Portland Therapy Center
C.J. Sanders

C.J. Sanders (she/her)

Licensed Marriage Family Therapist

OR #T2235

Let’s explore how you and your partner can grow together and develop greater intimacy, connection, and resiliency.

Client Status

accepting clients

Contact

503-389-6320

Email Website

At a Glance

Me

Rate: $150

Provides free initial consultation

Provides telehealth services

Practicing Since: 2014

Languages: English

Services

  • Individual
  • Relationship

Insurances Accepted

  • Out of Pocket

My Ideal Client

I welcome couples of all kinds at every stage of their relationship. People come to me because they are trying to create an exceptional relationship. The people I work with are creative and hardworking and generally aren’t satisfied with the ordinary but are looking to experience wild love and deep connection within themselves, their partner, and the world around them. I reserve a few weekly sessions for individuals looking to work on their relationships or personal growth.

My Approach to Helping

As a therapist specializing in helping couples achieve their relationship goals, I believe that most of us are longing for deeper connection. Connection can be thwarted by past trauma, negative cycles, bad habits or addictions, grief, differences, or just plain busyness. Oh, and you may have noticed that something like a global pandemic can also put a lot of strain on a relationship. Our primary relationships are our most significant asset in life. It is your strength that has you acknowledging you need a helping hand to address where the joy and energy has gotten lost in your connection. Let’s work together to improve your communication skills, clear out the stuck places and expand your resiliency, intimacy, and capacity for love. I will utilize the latest advances in the field around attachment theory, neuroscience, and differentiation theory. For precommittment (or premarital)counseling I have an interactive, fun and educational process that covers 13 essential conversations.

My Personal Beliefs and Interests

I knew early in my career that I wanted to focus on couples. Every joy and tragedy of our lives are played out on the stage of our intimate relationships. When couples are strong and healthy there is a ripple effect on the rest of the family, community, and the world. I view the work that my clients and I do together as vital to creating the kind of world we all want to live in—one characterized by more skillful loving, mutual respect, and civility.

Techniques I Use

Specialties

  • Couples Counseling External link

    Healthy couples are my passion! Couples work is a commitment to go deeper in your relationship and yourself. We will explore the ways you each connect and the barriers that you encounter when connection doesn't go well. It is often the differences couples have that create problems so we will tackle the issue of how to me a "me" in a "we". I'll throw in some of the latest research in neuroscience so that you will learn to calm and soothe and your relationship will have the space to flourish.

  • Psychodynamic  External link

    My education and training is in Psychodynamic theory and clinical practice. I get curious about your early relationships and patterns of relating insofar as it impacts and repeats with your current relationship. I am adept at identifying "triggers" from your past that are blocking connection and wreaking havoc in your communication. I help my couples become experts at learning each others internal world and all that they carry into the relationship which increases empathy and bonding.

Issues I Treat

Specialties

  • Relationship / Marriage Issues External link

    I am passionate about healthy relationships! I have the education, training, and experience to help you and your partner work toward a more satisfying relationship. Throughout the therapy experience, you and your partner can move from distance to bonding, isolation to intimacy, and confused communication to understanding.

  • Premarital Counseling External link

    Congratulations on your impending nuptials! One of the smartest things I ever did was get premarital counseling so I know first hand how impactful this process can be. You will get all the bases covered but with flexibility and creativity to account for your uniqueness and what matters most to you. This is your most important relationship—let’s work together to build a solid foundation and provide you with tools that will last a lifetime.

  • Codependency External link

    Have you lost yourself in your relationship? One of the most difficult struggles modern humans have in connecting is how to maintain their sense of “me” in a “we”. Most people’s instinct is to pull away from the relationship to find themselves again but we can do it in a way that promotes growth in each individual as well as the relationship.

Contact C.J.

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