselor Associate licensed in Oregon (R7865)
Board Certified Counselor (National Board for Certified Counselors #1651075)
Trained in Brainspotting Phase 1 and Phase 2
