Portland Therapy Center
Dana Gulley

Dana Gulley (they/he)

Qualified Mental Health Professional

I support clients in deepening their relationship to Self as we explore grief, identity, anxiety, sex and life changes.

Client Status

accepting clients

Contact

5416409310

392 W Main Ave

Suite 102

Sisters, 97759

Email Website Schedule Now

At a Glance

Me

Rate: $110

Provides free initial consultation

Languages: English

Services

  • Individual
  • Group

Insurances Accepted

  • Out of Pocket
  • Cigna
  • Columbia Pacific CCO
  • Eastern Oregon CCO (EOCCO)
  • Intercommunity Health Network (IHN)
  • Medicaid
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My Ideal Client

I believe at the core of each of us is a compassionate and creative Self with innate wisdom of what we need for wellness. But just as harm doesn’t happen alone, neither does healing. Clients of all identities are welcome, and I am Kink, Poly and Neurodivergent affirming. I bring a warm, curious and attuned presence into the counseling room.

My Background and Approach

I am informed by IFS, Somatic Experiencing, attachment, mindfulness and the wisdom of nervous systems. I also draw on existential, Gestalt, and relational-cultural theories. I aim to practice cultural humility and honor multiculturalism throughout my work. I also support clients in identifying how systems of oppression—including colonialism, patriarchy, racism, cisheterosexism, ableism, classism, ageism and structural fatphobia—have influenced their stories and experiences.

Why I Became a Therapist

My journey to becoming a counselor has been deeply informed by my own lifepath navigating relationships, communities and systems as a white, queer, able-bodied, transmasculine human. I believe that as humans we need both sovereignty and support, and I value interdependence in relationships. I also believe that the connection we need might not fit societal narratives that place romantic partnerships above all else. We get to determine for ourselves the relationships that are most important to us. I affirm family and relationship structures of all kinds.

Techniques I Use

Specialties

  • Attachment Theory External link

    Our earliest bonding experiences with primary caregivers deeply impact the often subconscious strategies we use to get those--and other--needs met through relationships as adults. Recognizing how attachment influenced our emotional development and impacts our relationships today can be empowering. Through counseling, clients can work to transform their relationship to Self to become the secure base they need.

  • Existential External link

    Existential theory says we can strip away the meaning placed upon us by others. Instead, we get to define who we are. By choosing to make our own meaning, we gain the freedom to live more authentically in our experience. This freedom creates power, and with this power comes the responsibility to own the choices we make and the lives that we live.

  • Gestalt External link

    By focusing on present moment awareness, Gestalt Therapy supports clients in slowing down to notice their needs, emotions, and interactions within the therapeutic relationship. A Gestalt approach requires the counselor to become more aware of their own present moment experience and to more directly bring this awareness into the work with clients. I participate in a monthly Gestalt consult group, in which I experiment alongside other Gestalt therapists.

  • Somatic Therapy (Body Centered) External link

    The body is often speaking, and I support clients in deepening a connection to their body's language, as it is safe. Disconnecting from the body may also be an important adaptive strategy to be honored. I use somatic strategies for grounding, gaining insight and emotional processing that are informed by Somatic Experiencing.

Issues I Treat

Specialties

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