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 grounded in the belief that we are whole - even in our deepest struggles, our essential wholeness and goodness.

Client Status

accepting clients

Contact

19713949929

3310 SE Oak St

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

My clients are ready to shift. My hope for every person I work with is that they develop a kind, curious relationship with all parts of themselves. I want you to know on an innate level that even when life comes together and falls apart (as it does) that you can feel steady within yourself. I want you to feel genuinely held and understood in our work together, and to develop tools for holding and understanding yourself with the same quality of compassion. Our work will feel like a return to you.

My Approach to Helping

I strive to create an environment that feels like settling in with a warm cup of tea - regulated, safe, and genuinely nourishing. I believe therapy should be a collaborative dance where your innate wisdom guides our work together. My hope is to eventually work myself out of a job. Expect to feel hopeful after our first session with actionable skills to integrate in your day! I believe that all our behaviors are rooted in a desire to take care of ourselves; our behaviors (even the ones we are trying to let go of!) made sense as protective responses to overwhelm, fear, vulnerability, and insecurity with what were experiencing in a formative time. I know both from my clinical experience and my personal healings that change happens through compassion, regulation, felt-safety, and understanding your nervous system. My role isn't to fix what's broken, but to walk alongside you as you remember your own capacity for healing.

My Personal Beliefs and Interests

I am endlessly fascinated by the nervous system, mostly because after years of trying to 'think' myself through things I felt exhausted and stuck. When I finally learned how the brain actually works and went back to my mindfulness and somatic roots things shifted. Awareness of our nervous-system creates compassion and change. This is where I come in. I can help you regulate and rewire. As a relational therapist, I work with both the body and the mind. You will experience a sense of regulation and safety, so that your learning brain can receive new information and your body can encode the felt sense of new neural pathways. I I practice from with my head and my heart and they both cannot wait to meet you! I practice from a neurodiversity-affirming framework that recognizes neurological differences as natural variations. Whether you're ADHD, autistic, highly sensitive, or process the world differently, I'm interested in understanding and supporting how your unique nervous system operates

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

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