Amber Langer, IFS Therapy in Oregon

(Waitlist)

Professional Background

Education, License & Certifications

Fluent in Spanish and English

Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Oregon (# L10652)

Masters of Social Work, Portland State University

Bachelors of Arts, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Internal Family Systems, Level 1

Other Training

EMDR trained (EMDRIA and AF-EMDR)

Trauma Training: The Body Keeps the Score with Bessel Van der Kolk

Kripalu Yoga

Trained Doula

Midwife, International School of Traditional Midwifery, Ashland, OR

Hello and welcome! My name is Amber, and I use she/her pronouns. I believe that, as humans navigating this beautiful and complicated world, we are all doing the best we can with the resources within and around us. I am committed to bringing my heart, skills, and Self energy as a resource to clients as they gain greater access to the resources they possess within.

My Approach

My therapeutic approach is collaborative and attuned to each client’s unique experience. I hold a compassionate space that is free of judgment and where all parts are welcome. I am a relationally oriented therapist. This means I value the therapeutic relationship, relationships within a client’s system, the external relationships a client is involved in, and the relationship between mind, body, and heart. My work is informed by a systems lens where I hold awareness of the systems of power and privilege that a client is navigating externally while also supporting clients as they explore their internal system. I am committed to creating a therapeutic environment that is safe while acknowledging the distinction between safety and comfort. I believe that a willingness to experience and move through pain and discomfort is often a key part of the healing process. I am able to extend my unwavering trust in each client’s innate ability to heal throughout this process so that clients find their way to greater wellness.

My Journey

IFS has been a part of my landscape since adolescence, and I feel fortunate to be able to live and work with it as a guiding framework. That said, I have had varied life experiences that influence how I practice as a therapist.

After getting a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wisconsin, I moved to Oregon, where I spent a few years studying and working as a doula and midwife. The privilege of supporting women through pregnancy and childbirth opened my eyes to the transformational power of leaning into discomfort. I then traveled and lived in Latin America for many years, during which I immersed myself in culture and language outside of my norm, became fluent in Spanish, and met my life partner. These experiences highlighted how my perspective on life and the world had been limited and challenged me to open my mind to other expressions of human experience.

While living in Mexico, I became a yoga teacher and learned about the powerful connection between the body and the mind. Then, in 2007, I returned to Oregon with my husband. We have two daughters, and the experience of being in relationships as a partner and a mother teaches me about my system of parts in ways that nothing else has. All these experiences have coalesced into my work as a clinical social worker, dedicated to holding space for my clients as they journey through the sometimes complicated and beautiful landscapes in and around them.

Specialities

I have received postgraduate training in IFS, trauma therapy, EMDR, polyvagal theory, and integrative wellness models. In addition, I have experience working with clients who are navigating trauma and complex trauma, depression, anxiety, life transitions, self-esteem and body image issues, pregnancy and postpartum challenges, and relationship dynamics. I speak both Spanish and English and feel honored to be an ally to folks in the Latinx community.

About Me

In my free time, you will likely find me making pottery on a wheel at a local ceramics studio, cheering my children on as they show up on the soccer field or the stage, speaking a mix of Spanish and English with my family, hiking in the mountains of beautiful southern Oregon, or quietly sipping tea and reading a book.

I admire the strength and courage that it took for you to get to this place in your journey and trust that you will find your way.