Portland Therapy Center
David Hayden

David Hayden (He/Him)

Licensed Professional Counselor

Connecting is one of our deepest needs, it's written into our very neurobiology. Come find a therapy that is attachment and somatic centered

Client Status

accepting clients

Contact

503-405-1184

1235 SE Division St

Portland, 97206

Email Website

At a Glance

Me

Rate: $175

Provides free initial consultation

Practicing Since: 2016

Languages: English

Services

  • Individual

Insurances Accepted

  • Out of Pocket
  • Out of Network
  • PacificSource

My Ideal Client

In my practice, I embrace a holistic approach to therapy that celebrates the human drive toward health, wholeness, and authenticity. As an experienced therapist, I draw from a rich integrative framework of therapeutic modalities, including mindfulness-based techniques (like somatic experiencing, EMDR, etc.), mind-body therapy (Internal Family Systems Therapy), and attachment work, to assist you on your journey toward self-discovery and personal growth.

My Approach to Helping

My mission is to help you break free from the barriers of limiting beliefs and explore the various facets of yourself in a safe, nonjudgmental space that also offers challenges. I believe that self-acceptance, integration, and a stronger connection with the world are achievable goals. Whether you're dealing with past traumas, seeking to understand your life's purpose, or navigating the complexities of religious trauma or creative endeavors, I am here to guide and support you. I believe that therapy is best done in a transparent open relationship, where the therapist is a collaborator with the client. To this end my therapy is not traditional talk therapy, I balance empathy with directness and straight forward approach. I believe that depth of change comes not just from talking about things, but working within ourselves to author that change.

My Personal Beliefs and Interests

I believe that regardless of our background, experiences, or past relationships, we can all evolve. However, we are often in systems, that might not support this evolution or may in fact challenge it. But when we are in relationships, and systems, that encourage secure attachment, we have a unique ability to thrive. The ability for us to expand, and find a sense of self that goes beyond our relational patterns, into a life and relationships that support us, is what I find passion in. Within my own personal therapy journey, coming into a place of secure attachment has always been critical for me, even when I didn’t really know what that meant, or how to put words to it. I had plenty of ways to change my thinking, but I didn’t feel myself really growing, till I came into contact with the somatic and body-based tools I currently now pass on in my own practice.

Techniques I Use

Specialties

  • Attachment Theory External link

    I specialize in attachment theory, which looks at how our early childhood experiences have shaped our understanding of ourselves and our close relationships.

  • EMDR External link

    I have been trained in and certified in levels one and two of EMDR. EMDR is a blended therapy approach that seeks to treat trauma, depression and anxiety through the reorganization of memory via eye movements.

  • Somatic Therapy (Body Centered) External link

    I practice and have been trained in Somatic Experiencing. This approach views treatment, via working with the nervous system and I have personalized this orientation to also prioritize an individual's attachment style.

Issues I Treat

Specialties

  • Codependency External link

    Getting what we want from relationships is not always an easy task. When we are coming from a place of codependency, we may be engaging in a pattern that doesn't allow us to address, or even feel the boundaries we may desire in a relationship. Or we may be in a pattern where we do know what we want, but we feel unable to express it. By working directly with your central nervous system, while offering a safe and compassionate space, we will work together to identify what your needs are.

  • PTSD External link

    Whether coming from difficult family background to having events that simply felt "too much, too fast" for our bodies trauma can play a profound role in our mental health, as well as our interpersonal relationships. I work with clients to process, grow and build a more integrated understanding of themselves and their past.

  • Historical Trauma External link

    Developmental trauma can cause deep wounds within us, or even lead us to have a sense of fragmentation when it comes to our sense of self. Normal talk therapy often can't get at these wounds and requires a deeper understanding, that can come out in the therapy room through deep attachment-oriented work. Religious trauma also fits within this, i.e. trauma that comes from our development being controlled and hijacked by a religious system.

Contact David

Optional note (300 character limit). Please do not include sensitive medical information.