Therapists for college students near Portland, OR
College can be a lot to juggle, not only are you balancing your classes and course work, but also relationships and expectations. All while trying to figure out what you actually want for yourself. As a first-generation child of immigrants, I understand the pressure that can come with balancing your own goals while staying connected to where you come from. I work with college students who are dealing with anxiety, burnout, identity questions, and major life transitions. You might notice overthinking, procrastination, people pleasing, or feeling like you have to show up differently depending on the space you’re in. A lot of my clients are used to pushing through, even when they feel overwhelmed or unsure of themselves. My approach is trauma-informed, relational, and culturally responsive. I help you make sense of your emotions, understand patterns that may be keeping you stuck, and build tools that actually work in your everyday life. Whether we’re talking through stress, working on anxiety, or exploring identity and relationships, we’ll go at a pace that feels right for you.
Welcome! I specialize in parts work, EMDR, and Emotionally Focused Therapy. I can help you heal your nervous system, expand your emotional capacity, and relate more effectively. I work with adults who feel stuck in thoughts, emotions, or relationship patterns that just aren’t working. I also work with those struggling with a sudden stressor or those who want to work through past events. This can include things like trauma, depression, a challenging transition or the loss of a loved one, or low self-esteem and persistent self-criticism or doubt. You might feel the impact at work or in school, in your close relationships, or in your relationship with yourself. My collaborative approach integrates evidence-based therapy methods with compassion, humor, and attuned listening. I am directive as needed, provide structure, and welcome long silences, fast-paced intensity, and everything in between. Together, we will explore past experiences, patterns, and what is happening in the here and now to foster clarity, cultivate change, and increase satisfaction in your life and relationships. We will also practice concrete skills such as assertive communication, boundary setting, and emotion regulation. I find that most people who come to see me are ultimately longing for a sense of inner peace, personal agency, and meaningful connections. Change is possible. Let’s work towards it together. I offer a free 15-20 minute initial consultation call to go over questions and see if we might be a good fit.
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.”
My style as a therapist is grounded in mindfulness, genuine care, non-judgmental stance, and being fully present for my clients. I work transparently and collaboratively with my clients to achieve their therapy goals. My specialities include general anxiety, stress management, performance anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks, depression, relationship issues, and PTSD, and my work with clients are centered on embracing culture and identity. I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness skills, iRest Yoga Nidra, ACT, IFS interventions, and Motivational Interviewing.
The particularity of our stories matter. Even stories of harm and shame are evident of our desperate and deepest attempts to be seen in our aliveness together. Despite the sufferings and stressors that may plague our lives, I believe your inner world holds a beautiful hearth that longs to center you and call you home. By working together from a place of safety and empowerment, I am interested in exploring together what it means to heal and live a life that you find meaningful. As a Relational Psychodynamic therapist, I bring a depth of training that honors the beautiful complexities of the human spirit, as well as the belief that what arises in the therapy session is always worth our attention and curiosity. I specialize in working with trauma, grief, shame, anxiety, life transitions, relationship dynamics, and more. I strive to practice with an open mindset that is culturally sensitive and anti-oppressive. What arises in you will always be worthy of love, presence, and curiosity during our work together. I admire your openness and commitment to taking the next step. If you think we may work well together or have any questions, I would love to chat more!
Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.
I see clients for evaluation, diagnosis, assessment for medication, medication management, treatment planning, and psychotherapy. My practice is open to clients with psychiatric concerns including ADHD, depression, and anxiety. For ADHD, I do ADHD assessments as well as ADHD treatment, which includes psychotherapy that is appropriately suited to people with ADHD. I enjoy treating clients collaboratively with communication a key component to my practice. I honor my clients’ input in tailoring treatment to suit their needs, as appropriate. I listen to your concerns regarding medications, including side effects and whether there is a risk to being on your medication long-term.
When people can feel safe being their most vulnerable and authentic selves, it is such a privilege to witness. I enjoy working with people from all sorts of backgrounds and experiences who are curious about themselves and willing to be open to the therapeutic process. We start by getting to know each other and ideally we move forward to identify and build upon your strengths and work in learning more about patterns that may be holding you back. We work on what we can change, what we must accept, and what we want to challenge in ourselves. We move at a pace that will suit you and I will provide feedback or listen more as you need. We work collaboratively.
I am a Queer Neurodivergent (AuDHD) mental health, sex, and relationship therapist with over 20 years of experience working in the behavioral health field. I work with teens, adults, and relationships. I help clients work through issues around trauma, depression, anxiety, abuse, gender issues, relationship problems, religious trauma, LGBTQIA+ issues, ENM/Poly, and sex therapy! I utilize various modalities to help you on your journey, including CBT, EMDR, DBT, Mindfulness, ACT, Jungian Dream Analysis, parts work/IFS, and TF-CBT.
Are you experiencing difficulties with your mental health? I view counseling as a journey that, while challenging, is ultimately rewarding. I work with couples, teenagers, and adults facing issues such as ADHD, adolescent challenges, suicidal thoughts, addictions, trauma, anxiety, depression, PMDD, and menopause. I am certified in Prepare and Enrich for couples and relationships, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional and Certfied in DBT. My experience includes extensive work with school-aged populations, those with serious and persistent mental illness, dual diagnoses, couples, and addiction issues. I help navigate a journey through healing.
Dr. Kittinger is passionate about entering into the depths and carving out an intentional space that cultivates curiosity and authentic connection. As a relational psychodynamic therapist, Dr. Kittinger’s approach to therapy focuses on transformational change through the context of relationship. She engages her patients with a balance of acknowledging suffering and challenging difficult patterns to facilitate each persons own unique healing. Dr. Kittinger prioritizes the authenticity of the moment, attending to and unlocking conscious and unconscious patterns of how we relate to ourselves, to others, and to the world around us. She utilizes a soft but direct approach to explore with each patient what it means to increase awareness into their own needs, wants, and to increase agency in their own lives. Wherever you are at in your process, her hope is to co-create a space open to deep and thoughtful self-reflection established gradually with trust and safety to take steps toward healing, transformation, and personal fulfillment. Dr. Kittinger meets with patients in-person and virtually and is licensed in Oregon and Washington.
My goal will ultimately be to help you change your patterns, address relationship issues and/or anxieties, and find your inner wisdom. Through a combination of traditional talk therapy and ancient healing practices, we will journey towards a deeper understanding of yourself and your inner world. I utilize a holistic framework with clients; incorporating the unique experiences of mind, body and spirit. Diversity and authenticity are essential to becoming who we truly are, thus I aim to hold safe and inclusive spaces during our journey together. I welcome you here with an open mind & heart.
I am informal, goofy, sometimes loud, curious, imperfect, and you get all that and more when we start working together. Therapy with me commonly looks like laughing together, sometimes until we cry; actually crying together; laying on the ground; understanding that dark humor is often a necessary coping strategy for whatever life throws at us; talking with my hands; and my facial expressions being apart of the conversation (AKA having real reactions to real shit). Growing up between worlds can get messy, that weird in-between of always trying to fit in. As a transracial/international adoptee, I know how frustrating that pull between cultures and identities can be. Whether you're a fellow adoptee, mixed raced, or 1st gen, we’ll explore those layers - the deep identity stuff, aka the “laugh so you don’t cry” stuff, and find your way back home within the complexity. As a relational, trauma-informed therapist, I believe healing happens through connection. I focus on how your relationships, past and present, shape how you move through the world. My work blends somatic awareness with curiosity and compassion to help you build relationships that feel nourishing, real, and aligned with who you are. Finding the right fit may be time consuming, but shouldn’t be draining. Consults are a brief window into what the therapeutic relationship will look like - like a vibe-check. And if the vibes are right, the hard stuff will come naturally and not feel forced. This is why I offer 25-min consults. Reach out for a consult and let’s take it from there!
My practice is attachment-based, trauma-informed therapy that is neurobiologically grounded. I am an EMDR-certified (EMDRIA-approved) therapist and integrate EMDR with Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Somatic Processing Therapy (SPT), and Motivational Interviewing to support healing at both cognitive and body-based levels. I believe the mind and body heal together — sometimes one leads, sometimes the other — but sustainable change happens when we address both.
As a therapist, I’m inspired by being a part of the growth and healing process. Personally and professionally, I value bringing more kindness, vulnerability, self-compassion and creativity to the world. I enjoy working with a large range of clients and I specialize in helping clients heal from depression and anxiety, improve their interpersonal skills and overcome unwanted habits. I focus on creating a therapeutic atmosphere where people can truly feel safe, grounded, and open to exploration. Working with me means we will explore evidence based approaches and techniques, in a flexible way with attention to your needs.
Hi there! Starting your healing journey can be a daunting process, and you have already taken a tremendous first step by searching for a therapist. I strive to create a therapeutic space where you feel empowered to navigate concerns related to anxiety, depression, insomnia, trauma, and identity issues. Additionally, I am a BIPOC and queer therapist and enjoy working with BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ clients. To help you develop effective coping skills, we may use tools from CBT and solution-focused therapy. I also use a person-centered stance to ensure you feel accepted and our relationship feels authentic. Finally, I incorporate cultural humility and relational-cultural therapy to ensure our work is sensitive to your experiences. I appreciate you reading my bio. I currently have openings for in-person and telehealth sessions. If you are interested in booking a free, initial consultation, please feel free to contact me. I look forward to connecting with you!
Do you often feel misunderstood and hurt? Do you feel as though your emotions are controlling you and you don’t know what to do to change that? Does it leave you feeling anxious and depressed? I know what that feels like and I can help with that. My Approach to Helping I believe that people are doing the best they can with the information and skills they currently have. I also believe that they can grow and create better lives for themselves with the appropriate support. My approach to helping clients develop the skills to effectively identify, regulate and communicate their emotions, needs and boundaries to others is validating and skills-based. Therapy with me is relational, non-judgmental, body positive, sex positive and LGBTQ+ and poly competent. My Personal Beliefs and Interests I'm a psychologist and certified alcohol and drug counselor. I have a background in research (on behavior change) and loved working in academia for a long time, before transitioning to working in community mental health for a few years. I love being a therapist. I am also a mother and an immigrant with strong progressive values and I bring that to the table as well. I believe that Black Lives Matter and that community action is more powerful than waiting for government to act in our best interest. I bring this perspective to my work.
Hello, We can start with what is your immediate concern. That is likely to open the possibility of changes within you, that can open new possibilities for satisfaction and broader changes. Our goals will include more satisfying and close relationships for you.
As a Person of Color, you’ve followed the rules, honored your culture, and shape-shifted to survive—but the pressure to get it all right is exhausting. You’ve kept it together for everyone else—but inside, you’re overwhelmed, second-guessing yourself, and craving peace. You’re always overthinking, carrying others’ emotions, and wondering who you actually are without the expectations of others. Family stuff is complicated, parenting feels heavy, and rest feels out of reach. You don’t have to hold it all. Let’s make space for you. Terapia en Español & Bilingual Services – I offer a space where all parts of your identity are honored. Together, we’ll build tools to manage stress, emotions, and relationships, while also exploring how past experiences and cultural messages shaped your feelings, response and the way you see yourself. This work supports deeper healing, clarity, and growth. My style is warm, grounded, and collaborative. We’ll explore your goals and what brings you to therapy. As someone who's lived between cultures, I value feeling truly seen and respected. Safety makes deeper exploration possible—and with it, meaningful, lasting change. Visit my website for more detailed information.
My goal as your therapist is to provide you with a secure and receptive space for free expression so you can open up and embrace your most authentic self. Together, we will work through obstacles, discover your strengths, and empower you to embrace a more fulfilling life.