Ajay Dheer

Ajay Dheer (He/They)

Marriage and Family Therapist Associate

M.S. Marriage and Family Therapy

Supervisor: Sarah Williams, LMFT

I’m Ajay (uh-jay) — a 1st generation American with roots in North India & Pakistan pursuing full licensure as a marriage & family therapist.

Client Status

accepting clients

Contact

6109527424

9450 SW Gemini Dr

Suite 47569

Beaverton , OR 97008

At a Glance

Me

Rate: $200-$220

Provides free initial consultation

Provides telehealth services

Practicing Since: 2019

Languages: English

Services

  • Individual
  • Relationship
  • Teen

Insurances Accepted

  • Out of Pocket
  • Out of Network

My Ideal Client

I work with people ages 15 and older on a myriad of topics. I am especially interested in working with interracial couples, first/second generation immigrants, queer folx, BIPOCs, men, and sex workers. Areas of specialities include mindfulness, BDSM, gender, ethical non-monogamy, social justice, anxiety, depression, sex therapy, and trauma.

My Background and Approach

I provide therapy that is grounded in social justice, queer and feminist theories, and cultural humility. My approach to therapy uses a blend of narrative, attachment-based, and body-focused techniques. In working with intimate relationships, I additionally draw from Emotion Focused and Gottman Method therapies. To put it simply, this means I place you at the center of your own story. I incorporate mind-body connection, emotional experiences, and relationships of all kinds into the therapy space. I truly believe that you deserve to live your best life, and I am here to offer whatever help I may toward that end. I completed my M.S. in marriage and family therapy with a focus on sex therapy at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

My Values as a Therapist

As a child of immigrant parents, I have lived my life in multiple cultures, giving me a unique perspective to the ways in which race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic class may impact someone’s experiences. Due to my own upbringing and education, I work to include these same aspects of life into the therapy room. I don’t presume to know exactly what my clients have been through, but I do know what it is like to navigate the world in a body that has judgments thrust upon it. I want to use that knowledge to validate my clients’ identities and offer support or, possibly, new understandings of the ways these experiences influence the rest of their lives. Though social justice and anti-racism work inform much of my practice, my values rest on centering and working with all forms of marginalization (race, gender, sexuality, class, ability, etc.).

Techniques I Use

Specialties

  • Narrative  External link

    Of all the orientations I have studied, narrative therapy has always resonated. Throughout my education, I have centered narrative techniques in my academic and applied work. In practice, I draw on narrative therapy to separate my clients from their problems in hopes of reducing feelings of guilt and shame.

  • Relational  External link

    The primary reason I chose to become a marriage and family therapist is because I believe in the impact of relationships on our lives; therefore, I have spent the past several years consuming current studies on relational therapy.  I bring a curiosity to my practice that invites family dynamics, environments, friendships, and romantic relationships to have a role in one's identity.  I believe relational therapy techniques can be used with anybody - individuals, couples, families, etc.

  • Emotionally Focused External link

    I am currently being trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) with anticipated completion in spring of 2021. EFT attunes to our own emotions and emotional regulation as well as how they interact with those of our partner(s). I primarily use EFT with relationships (monogamous couples as well as polyamorous/open relationships), though the benefits of my training can also be utilized with individuals.

  • Experiential External link

    Experiential therapy was a large focus of my training in graduate school. My studies and my clinical practice have included various experiential based approaches, including but not limited to: mindfulness, breath work, role plays and other more traditional experiential techniques. These techniques can be particularly helpful when traditional talk therapy could use a boost.

  • Gottman Method External link

    I have completed the first two levels of training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy in addition to studying several of Gottman’s books. Gottman Method centers communication, conflict resolution, empathy, and intimacy in relationships. I utilize Gottman Method in conjunction with a social justice oriented approach to provide support for everyone.

Issues I Treat

Specialties

  • Relationship / Marriage Issues External link

    My graduate education prioritized working with relationships, fostering a level of confidence in my clinical practice. Since graduating I have pursued further training in working with couples. I believe that relational work allows us to go deeper offering new levels of healing and lasting change. I thoroughly enjoy the complexity and dynamics of people and am passionate about holding space for your relationship(s).

  • Cultural and Systemic Oppression External link

    In my graduate education, I have both taken and taught classes on racism and systemic oppression. In my clinical practice, I see systemic oppression to be more then race; it also includes gender, sexuality, ethical non-monogamy, ability, citizenship, etc. Much of my experience working with cultural oppression include the manifestations of anxiety and depression.

  • Gender Identity External link

    My desire to work with gender identity was a critical component to my inspiration in becoming a sex therapist. I am passionate about delivering gender affirming care at all stages of exploration and/or transition.

  • Polyamorous and Open Relationships External link

    Nearly a quarter of my caseload has been centered around relationships that are practicing ethical non monogamy, transitioning into opening or closing their relationships, and other conversations around the impacts of society’s expectations for monogamy.

  • LGBTQ Issues External link

    First and foremost, I want to be explicit that I don’t consider LGBTQ+ identities to be ‘issues.’ That being said, I enjoy and specialize in working with the impact of these identities on day to day life. In addition to being a member of LGBTQ+ communities, I’ve received specialized education in working with queer folx. Over the past two years have gained expertise through both individual and group therapy settings.

Contact Ajay

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