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There are times in life where we can use an empathic, nonjudgmental therapist who can be present with us as we explore our challenges and develop insight. In addition to deeply listening to you, I will hold space for your stories, history, and cultural experiences, as well as encourage you to hold compassion and curiosity for your unique challenges. I specialize in working with teens and adults with anxiety, stress, and grief and loss. Many of the clients I work with are highly sensitive persons (HSPs) and looking for ways to cultivate wellness in their lives. I also frequently work with people in the helping fields who are experiencing burnout and exhaustion, who are ready to explore ways to process vicarious and secondary trauma and prioritize true self-care.

I truly love the work I do. I began my practice because I believe that we all have the capacity to grow, heal, and transform, and that we all have insight that we can develop and learn to trust. I also believe that working through our challenges with self-compassion and understanding can help us move from pain and frustration to peace and autonomy. We are all capable of creating meaningful lives of peace.

I help my clients explore their unique challenges and life situations so that they can uncover joy, contentment, and ease, as well as find solutions to unresolved issues and process and manage trauma and pain. I encourage my clients to look within themselves to find their own strengths, resources, and inner wisdom. And because being a human is not always easy, I encourage my clients to develop deep self-compassion and curiosity about themselves and their lives. By fully accepting who we are, we can see our lives–past, present, and possible futures–clearly and make the changes we need to make when we are ready to make them.

This process is complex, and each person is unique, so I approach each client individually. Many of the clients who find me (or whose parents find me) tend to be highly sensitive individuals who are empathic, attuned to their environments and other people, and want to live meaningful lives of contentment but who are overwhelmed by their current challenges or find themselves “stuck” in certain emotional, relational, or life patterns. Even if this doesn’t sound quite like you but you’re still intrigued by the counseling process, that’s okay — I recognize that we are all capable of developing greater insight and moving forward, and I welcome the opportunity to speak with you.

What brings people to my practice?
Anxiety
Depression
Navigating systemic oppression
Gender/sexual identity (LGBTQ+ affirming)
Grief and loss
Relationship conflicts
Self/spiritual exploration
Life transitions
School stress
Work/career overwhelm and burnout
Vicarious/secondary trauma
Feeling unfulfilled, stuck, and wanting change
The desire to develop self-compassion, intuitive knowing and wisdom, and self-trust

Please feel free to call or email me to set up a free consultation. We can identify your unique goals for counseling and see if we might be a good fit to work together.

Kaci Schmitt, MS, LPC, LMHC, NCC
Kaci Schmitt Counseling, PLLC
I am exclusively providing therapy online over a HIPAA-secure teletherapy platform for clients in Washington and Oregon during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
kacischmittcounseling@hushmail.com
415-966-2361
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If you are having a mental health emergency, please call 911 or, for Portland residents, the Multnomah County Crisis Line at 503-988-4888.