Kate Davis, Marriage Counselor in Portland, 97214

Kate Davis, M.S.W., L.C.S.W.

Profession(s):
Marriage & Family Therapy, Clinical Social Work, Counselling
License Status:
I'm a licensed professional.
Primary License:
Licensed Clinical Social Worker

My Approach to Helping

My clients tend to come in the door less interested in how I do therapy and more interested in whether I can help them fix what's broken and painful. Sometimes, with couples especially, both parties don't necessarily agree that anything is broken at all, but one person is insisting that they come to therapy. It's a fine place to start, either way. Generally, my clients are pleasantly surprised that I actually have a sense of humor and don't try to dig into their deepest secrets in the first session.

So far, after thirty years of community social work and advanced education and training, I've come to believe that people come in to therapy with the following in their backpack: family history of attachment, relationship history, biological quirks and social experiences. How we interact today is a reflection of developed values and beliefs that are apparent in the way we love, the way we relate, the things we think about ourselves and about others. I think it's important to know how we got here to this point in life and to evaluate the benefits and risks of changing things that we want to change.

I will say that therapy can be tough. There will be times when it feels like therapy is harder than being stuck, but in my experience, as a client and as a therapist, great wisdom may be waiting for you, right underneath pain and anger and resentment. I am a thoughtful person and you may trust that I will not judge you or your partner in the process of therapy. Sometimes the worst pain comes from not directly dealing with things and many people find it a relief to reveal their hardest truths.

At the end of couples' therapy work, my clients leave with a greater understanding not only of their partner, but themselves as well and find that their life has been enriched through the process. Individuals experience the same new awareness and earned courage and hopefulness and clarity. I will work with you as you learn how to understand, communicate and listen for emotions in yourself and in your partner.

More Info About My Practice

I charge 110.00 per hour for couples and 100.00 per hour for individuals.
I occasionally have steeply discounted slots in my practice and I will offer this to you
if you have a need for this and if there is a spot open.
I don't bill insurance, but I will provide you with a statement that you can provide to your insurer for reimbursement. There are risks inherent with sharing diagnostic information with an outside party and I discuss this in my initial complementary session.
Initial complementary session for all, to make sure that we have a good fit for therapy.

On the Fence About Going to Therapy?

It might be important to know why you're on the fence about therapy. Some people don't want to talk to a stranger, some people worry that they will have to talk about uncomfortable things. You might wonder if you can trust this person you're talking to. If you've read all the self-help books, visited tons of websites, talked to all of your friends, consulted any guidance in your community and you still feel stuck it might be worth the time to check out a therapist. Ask friends for good referrals. If you decide to check someone out, consider checking a few people out before you decide. Many therapists will offer free or reduced rate sessions for people who are curious about whether therapy would be helpful.
Your first session, like all the others, is confidential,unless you disclose child or elder abuse (in Oregon). You can know that no matter what you tell the therapist they must keep it private. They should be able to give you a general idea of how they understand what you're saying, how you can expect therapy to proceed and also discuss how to evaluate whether you're making progress. The tricky part, if you feel uncomfortable, is to figure out whether you're uncomfortable because of the person or because of what you're talking about. That's why it doesn't hurt to check out other people OR to decide to come back, knowing that you do not have to stay if you don't want to, but it's generally a good idea to let the therapist know what is going on with you regarding therapy.

Theoretical Influences that Guide My Work

One theory that guides all my work with clients, supervisees and students ( I teach social work at a university) is Systems theory. Nobody walks around the world in a bubble, untouched by those around them. Whether one is a master communicator or whether you-or someone you love- struggle with symptoms of autism or other communication/process disorders, we exist in and interact with and are affected by all of our interactions with the outside community and the community is affected by us. So, part of my assessment and intervention with people has to do with understanding the world they live in. There is a great Crowded House song called "The World Where You Live" which might be of interest to you, speaking to the way in which people and their worlds are unknown to themselves and sometimes each other. I try to help people connect with themselves and their communities in a more meaningful way to increase their chances for meaningful attachment and life-affirming relationships.
Speaking of attachment, I am an old-fashioned therapist in the sense that I subscribe to the importance of early attachment in personal development. What does that mean? Basically, the idea behind attachment theory is that early experiences of intimacy with caretakers shapes the ways in which we experience and expect the world to interact with us. It's not so simple as that, and it involves the brain development along the way. Even the most hurt and neglected among us can often be restored to a sense of

Services I Provide

Individual Therapy & Counseling
Marriage, Couples, or Relationship Counseling
Consultation
Clinical Supervision
Online Counseling / Phone Therapy
Other

Ages I Work With

Adults
Elders

Languages I Speak

English

Groups I Work With

Couples, couples coping with ethnic/racial differences, couples from different class backgrounds, creatives, adult children of troubled families, survivors of domestic violence, social workers who work with mandated clients, couples in recovery from addiction, adults dealing with sexual identity issues, adults dealing with chronic depression or mood disorders, adults needing help with collaboration with prescribers, adults seeking support for healthy activism coming out of oppression, musicians struggling with band relationship issues, adults coming to terms with family of origin patterns in their lives, adults seeking "health at every size" approaches to well being.