Portland Therapy Center
Liz Ortland

Liz Ortland (she/her)

Licensed Marriage Family Therapist

LMFT

I believe everyone is capable of growth and healing. Let’s explore your inner world together to remove barriers to being your authentic self

Client Status

accepting clients

Contact

971-364-8010

333 SE Taylor St. Ste 200

Portland, 97204

Email

At a Glance

Me

Rate: $180

Provides free initial consultation

Practicing Since: 2016

Services

  • Individual
  • Relationship

Insurances Accepted

  • Out of Pocket
  • Out of Network

My Ideal Client

I enjoy working with clients around learning who they are, building self-esteem, understanding neurodivergence, coping with life transitions, healing from past wounding, and creating a sense of belonging or meaning in life. I have experience working with clients from diverse cultural and language backgrounds, and supporting healthy communication in intercultural relationships.

My Background

In 2017 I graduated from Lewis & Clark College's Marriage Couple and Family Therapy program with a specialization in Sex Therapy. I gained experience working with refugees and low-income individuals, couples, families, and groups at Lutheran Community Services Northwest. I have recently returned from living in rural Japan where I provided teletherapy for English-speaking expats, repatriates, and Japanese citizens living throughout Japan from 2019-2023. Because of my experiences living abroad and working with immigrants both in the US and in Japan, I developed a deep appreciation for the importance of having a sense of belonging and safety in the world. I have a passion for working across cultural and language barriers to help people explore their identities and values, communicate more clearly with others, and to cultivate a life worth living.

My Approach to Helping

I try to form a unique and genuine connection with every client, which means what I do looks a little different with everyone. Together you and I will co-create the healing space that works best for you. You are the expert on your own experiences. I am here to help you in listen more deeply to yourself to discover stuck patterns, shed light on disowned parts of yourself, identify needs you may have a hard time voicing, and unravel struggles with worthiness and barriers to living authentically. We may practice new coping skills, learn about trauma and the body, explore alternative ways to communicate needs / navigate relationships, and face challenging past experiences together through mutual dialogue. We may also bring in art, music, philosophy, spirituality, or whatever else it is that gives meaning to your world. I aim to empower you to take responsibility for your own growth and healing and emerge with more confidence in navigating your life, relationships, and decisions.

Techniques I Use

Specialties

  • Existential External link

    As an existential humanistic therapist, my job is not to give you advice or promise to "fix" you. Instead, I am here to listen deeply to you as you explore your inner world and to act as a guide by shining light on areas in your life that you may be unaware of. My genuine curiosity about your lived experiences can help you to better understand yourself, which will reveal potential for change. I am not an expert, but a fellow traveler through life accompanying you on your journey of discovery.

Issues I Treat

Specialties

  • Immigration/Acculturation External link

    Moving to a new place can turn life upside down! Big shifts in environment can upend our support systems and make our usual ways of coping harder to access. Language and cultural barriers can be a background stress that drastically impacts our overall sense of well-being. As a fellow traveler who has experienced adjusting to a new place, I aim to help you find your footing, develop supports and a sense of belonging, and process difficult experiences in a safe and understanding space.

  • ADHD External link

    As we are understanding more about neurodiversity, many people are recently receiving ADHD diagnoses in adulthood. In recent years I have gained experience helping late-diagnosed adults integrate and understand what ADHD means for them. Together we will explore your challenges and sensitivities as well as your strengths and skills. You will learn to accept your authentic self, to communicate your needs to others in more effective ways, and to create a life where you can thrive. Couples welcome!

  • Self-Esteem External link

    It is my strong belief that all humans are worthy of love and connection. Low self esteem is a learned behavior that develops through attachment wounding, traumatic experiences, and societal oppression. Through deep listening and unconditional caring, I help clients to explore the origins of their inner critic, unravel struggles with worthiness, and identify their values. I help to untangle appropriate guilt from unhealthy shame and to re-balance self-acceptance with taking responsibility.

Contact Liz

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