Portland Therapy Center
Kelly Sestero

Kelly Sestero (she/her)

Licensed Professional Counselor

LPC, LMHC, NCC

Individual therapy for anxiety and trauma.

Client Status

accepting clients

Contact

503-208-6511

12725 SW Millikan Way, Ste 300

Beaverton, 97005

Email Website Schedule Now

At a Glance

Me

Rate: $175-$200

Provides free initial consultation

Practicing Since: 2002

Languages: English

Services

  • Individual

Insurances Accepted

  • Out of Pocket
  • Out of Network
  • Aetna
  • Anthem
  • First Health
  • MODA
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My Ideal Client

Do you feel like you are constantly worrying about what will happen next? Do you get lost in thoughts about the past and future and feel out of control of your emotions and lost in your own body? Give me a call, I may be able to help. I come from a Buddhist Psychology perspective, focusing on building mindfulness to be in the ever-changing now. I can help you learn skills to build spaciousness around your thoughts and emotions, so you can choose a purposeful path forward.

My Background and Approach

With more than 20 years of counseling experience and expertise in anxiety and trauma, I help high-functioning adults understand what is keeping them stuck and develop a different relationship with anxiety and with their past. My approach is compassionate, collaborative, trauma-informed, and practical. I integrate evidence-based therapies, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), with mindfulness and principles from Buddhist psychology. For PTSD, I provide Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), both first-line, evidence-based treatments for trauma. Our work is not simply about trying harder to control or eliminate anxiety. Together, we can address patterns of avoidance, self-doubt, hypervigilance, and overcontrol; build greater flexibility in responding to difficult thoughts, emotions, and memories; and help you make choices guided by your values rather than fear. We move at a pace that feels safe for you.

More About the People I Treat

You may be someone others see as capable, successful, and dependable, yet inside you feel anxious, overwhelmed, and increasingly unsure of yourself. You second-guess decisions, replay conversations, or worry about making a mistake or being “found out.” Perhaps you’re experiencing panic, avoiding situations that trigger anxiety, staying constantly busy or distracted, or trying harder to control your surroundings—only to find that the anxiety keeps returning. For some people, anxiety is tied to experiences that never fully settled: trauma, loss, or years of having to stay on guard. You may have learned to cope by becoming highly competent and self-reliant, and you may not think of what you went through as “trauma” at all. But your body and mind may still be responding as if you need to be ready for anything.

Techniques I Use

Specialties

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) External link

    I am trained in ACT to help build cognitive flexibility and the ability to commit to values-focused behaviors. It is effective in treating depression and anxiety.

  • Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy External link

    I use ERP to treat OCD as well as Generalized Anxiety Disorder. If is highly effective in reducing anxious distress and is well complemented by ACT and other mindfulnessness techniques. ERP can help you get back to doing what is important to you, not doing what anxiety tells you to do.

  • Mindfulness-based External link

    I am certified in Mindfulness-integrated CBT, which is a structured mindfulness program with daily meditations and behavioral skills to practice that builds equanimity and space to live as the person you want to be.

  • Prolonged Exposure (PE) Therapy External link

    Prolonged Exposure is the gold-standard, first-line treatment for PTSD. PTSD can make life feel smaller and smaller as you avoid people, places and activities that may trigger distress related to your trauma history. PE addresses both the traumatic events of your past and gives you an opportunity to feel more like yourself. I also offer Cognitive Processing Therapy for trauma that addresses underlying beliefs that may have developed to make sense of your traumatic experiences.

Issues I Treat

Specialties

  • Anxiety External link

    I primarily work with individuals with generalized anxiety, panic and OCD. Mindfulness techniques can help promote present-moment awareness, reduce rumination, and improved emotion regulation. Evidence-based techniques such as Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) are used to build tolerance for uncertainty and discomfort with the unknowns of life.

  • PTSD External link

    I provide Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), two of the most thoroughly researched treatments for PTSD. Both are recommended as first-line treatments in the major clinical practice guidelines, including those of the American Psychological Association and the VA/Department of Defense. Both are structured and time-limited. Rather than talking around the trauma indefinitely, we work toward clear goals, and you build skills you can keep using after therapy ends.

Contact Kelly

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