Kenton Family Wellness Center

Title: Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Experience: 14 years

How did you become a counselor?

After deciding to devote one year to service, I moved to Portland in 1994 and consequently set in motion events that find me here to this day, in a city that I love, privileged to do what I love for a living. Back in 1994, I landed in a residential drug and alcohol treatment center that continues to inspire and motivate me to this day. Walking in, I was intimidated about the prospects of failing in my efforts at connecting with our clients. Within a few hours, I realized that our clients were no different than the friends and family members that I had witnessed struggling with life growing up. Seeing it through that lens helps to personalize the work I do, and helps to foster the empathy and compassion that is so crucial when sitting alongside people who are trying to make sense of the pain and struggles in their lives.

What do you most enjoy about your work?

For me, it is a humbling honor to be party to someone’s change process. My work gives me the opportunity to witness people summoning the strength and skill needed to get them through hard times. Everyone who walks into our office is a survivor in one way or another. Watching people connect with that inner strength and begin practicing skills that move them even that first step toward the quality of life they want is a privilege that I don’t take lightly.

What is most challenging about counseling work?

The flip side to that privilege of seeing folks take those initial steps toward change would have to be watching folks begin to lose faith in themselves as they become more demoralized by life. So often, I am in session and am witness to the strengths and gifts that my clients have in spades. Even as I marvel at how amazing they are from where I sit, the client may struggle to recognize their own strengths and skills in the midst of crisis and stress they are experiencing. In those instances, keeping the flame of hope alive for clients is priority number one.

I also realize that insurance rates just keep going up for everyone and getting affordable coverage and then accessing services is at times difficult. Often without insurance coverage, folks might not even consider accessing help be-cause they are daunted by the out of pocket costs. As a result, I currently take Regence BlueCross Blue Shield, ODS, and PacificSource. I find that each of these insurance companies rarely puts barriers in the way of a client accessing the help they need when they reach the point that they decide to try counseling.

What are your areas of expertise?

Having been baptized in the fire of addictions work, I must say that I have been witness to much of the wreck-age that addiction and mental health struggles can heap on individuals, couples, and families. My clients often come seeking assistance regarding a variety of issues from stress management, anxiety, addictions, depression, relationship problems, and parenting problems. It is amazing what insights occur when two people get together with focus and the hope of finding solutions to problems.

What do you like about working at Kenton Family Wellness Center?

Being part of Kenton Family Wellness Center has been remarkable on so many levels. Knowing that I am a member of the Kenton neighborhood as a resident and now as a member of the business community has been really inspiring. It has brought our family life increasingly back home, which for me is in line with my beliefs around sustain-ability on an environmental level but also in terms of fostering our own desire to offer home grown support for the local business community as well. Working at Kenton Family Wellness, I know I have a 5 minute walk to work where I will be surrounded by other practitioners who are  often also Kenton neighbors. In addition, having so many practitioners in the building with such diversity on the wellness spectrum has motivated me and helped to improve my own practice as I learn more from my colleagues that I can share with clients.

Tell us something about yourself.

Our house is known to friends as Farragut Farms after our early years of growing crops including 10 foot high sweet corn in our parking strips. More than likely, on any given weekend, you will find me roaming the yard grazing on the fruit of the month or engaged in my never ending war on weeds. It is amazing the number of fascinating people you meet when you garden in your front yard. Now I just need to work on subcontracting that work out to my children, so that I can visit more with those neighbors passing by.