About Brad
I wrote a lot of words about me below, so in case you prefer fewer words, here is the tl;dr version: my father was a big influence on me and helped shape my values as a therapist, I have earned three degrees, which are a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science, Master of Business Administration, and a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health, I have lived all over the world, and I have had several career changes. I also have two dogs and a partner who I love exploring the world with and attempting to finish our impossible to finish list of shows and movies to watch. If you like details, read on for more.
my dad + acceptance
Getting to know me and understanding who I am as a therapist requires us to start with understanding my life's biggest influence, my father. I grew up watching my father model what it looks like to accept whatever the universe served him up. He vulnerably took his lumps, humbly got back up, and then kept going with a relentless drive to learn from his experiences. Through his visible difficulty, he always told me, "this or something better,” suggesting that what we have in the here and now is "best" for us, or something better is on the way if it is not "best." My dad was teaching me about acceptance, to keep moving, and to have faith. I talk a lot about acceptance with clients, and I have yet to think of a better way than "this or something better" to explain what full hearted acceptance of the here and now looks like.
values + a life worth living
Although I didn't understand this lesson until I was older, my dad's strategy for teaching values was by modeling them. In addition to modeling acceptance, he modeled his value of love. He showed me what it looked like to love himself and others as he strived to improve his life, the lives of his children, and those around him. He modeled the value of being a humble learner by gently and honestly acknowledging his flaws and working to change when necessary. He modeled a value of generosity by giving to others what he had to offer, which was often simply his time. My dad instilled these values in me and taught me how to live a life worth living by outwardly living a life worth living himself. Like many lessons in our life, we don't really understand them until we pause to reflect, and my time to pause came in 2014.
an inflection point + a tribute
Sadly, my dad died in 2014 of brain cancer. Losing my best friend was a major inflection point in my life. There was so much more to learn from him, so many more Oregon Duck football games to attend with him, and so many more meaningless arguments to have. I moved through the loss in the subsequent months and years reflecting on how he lived. I reflected on the values and lessons he left me with. There came a point in my grief where I was blessed to realize that he left me a blueprint for how to live a life worth living. In fact, fully understanding what my dad had been teaching me through his actions led me to becoming a therapist.
My practice is both an aesthetic and spiritual tribute to my dad. Aesthetically, the artwork in the logo (see above) is something he made by hand, and the font used for "wildwood" is his handwriting that was pulled from his old journals. As a spiritual tribute, how I practice therapy is a reflection of the values and lessons he left me with (also, the years of rigorous formal training). You can read more about how those values fit into how I practice here, which I highly encourage you to do. It should be clear how much my dad has influenced me, so enough about my guy. The person you meet in the therapy is also a collection of experiences.
arriving at "something better"
Since I was young, I have wanted to help people, but I never knew how. Strangely, being a therapist never crossed my mind. My working life has been a journey of exploration and discovery with a focus on answering "how?" I explored teaching and discovered my love for educating people while working as a PE teacher, a marketing professor at Portland State University, and as an English as a second language teacher in South Korea. I explored business and marketing and discovered how much I love learning about what drives behaviors and how to communicate. I did this while working as a grassroots events organizer in Portland, OR, for a digital marketing startup in Paris (yes, that Paris) and London, and even while serving tables at Applebee's to pay for community college. I slowly, and I mean slowly, discovered the importance of close relationships and taking care of myself while I obtained an undergraduate degree in exercise science, an MBA degree, and another master's degree in clinical mental health counseling. All of these experiences, in addition to personal experiences that challenged both my world view and view of myself, helped me answer the "how?" question that I had been trying to answer since I was a child. As a therapist, I have arrived at my "something better," and I could not be more honored to share it with you.
Education + Training
MS Clinical Mental Health Counseling
University of Western States
I expected the UWS counseling program to be academically rigorous, which it was, but I did not expect it to help me grow as a human as much as it did. I learned how to examine and address potential personal biases to ensure that I have a fully open heart while listening to you. I also learned how to hold space for you and myself at the same time while in the therapy room. This program taught me how to leverage my innate empathy and desire for the benefit of the client. Here is a sample of the courses I took to prepare myself to be a counselor:
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Career Counseling
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Psychopharmacology
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Tests and Assessments
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Treatment of Eating Disorders
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Ethics and Professional Identity
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Psychopathology and Appraisal
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Human Growth and Development
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Counseling Methods and Practices
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Multicultural Counseling and Advocacy
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During my internship, I worked in an eating disorder clinic for kids. Here, I focused on understanding the roots of eating disorders in order to better get to the source of the problem while working with clients.
Master of Business Administration
University of Oregon
I have always loved watching and participating in sports. I also always had an interest in marketing from a creative perspective, which is why I got an MBA with a focus on sports marketing. The benefit for you is that this experience makes me uniquely qualified to help you address business, money, and work related issues that may be affecting your mental health.
BS Exercise Science
Western Oregon University
The human body fascinates me. Once upon a time I wanted to be a chiropractor, registered dietitian, and a PE teacher. This part of my education gives me a strong understanding of how the body works and makes me well equipped to discuss issues within the body and how they can impact mental health.
Supervisor
As a Professional Counseling Associate, I am required to be supervised as I work towards full licensure. My supervisor is Michelle Rose, PhD, LPC, NCC, ACS. She currently serves as the Director of the clinical mental health program at the University of Western States in Portland, Oregon. She is an incredible source of information, a wonderful mentor, and a lovely human.
Meet the Therapy Team
Pepper
Pepper's therapeutic approach is wagging the baby tail that is connected to his impossibly small 4.5 pound body and having people throw squeaky toys. He can't promise to be quiet during sessions because squirrels MUST be barked at.
Bruna
Bruna's approach to offering support is presenting
her incredibly soft belly to rub, which may be ineffective via telehealth, and eating literally anything that touches the floor, with her favorite thing to somehow always find being socks.
