Holding space for your truth to emerge.
Trauma-informed psychotherapy steeped in polyvagal theory.
Shifting from a survival to a healing state.
The science of the nervous system tells us that healing is impossible when we dwell in a sympathetic state (fight/flight/fawn) or in a dorsal state (freeze/shut down)—when we lose access to an enduring sense of safety within ourselves. In order to reconnect with the lives we would like to lead, we must first regulate our nervous system to create the conditions under which inner transformation can unfold. From there, we begin to unlock the deeper wisdom that resides within each of us.
My name is Christa.
I feel enormously fortunate to have discovered my calling very early in life. Volunteering at social services agencies in my teenage years, something about this work just felt right. Before receiving my master’s degree in Clinical Social Work in 2000, I spent more than a decade working in community-based mental health and addiction treatment settings. Since then, I've worked at nonprofits providing direct service, program management and supervision for outpatient and inpatient treatment settings. I eventually shifted to providing psychotherapy in a family medicine and primary care clinic, which offered a natural progression to starting a private practice in 2010.
I have over 35 years of clinical practice, which has given me the foundation to become fully certified in a range of modalities. Most recently, I'm excited to incorporate ketamine therapy and psychedelic integration as natural extensions of my work treating trauma and nervous system dysregulation.
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I am licensed in Oregon and Washington as a clinical social worker and certified as an alcohol and drug counselor. I am also trained and fully certified in:
Internal Family Systems (IFS) — Levels 1 and 2
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprogramming (EMDR)
Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE®)
Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)
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I work with people navigating a broad range of life issues, including:
Trauma & PTSD
Chronic & Invisible Illness (cancer, dysautonomia, POTS, long covid)
Transitions (divorce, grief, and loss)
Addiction (substances and behaviors)
I also have special experience working with professional athletes, musicians, therapists, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Some Principles That Guide Me
Reorienting around
what is true.
When we are out of alignment with what is true within us, all kinds of physiological and emotional tension arises. The more we can come back to what feels true, the greater our possibilities for integration and healing.
Building a dialogue
with the body.
Our minds and bodies operate as one organism, with as much as 80% of our sense of well-being transmitted from the body to the brain. By tuning into what our bodies are telling us, we pave the way for a deeper understanding.
Activating our
internal intelligence.
Much of what we identify as problems are actually invitations—deserving of curiosity rather than eradication. My role is to hold a safe, attuned space where we can explore with compassion, trusting in your innate capacity for healing.
How We Can Work Together
Individual Psychotherapy
I offer talk therapy with a somatic emphasis, using IFS and EMDR to update old survival patterns and support integration through curiosity, compassion, and nervous system repair.
Nervous System Support
I offer somatic, body-based tools like TRE® and SSP that can be practiced independently to help regulate the nervous system and support trauma release.
Ketamine-Assisted Therapy
I collaborate with medical providers for evaluation and prescriptions, then hold space for your journey in a safe, 3-hour therapeutic container.
Psychedelic Integration
For those who have arranged their own psychedelic journeys, I am available to provide support both before and after to ensure you get the most from the experience.
FAQ
If you have a question that is not answered here, please feel free to contact me.
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For psychotherapy, initial sessions are billed at $210 and follow-up sessions at $180.
For more information about pricing for ketamine-assisted therapy, please contact me.
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Yes, I am in-network with the following providers:
Aetna
First Health
Health Net
Kaiser (Added Choice)
MHN/Managed Health Network
Moda/ODS
PacificSource
For those with other insurance providers, you may be able to seek reimbursement for our work together as an out-of-network provider.
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I do reserve a handful of regular slots on a sliding scale basis. Please reach out for more information.
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For the most part, individual therapy sessions are conducted virtually and ketamine therapy is conducted in-person.
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I am licensed in both Oregon and Washington states.
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Generally, this process begins with a session or two to establish your intentions for working with ketamine. From there, you will meet with a prescriber who will decide if a prescription is appropriate. We will then sit together during the entirety of your experience, after which we will begin the work of integrating all that you discovered.
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Different therapeutic models (IFS, EMDR, etc) offer various formats for clinicians to learn and develop their competency. Therapists often consider themselves "trained" in a particular model if they have attended a single workshop of any duration. However, in order to be "certified", therapists must complete many workshops—often over the course of years—and commit to regular supervision and monitoring to ensure the highest standard of mastery.
It has always been important to me to deeply understand, to the fullest extent possible, the therapeutic lineages I belong to. As such, I am fully certified in IFS, EMDR, TRE® and SSP. You can learn more about these modalities here.
"I will not rescue you. For you are not powerless. I will not fix you. For you are not broken. I will not heal you. For I see you, in your wholeness. I will walk with you through the darkness as you remember your light."
— Indigenous Medicine Woman's Prayer
Contact
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about my work. If you think we might be a good fit, I encourage you to reach out.
