Porter Green

Change is a complex and cyclical process that is shaped not only by personal lived experiences but also by the impacts of the larger world around us. I deeply value an intersectional lens in my work, and I work from the richness and complexity of my own identities. I am an autistic, fat, agender, queer, spiritual practitioner who is white. This means that I move from the center to the outskirts constantly; I live with the tension of life as a dynamic balance between masking and being genuine. I know what it means to move through a world where I do not fit, and where I am living in opposition to the assumptions of those around me.

I believe that people exist in complicated contexts. Some of our identities and experiences are within our influence, and others are out of our control and happen without our choice.  All these experiences teach us what to believe about the world around us and how to judge ourselves.

So often when we have a big feeling or a scary thought it takes over our mental space and limits our ability to make choices that matter.  When you say, “I’m scared” you are often saying “I am fear.”  When you worry that you are lacking, there is often no room for celebrating your successes or small achievements on the way.  When we step to the side from big feelings and scary thoughts, saying instead: “I’m having the thought…” or “I’m having the feeling…” suddenly there is permission to be more.  There is room for more complex choices again.

Therapy is a chance to build your skills in thinking about your thinking and learning how to let go of focus on big feelings and scary thoughts.  It is a journey of exploration of your values and connection to what you find personally meaningful and worthwhile in life.

During our work together we can build a shared understanding of your values and learn how to connect them with goals and actions that move your life towards what matters.  When the impacts of life’s experiences get you stuck, I will work with you to understand what’s getting in the way.  We can use a mix of behavioral skills, values exploration, and goal accountability to help create lasting change. I offer DBT for those who need support in regulating big feelings and stepping away from black and white thinking.  I also offer IFS informed EMDR to help process through traumatic memories, let go of phobias and fears, or reduce impulsive patterns.

Everyone, no matter what their struggle, deserves to live a life that feels meaningful.