Janet Carson

You may be feeling disoriented after nights of questioning and Google-searching, realizing aspects of your belief system and community no longer align with where you are directing your life. You may be questioning who you can trust, and if your perceptions of yourself and the world are even real. Perhaps you are unsure how to articulate your pain for fear of not being taken seriously or believed. It takes immense courage to listen to and to advocate for yourself. Your voice and autonomy are the highest priority and I commit to following your lead in the therapy process. You have an incredible capacity within you to grow and transform, to move through and beyond emotional, spiritual, and physical wounds that were inflicted on your precious self. We have a biological need to be seen and heard. It is my hope that here you will find acceptance for all emotions and parts of yourself that may have been silenced, and some who may never have spoken at all. This space is yours. I am here to listen. When I left the faith and religion of my upbringing as an adult in her 30’s, I did not know who or where to turn to for support. I was a ministry leader for decades. I never imagined anything different for my life. It was disorienting and isolating. I was afraid and uncertain of how to move forward in a world that seemed foreign to me. I am grateful to the kind helpers I have met along the way to my own healing, as well as the authors of memoirs and blog posts that served as comforting anchors. Though I no longer align with a religion myself, I am respectful of the diversity in how individuals choose what brings vitality and hope to life. I have chosen to specialize in Religious Trauma because I have deep compassion for those who are contemplating or have decided to leave a high control religion, group, or relationship. There is healing and life ahead, and what that can look like is what we will explore together in therapy. I honor your voice, autonomy, and agency above all else. I am not the expert on you; you are. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and have practiced counseling in the Middle East, California, and most recently call Oregon home. I have worked in multiple outpatient group practices with adult and teen individuals, couples, and with children. All of my training and experience has culminated in my current approach (see Services) and specialization. I have learned so much in working with clients from within each developmental stage of life. Most recently, play therapy with children helped me see how we begin life, without defenses and with the freedom to reveal and process our pain through sword fights or bandaging a stuffed animal’s paw. As we age, we learn what parts of our self are or are not acceptable and in later adulthood, clients wonder what has held them back from being their authentic selves for so long, hiding pain and pretending everything is fine. Overall, I have learned that while we are hurt in relationship, we can also heal in relationship with one another. An overarching goal in therapy is to help you develop a relationship with yourself that allows you the freedom to experience and delight in living. You are not broken, lost, or alone. You are brave in taking a step forward into what life holds next