Existential Humanistic NorthWest Affiliates

I am a budding therapist and new to the field. I work in the middle school setting, working with kids, families, and the systems they are a part of to navigate and seek to offer support and healing amidst issues of poverty, addictions, and complex trauma. I deeply value the existential-humanist approach, and seek to cultivate a sense of awe and hope in all those who I work with. The philosophy of the existential-humanist approach resonates with the core of my being, and I constantly strive to make authentic connections with those I meet both professionally and throughout my day to day life. The thought that echoes most loudly in my heart and mind as I encounter each client is: “You are not a problem to be fixed, but a person to be loved.”

I have extensive training and expertise working with trauma, attachment, relationship problems, loss/grief, anxiety, self-esteem, depression, couples issues, emptiness, and “finding one’s self”. I also teach and supervise other psychotherapists; however what is professionally most important to me is being directly involved with others’ growth and healing.

I received my Master’s degree (MS) in Clinical Psychology in 1987, and certification in contemporary psychoanalysis from the National Institute of the Psychotherapies in 1995.  I am licensed in two states, Oregon and Missouri and have been in private practice working with individuals, couples, and occasionally groups continually for over 35 years.  For further biographical information, please contact me.  I am happy to answer any questions you may have.

Dave is a licensed psychologist, providing compassionate and patient-centered therapy in a primary care setting. He completed a doctorate in clinical psychology and a post-doctoral fellowship in health psychology in the integrated primary care model. He currently works for Premise Health Care, at Intel Health for Life Centers and sees clients that are Intel employees or their dependents. He engages in brief interventions, diagnostic evaluations, and ongoing psychotherapy for individuals, couples, and adolescents. Dave has experience with multi-cultural patients and can provide therapy in Spanish if needed, as he has lived and traveled throughout Latin America. Dave has also taught a variety of psychology courses at several colleges and universities, including coursework in clinical, abnormal, group, adolescent and basic psychology. Dave received a year of specialized training and conducted academic research in psychotherapy with persons living with HIV. As a member of the American Psychological Association and board member of Existential-Humanistic Northwest, he brings and makes space for a broad range of perspectives to each client encounter.

The act of doing therapy is a bit like tending to a garden; it takes diligence and care to achieve growth! It sounds challenging I know, but the outcomes and successes of working on yourself and your relationships far outweigh the negatives. All of us have gardens that need occasional weeding and replanting, and when we’re not attending to these important details, or taking care of ourselves, we can experience feelings of depression, anxiety, restlessness and frustration.

In choosing to work with me, I will guide and encourage you by providing the necessary tools and resources that allow you to create a healthy and bountiful garden of your own. Counseling is a joint effort which cannot be successful without both of our commitment, hard work and courage. I believe therapy provides a place to explore thoughts and feelings about relationships in your life as well as your relationship with yourself. Therapy also allows you the opportunity to practice new ways of interacting with others in a safe and trusting atmosphere where you are not judged or criticized.

My approach to therapy is Humanistic and person-centered. I believe that every person has the right to feel accepted and understood. My practice is built on working with my clients in a collaborative manner that treats them as the experts of their own lived experience. I believe that people are most satisfied when they live according to their values and when they live in a way that feels authentic to them. Sometimes it can be challenging to figure out what that means, and having a supportive partner in the process can help.

I believe that my role as a therapist is to explore with my clients the meaning they make in their lives and help them work toward living intentionally and with purpose – essentially, being who they want to be in life. I strive to build a trusting, caring, and supportive therapeutic relationship with my clients so that even when they feel that the world is against them, they remember that they have someone rooting for them.

I also believe that finding meaningful work (whether paid or unpaid) can lend a sense of autonomy, mastery, purpose, and structure to life and to that end, I incorporate career counseling into my therapeutic work when appropriate.

Being human is remarkable, often troubling — and ennobling, if we work at it. My Portland counseling therapy practice for adult individuals provides caring expertise from an existential-humanistic-spiritual perspective that supports your inner work for a more fulfilling life.

The inner work of counseling does not view life’s problems as painful inconveniences that interfere with an otherwise directionless life. Instead such obstacles are life’s pressing against the current limits of your development. And when engaged meaningfully, your problems can provoke development of life skills and personal growth on your path to self-actualization. In essence your issues are the spiritual curriculum that evokes your full humanity.

The importance of engaging your inner life is not something that our material, outward-entranced society encourages. For those who do value an inner life, my own five decades of inner work and my counseling expertise can support you with the listening, understanding, unconditional acceptance, and safe container that supports your development and self-discovery.

 Psychotherapy & Counseling

 Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor

I offer individual psychotherapy for adolescents and adults to work towards your personal growth or to address issues such as depression, anxiety, and addictions. I offer traditional, Humanistic talk therapy, substance abuse assessment & therapy, conflict resolution, desensitization or assertiveness training, and sprituality searching including Reiki energy work. Therapy with me is often spirited and marked by humor, frequently challenging (but always supportive) and can be life changing. In therapy you will move towards introspection and self-awareness. With my support, you will work towards answering your personal life questions.

I am a licensed professional counselor (LPC) working from an Existential-Humanistic framework. I have been in private practice as a mental health counselor for over fifteen years working mostly with adults with a wide range of emotional and mental health issues. I use a variety of tools to support their healing process, including art expression and EMDR.
I have found that having a sense of why we are here on this planet has a tremendous impact on our mental and emotional well being. In counseling, I help my clients discover what blocks them from a sense of meaning in their lives and find ways to live more fully. Some clients are discovering their purpose for the first time while others are discovering a new meaning after facing the loss of their life purpose.
I am, also, a certified Archetypal Pattern Analyst which helps me further identify life patterns which may be standing in the way of fully embracing life and living with authenticity.
I began my career as an early childhood educator, working with parents and young children, training preschool teachers and providing a lab site for Chemeketa Community College’s Early Childhood training program. Next, I taught parenting and personal growth classes at Chemeketa Community College. I worked in a program designed to help people overcome life difficulties and begin a career or find a new career after suffering the loss of their life’s work. Those years taught me much about what it takes to overcome injustice, poverty, abuse, mental illness, addictions and trauma to find meaning on the other side.
I serve on the board for Existential-Humanistic NorthWest, a professional organization which promotes existential-humanistic values including authenticity, integrity, responsibility, inclusion, and awe.