Steven Balshem (he/him)

My Approach to Helping

My collaborative approach to helping begins with establishing a therapeutic relationship rooted in trust, non-judgment, empathy, and validation. I recognize the challenges around sharing your thoughts, feelings, and life experiences with a complete stranger, so I am a big advocate of meeting you where you're at as we begin our work together. As our therapeutic relationship strengthens, we will begin to unpack the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and behavior (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) to assist us in identify areas of growth that you feel will be most beneficial to you. Along with setting concrete therapeutic goals, we will also identify skills to assist you in increasing distress tolerance, emotional regulation, strengthening interpersonal effectiveness skills, and practicing staying in the present moment (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy). Lastly, we will often engage in effective problem solving (Collaborative Problem Solving) to address ongoing concerns in your life.

My Values as a Therapist

I am a Korean American, adopted, cisgendered individual who has worked in mental health since 2013. I've worked at varying levels of care after receiving my Bachelors Degree in Psychology at Oregon State University in 2012, and while completing graduate school at Portland State University, where I received my Masters in Social Work in 2017. Through my personal, educational, and professional experiences, I have completed trainings in Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Collaborative Problem Solving, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, along with running a social justice group for high schoolers and implementing a suicide prevention curriculum at a local high school. As an Asian American growing up and living in the Portland Metro area the majority of my life, I value addressing the impact of oppression and oppressive systems that often intersect with many aspects of identity and identity development for teens and young adults.