Allison Strausberg

Allison Strausberg (she/they)

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

LCSW

Welcome! I work with individuals and couples and specialize in EMDR, parts work, , and Emotionally Focused Therapy.

Client Status

accepting clients

Contact

503-208-6748

At a Glance

Me

Rate: $180-$190

Provides free initial consultation

Practicing Since: 2016

Languages: English

Services

  • Individual
  • Relationship

Insurances Accepted

  • Out of Pocket
  • Out of Network

My Ideal Client

I work with adults individually and with couples who feel stuck in thoughts, emotions, or relationship patterns that just aren’t working. I also work with those struggling with a sudden stressor or those who want to work through past events. This includes things like trauma, depression, a challenging transition or loss, and low self-esteem. Or maybe you and your partner feel stuck in cycles of conflict and disconnection. You might feel lonely, unsatisfied, worn out, or hopeless.

My Approach to Helping

My collaborative approach integrates evidence-based therapy methods with compassion, humor, and attuned listening. My practice is Internal Family Systems informed and incorporates mindfulness-based somatic work, interpersonal effectiveness skill building such as mutually respectful boundary setting, Emotionally Focused Therapy, and Somatic and Attachment Focused EMDR. I am proactive, provide structure, and welcome long silences, fast-paced intensity, and everything in between. I find that most people who come to see me are ultimately longing for a sense of inner peace, personal agency, and meaningful connections. My focus is on creating a safe and authentic space where you (or you and your partner) can heal your nervous system, expand your emotional capacity, learn to relate more effectively, and begin to build a life that resonates deeply with your dreams and values.

My Personal Beliefs and Interests

I received my Bachelor of Arts from Juniata College with a double major in International Relations and Theater. I have worked as a process facilitator of restorative justice in Maine and a housing access case manager in rural Colorado. I practiced applied arts and theater for social change across many settings including rural Ecuador and Portland, ME before receiving my Master of Social Work with a certificate in Applied Arts and Social Justice from the University of New England in 2016. As a clinician, I worked in residential treatment programs with adults struggling with co-occurring mental illnesses and houselessness and residential treatment programs with neurodivergent teens and teens struggling with complex trauma, before transitioning to outpatient therapy settings in 2019. I am originally from the east coast and relocated to Oregon in 2020. My life outside of work is guided by a love of adventure, play, and connection.

Techniques I Use

Specialties

  • EMDR External link

    I provide Somatic and Attachment Focused EMDR. SAFE EMDR harnesses the brain and nervous system’s natural healing process to make sense of the past and the present, release old negative beliefs, and to alleviate symptoms. EMDR is unique in that is does not require discussing details of distressing events in order to be effective. SAFE EMDR is effective for a wide range of challenges including trauma, anxiety, depression, and complex grief.

  • Internal Family Systems (IFS) External link

    I am an IFS-informed therapist and integrate the principles of IFS throughout each therapy session. IFS understands each of us as comprised of protective and wounded parts, with a centered Self at our core. Through relating to protective and wounded parts from Self, rather than pathologizing them, IFS offers tools for healing and transforming the way you relate to yourself and others.

  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) External link

    I help my clients build skills in the four pillars of DBT: distress tolerance, mindfulness, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) External link

    ACT is a mindfulness-based approach that emphasizes understanding and acceptance of difficult thoughts and emotions while cultivating psychological flexibility and encouraging you to commit to new actions that align with your values.

  • Emotionally Focused External link

    Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is an experiential approach that draws primarily from attachment science to facilitate relational healing and foster secure connections with self and others. With EFT, I will help you and your partner identify the patterns and cycles that create distress and transform them into opportunities for deeper understanding and connection, resulting in a more joyful and satisfying relationship.

Issues I Treat

Specialties

  • PTSD External link

    I am trained in Somatic and Attachment Focused EMDR. This approach integrates the evidence-based models of EMDR, somatic therapies, mindfulness, neurobiological regulation models, and attachment theory.

  • Self-Esteem External link

    I utilize a variety of modalities, especially Internal Family Systems and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, to help folks better understand and address the underlying causes of low-self esteem. I also support folks to build skills in identifying and expressing needs and boundaries across relationships and settings.

  • Anxiety External link

    I utilize various evidence-based modalities to help my clients learn to work with emotions and the body so that they can better understand underlying needs and discern when the past might be interrupting the present in order to cultivate deeper understanding, grounded decision-making, and emotional resilience.

  • Relationship / Marriage Issues External link

    I help couples break out of dysfunctional cycles and move into more intentional, compassionate, and connected ways of interacting. I will work with you to identify your unique strengths and challenges, and create a safe, non-judgmental space where you can both feel heard and understood. I will teach concrete skills and use experiential methods to help you expand and shift your emotional responses to each other to cultivate more joy, satisfaction, and intimacy.

  • Gender Identity External link

    I am a nonbinary therapist and have training and experience in working with gender expansive folks to relieve symptoms of gender dysphoria through identity exploration, psychoeducation, support accessing gender affirming care, and treatment of co-occurring mental health concerns.

Contact Allison

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