In my practice, I work primarily with adults and couples in managing a wide range of mental health issues and challenges such as Anxiety, Depression, Intimacy, Communication problems, Attention deficits & Learning differences, Self- Esteem, Health issues, Life Transitions, Grief & loss, Professional/Work issues, Family and Relationship matters as an Oregon board-registered Licensed Practitioner Counselor intern.
My approach is multi-modal, evidence-based, which is to say that I use a variety of different tested treatment traditions and philosophies when counseling. In using evidence and an informed perspective, I consider good, reliable research on the efficaciousness of treatment approaches. I utilize the following:
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Symptom reduction, a focus on a clear identification of the problems that the client wishes to reduce and creating an individualized approach to reducing or those symptoms.
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Cognitive-behavioral approaches that focus on working with clients to understand in detail their thought patterns, the core beliefs that underlie those thought patterns, and the behaviors.
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Investigative inquiries where the client is invited to be curious about their experiences, thoughts, feelings, and actions in a respectful and safe environment.
Also, I have been a university instructor, teaching a variety of classes: Nonverbal Communication, Interaction of Mind-body Awareness, Biological Psychology, Psychology as a Natural Science, Psychology of Personal and Social Adjustment and Viewing Dance. I enjoy creating networks and understanding with human behavior and experiences with the mind and body awareness while using good, reliable, and valid research.
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LATEST INTERESTS
Dr. Guy Winch’s TED talk on “Emotional First Aid” is brilliant. He uses his knowledge as a clinical psychologist and his own personal observations to share with us as to how to improve our “emotional hygiene”.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Winter Course - "Psychology of Personal Social Adjustment"
The course introduces psychological principles for enhancing self-understanding and interpersonal relationships with others through the use of biological, clinical, creative arts therapy & social psychology research. The course will also support concrete skill development in the following areas: personal identity, managing emotions, interpersonal communication, developing relationships and intimacy, conflict resolution, and mental health awareness.
Location: Portland State University, Cramer Hall 171
Date: Jan. 6th - March 15th
Time: 4:40-6:30pm
If interested in taking class contact, Karen Chenier at or go to https://www.pdx.edu/undergraduate-admissions/other-applicants