Naomi Painter

Naomi Painter (she/her)

Licensed Professional Counselor

LPC

When trauma creates unhelpful patterns and makes life decisions for us, it's time to seek help.

Client Status

waitlist

Contact

9712661618

1940 NE Broadway

#315

Portland, OR 97232

At a Glance

Me

Rate: $180-$270

Provides free initial consultation

Provides telehealth services

Practicing Since: 2019

Languages: English

Services

  • Individual
  • Relationship

Insurances Accepted

  • Out of Pocket
  • Out of Network

My Ideal Client

I am passionate about assisting those in helping professions, such as social services providers, healthcare professionals, social workers, educators, and, YES, therapists! Helpers are particularly susceptible to “burnout,” the effect of witnessing the trauma their clients and students are going through, while having only a limited scope of influence to affect the situation. I specialize in trauma, women's issues, life transitions, and anxiety. LGBTQ+ and poly-friendly.

My Approach to Helping

Mindful, somatic experiential therapy: Hakomi is a form of sensorimotor psychotherapy (also called somatic therapy), consisting of guided self-study that uses mindfulness to access traumatic memories and harmful beliefs encoded in the body - those places in your body where you feel restless, uncomfortable, ill, or just plain “don’t go there.” Together, we will harness the power of mindfulness, creativity, curiosity, and presence to courageously dive in, unearth your pain, and reshape your experience of the world. Hakomi brings together the wisdom of Buddhist and Taoist teachings with modern scientific findings on how the brain changes itself through experience, not just talking about it.

My Personal Beliefs and Interests

Before becoming a counselor I was a family support worker and program manager for a home visiting program serving first-time parents, a special education paraeducator, a school counselor at the elementary, middle, and high school level, a case manager and program manager for a grant serving veterans experiencing homelessness, and an Aging and Disability case manager. My 15 years in social services and education gave me me a view of the rich tapestry of human experience, and a deep understanding of the toll working in the helping professions can take on people.

Techniques I Use

Specialties

  • Hakomi External link

    Hakomi is a form of somatic therapy consisting of guided self-study that uses mindfulness to access traumatic memories and harmful beliefs encoded in the body - those places in your body where you feel restless, uncomfortable, ill, or just plain “don’t go there.” Hakomi brings together the wisdom of Buddhist and Taoist teachings with modern scientific findings on how the brain changes itself through experience, not just talking about it.

  • Sensorimotor External link

    Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, an outgrowth of Hakomi method, dives deeper into the neurological and physical effects of trauma. Sensorimotor psychotherapy (SP) is a holistic approach to healing trauma or unhealthy attachment patterns formed in early childhood. It integrates the body and movement into traditional talk therapy to address and heal ongoing psychological and physical difficulties, and is considered a “body-centered talking therapy."

  • Relational  External link

    I employ approaches from Relational Life Therapy, established by Terry Real (The New Rules of Marriage), as well as from Stan Tatkin (Wired For Love), Martha Kauppi of the Institute for Relational Intimacy, and Esther Perel.

Issues I Treat

Specialties

  • Compassion Fatigue External link

    I have worked in case management for many years and am passionate about assisting those in helping professions, such as case managers, outreach workers, home visitors, and educators. Burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma come with the territory.

  • PTSD External link

    Trauma doesn’t only come from the battlefield. A difficult childhood, a coercive or conflict-filled relationship, a toxic workplace, a natural disaster, an assault, a death, the loss of a friend or a support network…these things can shape our thinking, our behavior, and our well-being long after we’re supposed to be “over it.” If you’re not sure if you have experienced trauma, reach out and we can explore it together.

  • Historical Trauma External link

    It’s tempting to believe that we can leave our past behind, isn’t it? But our childhoods dictate so much about our adulthoods - who we choose as partners, the jobs we take, the places we go, and where we feel safe. The body holds on to it all. Perhaps it was the way you were parented, or living through multiple moves or displacement, being bullied or isolated, caretaking for a parent or sibling as a child, significant loss, or living in poverty.

  • Relationship / Marriage Issues External link

    Relationships are hard. Even when things are outwardly going well, you may have a sense of dis-ease and doubt, or you may not be sure whether this is a healthy relationship. Talking with friends will only go so far. I can help you listen to yourself and elevate your partnership, even if your partner is not accompanying you.

  • Anxiety External link

    Anxiety is often a reaction to unresolved trauma, and it is our body and mind's way of trying to keep us safe. Somatic therapy helps uproot the traumas held in our bodies and thoughts and reduces the grip of anxiety on our behaviors and decisions.

Contact Naomi

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