Lindsey Ramsey, IFS Therapy in Oregon

My name is Lindsey (she/her) and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Oregon. What brings me here as a therapist is the viewpoint that we are adaptable creatures, and we have the capacity to flourish when we are in the presence of compassion and connection. The therapy relationship offers us those things, as well as the Self within each of us. 

My Approach

I see my role as a therapist is to hold validating space for people’s experiences, to apply curiosity to behavioral patterns, and to help evoke each person’s naturally occurring wisdom and inner resources. There is power and possibility in entering therapy… in being willing to envision a different experience with ourselves.

Clients say that I am a deep listener and that I help them feel seen and understood. My intention is to be a flexible and intuitive guide. Sometimes I think that humor is what is most called for, other times a keen perceptivity, and still others, a felt sense of safety. I enjoy welcoming a varied approach because healing is a dynamic process.

My Journey

My career began over 10 years ago as an AmeriCorps member working with survivors of domestic and sexual violence in a small community. I had lived abroad as a child in a military family for many years, and then returned to the US for college. In 2017 I received a Master of Social Work degree from Portland State University. I was heavily influenced by teaching around anti-oppressive practices and brought into awareness of my white privilege, and the multiple other privileged identities that I hold. 

As a therapist I have worked closely with behaviors revolving around addictions/dependencies, as well as childhood and developmental trauma. I regularly work with inner criticism, perfectionism, shame, and anger. I am HAES-aligned (Health at Every Size) and enjoy engaging with related concepts such as internalized fatphobia. 

I have additional training in Cognitive Behavioral and Exposure and Response Prevention therapies, which are gold standard treatments for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, phobias, and most forms of anxiety. I enjoy blending IFS with these models to create a powerful and compassionate healing approach.

I also work with couples and relationships, I use Internal Family Systems, and I also love borrowing from the beautiful offerings of Dr. Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication. Together, these complementary approaches enhance the gentleness, compassion, and potency of the work.

My own healing has been an incremental process, aided so richly by IFS. The shifts that I continue to experience with more clarity, regulation, and internal harmony are noticeable daily. It’s a special feeling to coexist with parts who before seemed scary, unwanted, confusing, or shameful. 

About Me

I live in Portland, OR with my partner and our dog, who keeps us entertained with her big personality. I enjoy baking, walking, canning, watching soccer, a dash of gardening and dancing, and a healthy dose of puttering around the house. I am a highly sensitive person and an introvert.