Robin Mathy, MSW, ACSW (CA), CSWA (OR)

I am certified in Trauma-Informed Care and specialize in working with clients who have been devastated by the effects of trauma on their lives. Healing is possible! I am also an expert in transgender/nonbinary and lesbian/gay/bisexual/questioning clients and am well-published in the scientific literature in this area.

I provide integrated therapy that draws from cognitive-behavioral therapy (including dialectic behavioral therapy and cognitive processing therapy) and focuses on helping you examine your thoughts and how they influence your feelings and behaviors. My approach to integrating therapy also includes psychodynamic techniques that help you explore how your personal history and life trajectory affect you and your relationships today. Finally, I embrace a person-centered approach grounded in empathy and being nonjudgmental and authentic. I will meet you where you are and celebrate with you every step of your progress, however seemingly small.

You are probably very intelligent and hoping to find someone who can "get you." I grew up in foster care with significant neglect and abuse. I sat on the couch as a client for over a decade and overcame many mental health issues before becoming a therapist. As a therapist, I often confront others who use terms like "intervention" and "empowering" clients. I am active in human rights advocacy for LGBTQ individuals and communities, people with hidden and visible disabilities and impairments, and people who cope with the intersectionality of having multiple marginalized identities. Although I doubted I would graduate from high school while growing up in foster care, I went on to graduate with a B.S. summa cum laude and an MA in Sociology, before earning a Master of Social Work (University of Minnesota-Twin Cities), Master of Science (Evidence-Based Healthcare, University of Oxford), and Master of Studies (International Relations, University of Cambridge). If this education intimidates you, please remember that these are merely tools to get to know and help you. However much formal education a therapist obtains, they know nothing about you, the expert of your life. This means we need to collaborate by bringing my knowledge, skills, and abilities to your life story and experience so we can work together to help you reach your goals and have a life worth living. Some of the clients I have worked with could not get out of bed and dealt with hopelessness and suicide all day. Now, they are thriving college students and professionals, pursuing their dreams and fulfilling their life's purpose. While I cannot promise these results for you (no one can), I have experience getting you from whoever you feel "stuck" or "stagnant" (words my clients have used) to acknowledging their capacity to cope with and overcome challenges that have held them back. Let me help you grow and recover!

Here is a snippet of what one of our sessions might look like. Imagine you are facing a lot of anxiety. One of the techniques for treating anxiety is called "exposure therapy." I like to introduce this as visualizing a big monster in your path. That big monster loves it when you run away. That makes it stronger and even helps it grow. However, if you brace yourself and stand in front of it to start, it begins to shiver and shrink just a tiny bit. Eventually, you are able to tolerate taking a tiny step toward it--and then you get to watch it melt away a little! All these itty-bitty steps add up, and as you step closer to the anxiety monster, it becomes ever smaller. When you begin to approach recovery from anxiety, you can smash it in the face and it disappears. A year or two later, you do things that once made you anxious and cannot even remember what caused it. Importantly, you never have to stand in front of the anxiety monster alone or take steps toward it on your own. I am here to support.

Give therapy a chance. Recovery is possible. If you're looking for a therapist who has "been there" and "gets it," get in touch with me. I would love the opportunity to talk about ways we can collaborate on your healing journey.