Portland Therapy Center
Tamara Yates

Tamara Yates (she/her)

Professional Counselor Associate

M.A. Counseling Psychology

Supervisor: Doug Chapman, LPC, CADC3

I offer depth-oriented therapy rooted in presence, curiosity, and care to support life transitions, spiritual concerns, and personal growth.

Client Status

accepting clients

Contact

541-357-8169

Email Website

At a Glance

Me

Rate: $175

Provides free initial consultation

Practicing Since: 2015

Languages: English

Services

  • Individual
  • Group
  • Relationship

Insurances Accepted

  • Out of Pocket
  • Evernorth
  • Aetna
  • Anthem
  • Cigna
  • MODA
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My Ideal Client

I work best with thoughtful, reflective adults—whether in their 20s and 30s finding their footing or older adults navigating later-life chapters. I am especially helpful for people moving through major transitions, spiritual shifts, questions of meaning, or grappling with the effects of past or present wounds. If you value depth over quick fixes and want to integrate parts work, psychological insight, and a willingness to listen to the mystery of the unconscious, this space is for you.

My Approach to Helping

Therapy with me is not about rushing to fix a defect. It is a steady, unhurried gathering of the parts of you that have been left behind or forgotten—a journey of discovery rather than a clinical checklist. Together, we look beneath the surface to let your anxiety and pain speak through parts work, offering presence in a gentle, nonjudgmental way. By exploring dream figures and noticing where envy or judgment show up in your life, we uncover and work to reclaim the hidden, disowned parts of yourself that hold your deeper wisdom. Building a nourishing relationship with yourself naturally opens the door to richer, more honest connections with others. Growth comes not through exiling your vulnerable or shadow parts, but by listening to them and receiving their gifts. I look forward to being a trusted companion on your journey.

Why I Became a Therapist

I grew up in a fundamentalist Christian family and learned to perceive myself and the world in polarized ways. When I discovered the parts-work modality of Voice Dialogue and its practice of holding the tension between opposites, I felt a profound sense of relief and began reclaiming my disowned selves on my journey toward wholeness. My own experience of transformation inspired me to share this work with others; I trained as a facilitator in a two-year program from 2011–2013 and have been offering sessions for over a decade. To deepen the Jungian roots of this work, I attended Pacifica Graduate Institute for a licensure-track master's degree focused on depth psychology. The Jungian frame speaks to me deeply because it honors the unconscious through myth, image, and dream—offering a rich, soul-centered lens for life’s transitions. Today, I continue this lifelong learning through a year-long program in Jungian Psychology and Myth at the Salome Institute in Portland.

Techniques I Use

Specialties

  • Depth Therapy External link

    My approach, which includes parts work, honors the unconscious as a source of wisdom. Drawing on a master’s degree with an emphasis in depth psychology, over 10 years of experience in parts work, and ongoing training in Jungian psychology and myth, I help clients look beneath surface symptoms. Giving voice to your various inner parts, we’ll explore dreams, underlying patterns, and symbolic material, using them to cultivate a sense of feeling at home in yourself and in the world.

Issues I Treat

Specialties

  • Personal Growth External link

    For me, personal growth is not about self-optimization or fixing flaws. True growth calls for a gentle turning inward to gather the parts of yourself that have been ignored, exiled, or overwhelmed. Drawing on over a decade of experience in parts work and depth psychology, I help clients navigate life transitions, identity shifts, and conflict. Together, we explore your dreams, relationships, and inner parts to help you unlearn rigid patterns, cultivate self-trust, and feel at home in yourself.

  • Anxiety External link

    Anxiety is not a character flaw or a defect to be eliminated; it is a sign that something inside needs care and attention. I help thoughtful adults move past constant worry, hypervigilance, and forcing control. By combining practical nervous system regulation with depth therapy, we turn anxiety from an overwhelming force into a doorway toward genuine ease and self-trust.

  • Loss or Grief External link

    Loss and grief can enter your life in many ways: the death of a loved one, a move from a cherished place, or transitions of any kind—including illness, identity shifts, job loss, divorce, and changes in the wider world. Grief can feel isolating in a culture that expects quick recovery and bright-sided optimism. We will approach your grief not as a problem to be solved, but as a natural, painful expression of love and connection—a sacred space that, in time, opens the door to deep inner growth.

  • Spirituality External link

    Having unlearned the rigid boundaries of fundamentalism, I view spirituality not as a set of rules, but as a living relationship with the unseen. Depth psychology opens room to explore the sacred on your own terms—beyond dogma or guilt. We collaborate to tend dreams, symbols, and synchronicities, discovering the places where your own soul meets the soul of the world. Whether you are navigating spiritual deconstruction or seeking deeper connection, we nurture a grounded, authentic spiritual life.

  • Aging Concerns External link

    Having studied geropsychology and being aware of ageism’s heavy impact, I deeply enjoy working with older clients. Shifts in identity and role make it vital to find an inner compass for this life chapter. Using depth psychology, we tend the grief and fear that can accompany these transitions. Together, we explore what this season asks of you, untangling old patterns and honoring your lived experience so you can discover a sense of meaning, purpose, and peace in your later years.

Contact Tamara

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