Portland Therapy Center
Lilly Brown

Lilly Brown (She/Her)

Clinical Social Work Associate

MSW

Supervisor: Laurie Dotten LCSW

I strive to create a safe environment for children to explore their past experiences and imagine their future ones.

Client Status

accepting clients

Contact

503-349-2281

333 S Flower St

Portland, 97239

3636 SW Troy St.

Portland, Oregon 97219

Email Website

At a Glance

Me

Rate: $130-$150

Provides free initial consultation

Practicing Since: 2023

Languages: English

Services

  • Family
  • Child

Insurances Accepted

  • Out of Pocket
  • Out of Network
  • Aetna
  • Anthem
  • Kaiser
  • MODA
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My Ideal Client

Is your child struggling with behaviors in school or at home? Are they navigating a new diagnosis or having difficulty processing acute or prolonged trauma? In my practice, I work directly with children using their natural language (play!) to allow them to explore their interactions with the world around them in a safe environment. With consistency, patience, and acceptance, I find children have great success in learning to regulate their emotions and behaviors inside and out of the playroom.

My Approach to Helping

Children are constantly learning how to navigate the world around them, and it’s our job to help them! As a therapist, I strive to create a safe environment for children to explore their past experiences and imagine their future ones. I believe that treating children with unconditional positive regard and allowing them to communicate using their natural language (play!) is key to creating a positive and open therapeutic relationship. A child’s caregivers and community are crucial to their learning, and I do not take their influence lightly. I work directly with families to teach strategies to implement with their child(ren) at home to encourage a lifelong environment of healing and growing long after my contribution is complete. I understand how challenging it can be to raise a child and never impart judgement on any of the families I have the opportunity to work with. It takes a village, and I’d be honored to be welcomed into yours.

Why I Became a Therapist

I have extensive experience working with children and families, starting back when I began babysitting and nannying at twelve years old. Since then, I have worked in preschools, daycares, foster care, and child welfare as I have always had a passion to help children succeed in any and every environment. After spending years working with children on a "surface level," I realized I wanted to make a bigger impact on their lives and the lives of their families. With that, I decided to pursue a master's degree in social work with a focus in clinical work with children and families. This allowed me to broaden my career to directly support children's healthy development and mental wellness to give them the best opportunity to grow into regulated, self-sufficient adults. I believe when we invest in the health of our children, we also invest in the health of our future society!

Techniques I Use

Specialties

  • Play Therapy  External link

    I specialize almost exclusively in child-centered play therapy when working with young children in individual settings. I believe that a child's natural language is play, and there is no better way to explore their inner mind than to allow them to tell you in the ways they know how! Through play, I also have the ability demonstrate appropriate pro-social interactions and encourage creative thinking and problem solving.

  • Attachment Theory External link

    A strong majority of my theoretical training revolved around attachment theory and how a child's attachments to their caregivers and loved ones affect their social and emotional development. Through integrated family and play therapy, I teach caregivers how to better relate to their children who may be struggling with behaviors, social challenges, emotional expression, etc. to encourage lifelong learning and growth long after my work with a family in complete.

  • Mindfulness-based External link

    Many children who struggle with anxiety, unwanted behaviors, social interactions, etc. can benefit from mindfulness-based interventions. For young children, mindfulness can look like grounding exercises, intentional breathing, and encouraging them to focus on the task at hand rather than future concerns that may be worrying them. As an anxious child (and adult) myself, mindfulness techniques were lifesaving, and I feel honored to teach children the same strategies that still help me today!

Issues I Treat

Specialties

  • Child or Adolescent Issues External link

    I have over ten years of experience working directly with children and families in a school, individual, and/or therapeutic environment. I have worked as a nanny, preschool teacher, child welfare social worker, child play therapist, and more! I received a master's in social work with a focus on clinical work with children and families in order to provide direct therapeutic support to children and families who may be struggling with a variety of issues.

  • Autism External link

    I have extensive experience working with children with autism spectrum disorder (ages 2-10) in school and individual/group therapeutic environments. I specialized in autism spectrum disorder in both my undergraduate and graduate degrees, and interned for one year at a therapeutic preschool for children with non-verbal autism and other behavioral issues. I have a passion for helping children with autism succeed in our society that caters to neurotypicality. (Theraplay, Floortime, Play Project)

  • ODD External link

    I specialize in working with children (ages 2-12) with mild-severe behavioral concerns in a variety of environments (i.e., school, home, social settings, etc.). I believe that children are not giving us a hard time, they are having a hard time, and deserve patience, acceptance, and respect despite any behavioral challenges they may be experiencing. I provide a safe environment for children to explore their interactions with the world through their natural language (play!).

Contact Lilly

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