Portland Therapy Center
Douglas Johns

Douglas Johns

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

I am a relationship therapy specialist; I only work with couples. I teach skills and provide tools anchored within two complementary concepts: collaborative conversations and differentiation. I also provide online video telehealth therapy for couples.

Client Status

accepting clients

Contact

503-252-3739

Online Video Couples Therapy

Email Website

At a Glance

Me

Rate: $150

Provides telehealth services

Practicing Since: 1998

Languages: English

Services

  • Relationship

Insurances Accepted

  • Out of Pocket
  • Out of Network

Collaborative Couple Therapy structures intimate conversations that enable couples to maintain emotional connection during painful interactions. These skills are foundational to healthy relationships. Differentiation (as described by David Schnarch, Ph.D.) is the ability to 'self-soothe' when painful interactions tempt you to angrily blame your partner and/or surrender your innate strength and resiliency. It sometimes takes courage to maintain emotional presence and connection in relationship. Remaining present means you relate with both the pleasure and the pain in the relationship. In so doing you cultivate intimacy with yourself and learn to compassionately soothe your own hurt feelings. Cultivating differentiation and practicing collaborative and intimate conversations encourages you and your partner to grow individually and as a couple.

As a couple therapy specialist I devote my entire practice and professional life to understanding what skills make relationships strong and joyful. My specific methodology is called Collaborative Couple Therapy (CCT) originated by Dan Wile, Ph.D. Since 2013 I have more than sixty hours of ongoing and continuing training in CCT through direct mentorship from and collaboration with Dan Wile who lives in Oakland, California. Because I believe so strongly in CCT, I regularly fly down to Oakland to train with Dan. I will bring that same level of commitment to my work with you. John Gottman, Ph.D., the leader in researching what makes good marriages good has written that Dan Wile is a “genius” and that CCT is consistent with his research findings for couples counseling. I am also informed by David Schnarch’s description of ‘differentiation’, by depth training in Existential Psychotherapy, and by many years of training in and practice of Brief-Solution Focused Therapy.

Techniques I Use

Specialties

  • Collaborative Couple Therapy External link

    Collaborative Couple Therapy (CCT) starts from the belief that problems in relationship are also opportunities for increasing intimacy and connection through understanding & communicating the deeper truth of your feelings, beneath anger/defensiveness, with your partner. I have 60+ hours of CCT training with its originator, Dan Wile, whom John Gottman calls 'the greatest living marital therapist.'

  • Gottman Method External link

    John Gottman has described Collaborative Couple Therapy, my speciality, as completely consistent with his research findings for cultivating loving relationships. I have 36+ hours of training with the Gottman Institute and, in particular, utilize Gottman Institute Research to inform my practice methodology.

  • Mindfulness-based External link

    I have been a dedicated student of Zen Buddhism since 2002. My daily meditation practice has only changed my life for the better. I am also a student of Jon Kabat-Zinn, having participated in his week long training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in 2008. Mindfulness is a potent way to soothe our own vulnerable feelings and reduce our suffering.

Issues I Treat

Specialties

  • Relationship / Marriage Issues External link

    Couples therapy is my practice speciality. Without a doubt my work with couples informs my personal relationship and vise versa. This reflexive quality invigorates me and keeps our work together alive and present. Because of my enthusiasm, I fly down to Oakland, California regularly to attend consultation seminars with Dan Wile, Ph.D. the originator of Collaborative Couple Therapy.

Contact Douglas

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