Gretchen

Hi, I’m Gretchen! I am a White, queer, femme born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. I thrive in nature and find myself returning to mountains, oceans, and forests to fill my cup, both solo and with my wife and dog in tow. I am currently a third year graduate student at Portland State University pursuing a degree in Clinical Mental Health Therapy. 

I am passionate about supporting individuals and as they navigate complex personal and relational challenges, and I am committed to creating a soft container of curiosity and non-judgement in session. I have over a decade of experience with diverse concurrent work in the fields of adult sex education and physical strength training; work that when done in the context of a strong relationship is so deeply personal it feels it can sometimes offer a direct portal to our most vulnerable and simultaneously most dynamic selves. Drawing from this background I aim to meet people where they are, conceptualizing individuals as both inherently powerful and intricately influenced by systems at play in their lives from all levels. I specialize in the support of untangling complicated emotions, beliefs, and patterns about sexuality and relationship styles, creating space to unpack and bolster relationships between mind and body, eating and body image concerns tied to trauma and attachment, and intra/interpersonal attunement. In work with individuals and relationship groups, I am experienced in conversations centering around non-traditional relationship structures including non-monogamy, polyamory, and kink-centric/power-exchange relationships. 

I am committed to continuing my own education, and I am engaged in the continued work of having an actively anti-racist and non-oppressive practice rooted in gender and racial justice. I look forward to digging in with you in counseling that celebrates your strengths, acknowledging that we each hold deep truths and understandings about our own lives, and sometimes we just need a bit of assistance accessing and sorting through them.