Portland Therapy Center
Caty Buckley

Caty Buckley (she/her)

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

LCSW

Welcome! I am a friendly and relatable therapist who specializes in supporting teens and young adults.

Client Status

accepting clients

Contact

971-258-1819

4424 NE Glisan

Portland, 97213

Email Website

At a Glance

Me

Rate: $155

Provides free initial consultation

Practicing Since: 2019

Services

  • Individual
  • Teen

Insurances Accepted

My Ideal Client

Are you (or your child) struggling with anxiety or worries? Are there relationships that you find extremely challenging? Do you sometimes wonder if you are really "Ok" and coping with life's stressors well enough? Adolescence and young adulthood can be a challenging time. Your identity is forming, you are seeking independence and also making big decisions about yourself and your future. Connecting with you and understanding your story/needs is where we start and then the fun begins!

My Background and Approach

So, for part of my life, I work at an area high school. Another part is working in private practice with young people and finally, I have my own teenagers who are navigating issues just like you. I am knee-deep in teenagers/young adults and I wouldn't have it any other way! I think my clients like working with me because I am easy going and playful in sessions. I'm relatable and truly bring no judgment to sessions. Additionally, there is no topic that is off limits to talk about. I bring my quirky, off-beat sense of humor into sessions and feel like it's important to balance hard work with fun. You drive the bus and my job is to be a tour guide to provide you with ideas and questions about where we might need to go to reach the goals you set for yourself. It's a collaborative approach and I depend on you to communicate with me about what works for you and what might not. I truly believe that the magic happens when the client and therapist really "vibe" with one another.

Why I am a Good Fit for You

I actually don't believe that every therapist is a good fit for every client. Sometimes a therapist's style is really not the best match for a client's particular personality traits or preferences. According to some of the clients I work with, they appreciate me because I don't just tell them what they want to hear. I like to think of therapy as just having a conversation with a caring, unbiased person about things that can sometimes be hard to talk about. My role in that conversation is to be like a mirror to reflect back to you both what you are describing and also what I am observing. I believe that we don't get results if we stay in our comfort zone and my job is to (gently) support you as we, together, push that comfort bubble to expand a bit r over time. It is a true joy in my life to see young people do things they never thought they could do, to address pain and challenges that have long been buried, or to just feel liberated by telling their story.

Techniques I Use

Specialties

  • Brainspotting External link

    I have completed Level 1 Brainspotting.

  • EMDR External link

    I have completed Level 1 of EMDR and will be finding a time to take a level 2 in the next few years.

  • Internal Family Systems (IFS) External link

    I am part of a professional development group where we have focused on IFS for several years. I have taken various IFS trainings as well, though am not officially certified.

Issues I Treat

Specialties

  • Child or Adolescent Issues External link

    I have worked with teens and young adults for over 25 years! I work at a high school with students, have teenagers and I only see young people in my private practice. I have worked with youth from extremely diverse socio-economic, racial, geographic, and religious backgrounds. I am familiar with kids struggling with being a first generation citizen in to the US, kids who are applying prestigious colleges and youth who are working on launching themselves into adulthood.

  • Anxiety External link

    As someone who has starggled with anxiety in my life, this has always been a strength of mine, since I can easily get into the brains of anxious clients. Additionally, I have attended countless trainings and have many tools to provide clients to work with their anxiety. I strive to approach anxiety as a part of the client and not a villain but more something to be understood and managed.

  • Family Conflict External link

    Family dynamics in the best of circumstances can be challenging but when there are external stressors, like a divorce, or someone has substance use issues, conflict can be exacerbated. I support clients using a variety of tools, including Parts Therapy (IFS), CBT, DBT, polyvagal theory to enable them to examine their role in their family, work within the family system (if safe) and to honor their own unique experience of the home and relationships within that home.

  • PTSD External link

    I have been trained both in brainspotting and EMDR. I utilize those tools along with CBT, DBT, and IFS (among others) to first establish a sense of safety and then, at the client's own pace and comfort level, begin processing the challenges they are facing/have faced due to their trauma.

Contact Caty

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