Portland Therapy Center
Sarah Waltrip

Sarah Waltrip (she/her)

Student Counselor

M.Ed., BA

Supervisor: Marie Mellberg, LPC, CSC

I work with individuals and couples navigating anxiety, self-esteem, and relationship challenges.

Client Status

accepting clients

Contact

971-270-4565

650 NE Holladay St

Portland, 97232

1942 NW Kearney St

Portland, Oregon 97209

Email Website

At a Glance

Me

Rate: $130

Provides free initial consultation

Services

  • Individual
  • Family
  • Relationship
  • Teen

Insurances Accepted

  • Cigna
  • Kaiser
  • Providence Health Plan
  • Regence Blue Cross/Blue Shield

My Ideal Client

Many people who reach out for therapy are thoughtful, capable, and deeply invested in their relationships, yet still find themselves feeling uncertain or stretched thin. I work with individuals, couples, and families navigating relationship challenges, self-esteem, and anxiety. I specialize in supporting young adults, survivors of intimate partner abuse, parents breaking cycles of generational trauma, couples, and LGBTQ+ clients. I welcome clients of all backgrounds.

My Approach to Helping

The therapy process can help you develop greater awareness of your emotions, gain tools for improving relationship dynamics, and manage anxiety, depression, stress, and burnout. My approach to therapy is grounded in respect. I see you as the expert in your own life. We will start by discussing your background, goals and values, and making concrete plans together to help relieve distress. When you feel ready, we can explore the deeper patterns and systems underneath life's challenges, and use your strengths to expand your long-term resilience. With couples, I use an emotionally focused lens, helping you understand cycles of conflict and the feelings underneath them. I am a counseling intern and am currently completing a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of West Alabama. I work under the guidance of experienced and licensed professionals. Prior to becoming a therapist, I was a teacher and a school principal.

My Values as a Therapist

I am a counseling student intern at Sakura Counseling in Portland, OR. Our approach is to look at the environment we live in, and the ways in which systems – whether judicial, religious, or social – play a part in perpetuating oppression. We not only collaborate with you to better understand those factors, we help prepare you to transition back into your environment in way that makes you better equipped to face the challenges that exist there. Counseling sessions aren’t about feeling weak, stigmatizing, or labeling. They’re about gaining strength of understanding, and building new methods to cope and overcome. Or as we like to say, “go from enduring to someone who thrives.” I deeply respect the courage it takes to reach out. If this sounds like a good fit, you’re welcome to call or email to schedule a brief consultation and see if working together feels right.

Techniques I Use

Specialties

  • Relational  External link

    I use a relational-cultural approach. This means I view emotional distress as part of relationships, power, and social systems rather than seeing it as an individual problem or a weakness. Building a positive relationship, trust, and connection are important parts of therapy.

  • Cognitive Behavioral (CBT) External link

    I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as well as Cognitive Processing Therapy, which is a cognitive therapy focused on processing trauma. These approaches are useful for practical actions and thought process shifts that can provide relief of symptoms, helping you find greater stability.

  • Internal Family Systems (IFS) External link

    Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a gentle, evidence-based approach that views the mind as having different “parts,” each trying to protect you in some way, even when their strategies feel overwhelming or self-sabotaging. Therapy helps you build a calmer, more compassionate relationship with these parts so you can respond to life with more clarity, choice, and self-trust.

  • Emotionally Focused External link

    I have completed foundational training as well as Level 1 training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a research-supported, attachment-based approach that helps people understand the emotional patterns that shape how they connect with others.

Issues I Treat

Specialties

  • Anxiety External link

    We can tackle worried, anxious thoughts and feelings with very practical strategies to help find relief. We can also explore the deeper experiences and patterns that lie underneath the anxiety.

  • Self-Esteem External link

    Many people feel stuck in cycles of self-doubt, self-criticism, or feeling “not enough,” even when they are highly capable or outwardly successful. In our work together, we would focus on understanding where these beliefs came from and how they’ve been reinforced over time. Our work is trauma-informed and non-judgmental, recognizing that low self-esteem is not a personal failure. These thoughts often develop in response to relationships, life experiences, and societal expectations.

  • Relationship / Marriage Issues External link

    If you find yourself repeating the same relationship patterns - arguing with your partner, pulling away, feeling unseen, or getting stuck in conflict - therapy can help make sense of what’s happening beneath the surface. I work from an attachment-based and trauma-informed perspective, helping clients understand patterns without assigning blame to themselves or others.

Contact Sarah

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