Jamie Van Auken

Jamie Van Auken (She/Her)

Marriage and Family Therapist Associate

MA, E-RYT 500

Supervisor: Dr. Lana Kim T1237

My therapeutic philosophy is rooted in mind-body compassion; to our nervous system all behaviors make sense - this is our path to healing.

Client Status

accepting clients

Contact

19713949929

3310 SE Oak St

Suite A

PORTLAND, 97214

At a Glance

Me

Rate: $175-$225

Provides free initial consultation

Practicing Since: 2024

Languages: English

Services

  • Individual
  • Family
  • Group
  • Child
  • Relationship
  • Teen

Insurances Accepted

My Ideal Client

Are you working to change relationship patterns, exploring neurodiversity, or healing your connection with your body? Maybe you want to better understand your child and feel more secure in your parenting. My clients seek both insight and embodied experience. I help you understand how your brain and body interact to improve regulation, connection, and healing. My role isn’t to change you—but to guide you in accessing your innate wisdom so you can confidently support yourself and your loved ones.

My Approach to Helping

I create a warm, safe, and nourishing space—like settling in with a comforting cup of tea—where you can feel regulated and supported. Therapy with me is a collaborative process guided by your innate wisdom, empowering you to develop actionable skills that bring hope and healing from our very first session. I believe all behaviors stem from a deep need to protect ourselves. Even the challenging patterns we want to change made sense as survival responses to overwhelm, fear, or vulnerability in earlier life experiences. Change happens through compassion, nervous system regulation, and creating felt safety. Healing unfolds as you learn to pause, tune into your body, and respond from inner wisdom instead of reactivity. Together, we’ll build this capacity to bring lasting transformation and resilience into your life.

My Personal Beliefs and Interests

I’m deeply fascinated by the nervous system because after years of trying to “think” my way through challenges, I felt stuck and exhausted. Learning how the brain actually works—and returning to mindfulness and somatic therapy—shifted everything. Awareness of our nervous system is key to compassion and lasting change. That’s where I come in. As a relational therapist, I work with both body and mind to help you regulate, rewire, and build safety. When your nervous system feels safe, your brain can absorb new information and form healthy neural pathways. I practice from a neurodiversity-affirming framework, recognizing ADHD, autism, high sensitivity, and other neurological differences as natural variations. I’m passionate about supporting your unique nervous system with empathy and understanding.

Techniques I Use

Specialties

  • Couples Counseling External link

    Using attachment theory, Emotionally-focused therapy, and Polyvagal theory, I help couples develop the nervous system informed regulation and communication skills needed for lasting intimacy. I recognize that healthy relationships require each person to be regulated and connected to themselves first. I have extensive experience working with high-conflict relationship systems, mixed-neurotype relationship systems, and relationships where trauma is present in one or multiple partners.

  • Somatic Therapy (Body Centered) External link

    Drawing from decades of high-level athletic experience and extensive yoga training, I offer unique somatic-based therapeutic interventions that help clients reconnect with their bodies' wisdom. This approach is particularly beneficial for trauma recovery, eating disorder healing, nervous system regulation, and for people that feel like that have gained insight, yet run into the familiar "nothing seems to change." I help clients metabolize what they "know" into an integrated, healing experience.

  • Internal Family Systems (IFS) External link

    I offer Internal Family Systems therapy, a compassion-based modality that recognizes that we all contain different "parts" within us - managers, protectors, firefighters, and exiles - who deeply need our attention and curiosity. IFS interventions support our natural capacity for healing, which happens when we listen deeply to all 'parts' of our being through the wisdom of our Self. This method is particularly effective for eating disorders, identity-healing, relationship issues, and anyone

  • Mindfulness-based External link

    All healing begins with awareness and nervous system felt safety. Knowing this, I offer specialized support for developing regulation skills based in Polyvagal Theory and mindfulness. This includes breathwork, somatic awareness practices, psychoeducation, and practical tools for managing activation in daily life. These skills together form a reliable foundation for all other therapeutic work.

  • Experiential External link

    I offer and facilitate outdoor nature walk appointments (when the weather cooperates) as part of the healing process. Using nature-based therapy and bilateral stimulation, these sessions offer a unique opportunity for further regulation, mindfulness, and clarity. I also am available for therapeutically-held, 're-experiencing' sessions, where you can integrate a sense of felt safety into more activating spaces.

Issues I Treat

Specialties

  • Relationship / Marriage Issues External link

    Using attachment theory, Emotionally-focused therapy, and Polyvagal theory, I help couples develop the nervous system informed regulation and communication skills needed for lasting intimacy. I recognize that healthy relationships require each person to be regulated and connected to themselves first. I have extensive experience working with high-conflict relationship systems, mixed-neurotype relationship systems, and relationships where trauma is present in one or multiple partners.

  • Women's Issues External link

    I provides compassionate support and practical care for women experiencing the dissonance of the multiple identities society asks us to carry. Through mindful reflection, compassionate witnessing, psycho-education, and deep honestly, I helps clients navigate these seasons of identity with curiosity rather than judgment, supporting the natural evolution of self while honoring what feels lost or changed in the process.

  • Parenting External link

    I draw from systems theory, collaborative problem-solving, psychoeducation, regulation strategies, and more to help you create and maintain space for your beautiful, growing children. A mama myself - with two neurosparkly kiddos - I have real, lived experience navigating multiple systems at various levels, as well professional experience working within collaborative medical models and education structures. I am committed to supporting caregivers through a neuro-affirming model.

  • Body Image Issues External link

    I provide a compassionate, somatically-informed, non-diet-based approach treatment that recognizes body-image issues and eating disorders as complex conditions requiring both psychological and embodied interventions. My approach integrates nervous system regulation, internal family systems, and body wisdom restoration to support sustainable recovery. I am also passionate about supporting women through their pre and post natal journeys and beyond.

Contact Jamie

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