Karen Bruce Chenier

Karen Bruce Chenier (she/her)

Licensed Professional Counselor

PhD, LPC, DMT

Ph.D., Licensed Professional Counselor and Dance Movement Therapist

Client Status

accepting clients

Contact

5039571023

14511 Westlake, Ste. 120

Lake Oswego, 97035

Burnside Trolley Building

2705 E. Burnside, suite 206

Portland, Oregon 97212

At a Glance

Me

Rate: $150-$200

Provides free initial consultation

Provides telehealth services

Practicing Since: 2012

Languages: English

Services

  • Individual
  • Family
  • Group
  • Relationship

Insurances Accepted

  • Out of Pocket
  • Out of Network

My Ideal Client

In my private practice, I work primarily with adults and couples to improve mental health and interpersonal matters. Specifically, I specialize in matters of: • Anxiety • Depression • Life Transitions • Intimacy • Communication • Attention deficits and learning differences • Self-esteem • Grief and loss • Professional/Work issues • Family and Relationship stress and estrangement

My Approach to Helping

My approach is multi-modal and evidence-based, which is to say that I use a variety of different tested treatment traditions and philosophies when counseling. Using evidence and an informed perspective, I consider good, reliable research on the efficaciousness of treatment approaches. I utilize the following: 1. Symptom reduction is a focus on clearly identifying the problems that the client wishes to reduce and creating an individualized approach to reducing negative symptoms. 2. Cognitive-behavioral approaches focus on working with clients to understand their thought patterns, the core beliefs that underlie them, and their behaviors. 3. Investigative inquiries where the client is invited to be curious about their experiences and dreams, thoughts, feelings, and actions in a respectful and safe environment.

My Personal Beliefs and Interests

I have 20 years of experience working in mental health and wellness programs as a dance movement therapist, psychological intern, and psychological assistant in inpatient and outpatient hospitals and psychoanalytic day treatment centers at Century City Hospital, Los Angeles, The Healing Foundation in Brentwood & Santa Monica, Encino Hospital, North Hollywood Medical Center, Huntington Hospital, Pasadena and Harbor House in San Pedro and contract work at Ability First in Pasadena, CA. I studied depth psychology, received a Ph.D., and worked as a Psychological Assistant at the Kieffer E. Franz Clinic, The C.G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles. I moved to the Pacific Northwest and opened my private practice in 2018 as an Oregon board-licensed practitioner counselor.

Techniques I Use

Specialties

  • Cognitive Behavioral (CBT) External link

    Cognitive-behavioral approaches focus on working with clients to understand their thought patterns, the core beliefs that underlie those thought patterns, and the behaviors resulting from these patterns and ideas.

  • Depth Therapy External link

    Depth psychotherapy focuses on helping the client access and better understand thoughts, feelings, and images that are not fully conscious. Depth psychology integrates internal and external experiences so one can move without fear toward finding purpose and meaning in life. The client is invited to be curious about these experiences, thoughts, feelings, actions, and dreams in a respectful, welcoming, and safe environment.

  • Couples Counseling External link

    As a couple's therapist, we work together to better your relationship, find solutions to specific problems, reduce feelings of distress, cultivate ways to connect within yourself, and enhance communication skills. We will practice ways to increase kindness toward yourself and each other so you both can experience health and happiness. In working with couples, I utilize emotional-focused therapy and Cognitive-behavioral approaches to work toward building healthy communication and intimacy.

Issues I Treat

Specialties

  • Anxiety External link

    I use cognitive-behavioral approaches to understand thought patterns and the core beliefs that can underlie distressing behaviors and anxiety. The client learns to tolerate fear and anxiety without moving into old triggered responses of avoidance, withdrawal, and self-medication and builds the capacity to manage and navigate uncertainty.

  • Depression External link

    I have experience in symptom reduction approaches that focus on clearly identifying the symptoms the client wishes to shift and reduce and creating an individualized approach to depression. I use Cognitive Behavior Therapies and a collaborative approach to meet clients where they are while working toward increasing coping skills and functioning.

  • Personal Growth External link

    Personal growth comes from life experiences, often associated with loss, pain, and just plain aging. Therapy is a unique, confidential space where you can get support in discovering and learning new ways of managing stress, anxiety, and feelings of regret that limit growth and connection and create a systemic option for you to help you move forward in a manner that is unique to you. Clients can heal, grow, and experience joy and added meaning in their lives in a safe psychotherapeutic setting.

Contact Karen

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