Kathleen Peters (She/her)

My Background and Approach

Together we'll start by looking at where you are struggling the most (what feels impossible, what you're trying to hold together), so we can bring some relief to those areas first. From there we'll work on making space for your grief without asking you to drop everything else. We'll figure out how you can honor the loss and keep going with life. Identifying and planning for triggers, upcoming anniversaries and breaks from the heaviness of it all can also be a part of the process. I use two approaches that are particularly effective for grief. 1) Internal Family Systems (IFS) helps the different parts of you: the one trying to stay strong, the one that's overwhelmed, the one that's angry or sad (in grief, these parts are often in conflict with each other) work together instead of against you. 2) Brainspotting processes grief and trauma at a body level, without requiring you to verbally relive what happened. I also provide Walk and Talk Therapy along the Willamette River.

Why I am a Good Fit for You

As a high-achieving woman myself who has navigated my own loss, including traumatic and suicide loss, I understand how grief can take you down. I know what it is to keep functioning on the outside while falling apart on the inside. I know what it's like to have a myriad of confusing feelings all at one time and not know what to do with them all. And I know what it is to wonder if you will ever feel like yourself again. This is why I believe it's important that grief therapy gives you a safe place to fall apart (if you want to) while also giving you practical tools to keep going in your daily life.