The Long Beginning

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When: Every first Friday, starting Friday April 3rd 

Time: 4-5:30 pm

Where: Online- Zoom

Suggested donation: $10 per session (or what you can afford). No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

To RSVP or learn more: Email brittneyv@liberationinstitute.org

The Long Beginning is a process-oriented space for women in the midst of early adulthood who are navigating anxiety, identity, relationships, and the pressures of becoming someone in the world. Group sessions will include relational sharing, gentle somatic awareness, reflection, and facilitated group dialogue. Curiosity, honesty, and a willingness to show up as you are are all that is required.

About the Facilitator: Brittney Van Matre is a depth-oriented facilitator who works with anxiety, identity development, career change, and life transitions. She brings 20+ years of executive leadership and coaching experience to her practice. Brittney works with women in early adulthood who are navigating career stress, relationships, and the uncertainty of this life stage. She brings warmth, steadiness, and deep respect for the unfolding process of change. Brittney is a therapist trainee, supervised by Brad Byrum #T2185.

                                         Grief Writing Group

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When: 5 Tuesdays, Starting March 3rd


Time: 6-7:30pm

Where: Online, Zoom Link Provided with Reservation

Suggested donation: $10 per session (or what you can afford). No one will be turned away for lack of funds. 

To RSVP or learn more: Email hilaryr@liberationinstitute.org

The pain of grief can be indescribable and all-consuming. Perhaps that’s what makes writing about it so powerful. It is deeply humbling; returning to something again and again, knowing we can never quite capture all the loss and all the love that’s there.

In this virtual 5-session writing workshop, we will build an intimate container to hold the wildness of our grief. We’ll write and share our losses, regrets, and old wounds. No writing experience is required. More than anything this is a no-pressure listening space where we can reach from the most vulnerable places within us, and be seen and held in community. In order to preserve the intimacy of this container, space is limited and registration is required to attend. If you feel called, go ahead and reserve your spot soon. We can’t wait to be with you.


About the Facilitator: Hilary Rappaport is a counselor trainee, working through the lenses of transpersonal psychology, somatic experience, and Internal Family Systems. She offers accessible, heart-centered support for people moving through grief, recovery, and life transitions. Her work centers compassion, presence, and warmth, creating space for people to reconnect with themselves and their innate creative wisdom.Hilary is a therapist trainee supervised by Elizabeth Hoke, License #1440. 

Book Club: Adult Survivors of Emotionally Abusive Parents

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When: Thursdays, starting February 10th 

Time: 7-8 pm 

Where: Online

Suggested donation: $10 per session (or what you can afford). No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Time: 4-5:30 pm 

To RSVP or learn more: Email destinee@liberationinstitute.org

This book club is a supportive and reflective space for adults reading Adult Survivors of Emotionally Abusive Parents by Sherrie Campbell. Together, we will explore the lasting impact of emotionally abusive and neglectful parenting, while gently unpacking themes of shame, boundaries, self-worth, and healing.

Our discussions will center on personal insight, emotional safety, and compassion—for ourselves and others. Members are encouraged to share reflections at their own pace, connect the material to lived experiences, and learn practical tools for breaking unhealthy patterns and fostering self-trust.

This group is ideal for anyone seeking understanding, validation, and growth in their healing journey. You are welcome exactly as you are.


About the Facilitator: Destinee Vaughn is a graduate student at the University of the Cumberlands with a deep commitment to cultivating community and fostering meaningful integration. Guided by open curiosity, she seeks opportunities to connect people, ideas, and practices in ways that encourage collaboration, inclusivity, and mutual growth. Her academic journey is grounded in a passion for understanding diverse perspectives and creating spaces where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. Supervised by Elizabeth Hoke LMFT #T1440

Meditation for Counseling

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When: Tuesdays, starting March 3rd 2026

Time: Tuesday’s from 6:30 to 8pm

Where: In person, address provided with RSVP.

Suggested donation: $10 per session, or what you can afford.  No one turned away for lack of funds. Money given helps people receive mental health services at Liberation Institute one turned away for lack of funds. 

To join contact: jean-paul@liberationinstitute.org or lizab@liberationinstitute.org

Meditation is the practice of being present with our experience and becoming familiar with our essential clarity and well-being. With many responsibilities in our lives, our thoughts and emotions often move very quickly. Through meditation, we can cultivate stability in our attention and begin to notice moments where we can pause and choose, rather than react automatically out of habit. This awareness opens new possibilities in our inner life, our relationships, and our work.

Meditation practice directly supports counseling by helping us recognize thoughts and emotions as they arise, notice patterns over time, and remain present during challenging moments. By strengthening our ability to pause and reflect, meditation makes it easier to make intentional choices and carry insights from counseling into everyday life.

In these 4-week groups, we will meet once a week to learn about meditation and to practice together. These groups will be ongoing; participants may come for one 4-week period or may continue through multiple group series. The first 4-week group will begin on February 17, 2026. Please commit to attending all four sessions. 


Facilitators:
Liza Baer is a Lama in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. She completed a traditional three-year, three-month retreat in the Shangpa Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism at a retreat center near Goldendale, WA, in 2018. She then taught as an Associate Lama in Ashland, OR, for 4 years, and served as the Executive Director of a center in NE Portland for 1.5 years. She is now a graduate student in counseling at Prescott College and a counseling intern at Liberation Institute. She has a background in ecology, botany, and multiple healing modalities. 

Jean-Paul is a long-time practitioner of yoga and meditation. He spent a year living and working at the Dhamma Dena meditation retreat center in Joshua Tree. His practice has been a central support in his recovery and a steady resource for presence and self-inquiry. He brings decades of experience as a musician and sound-based artist, with a focus on leading sound baths, collective improvisation, and deep listening practices. He is currently pursuing a graduate degree in counseling at the University of the Cumberlands and is an intern at Liberation Institute.

Somatic Support Circle

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When: Starting FEB 22 7-9PM TH Meeting every other week for 6 Sundays

Time:  7 – 9 pm

Where: Address Provided with Reservation

Length of Each Session: 2 hours

Format: In person

Suggested donation: Suggested donation of $10 per session (or what you can afford). No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

To RSVP or learn more: Email: genevievel@liberationinstitute.org 

Group Description

This somatic support circle offers a grounded, relational space using the ZEG Forum format, where participants are invited to slow down and connect with their present-moment experience in the company of others. Participants choose what they would like to focus on, with the opportunity to receive support around any area of challenge they are experiencing. Through guided attention to the body, sensation, emotion, and impulse, the circle supports increased nervous system awareness and the capacity to stay with what is happening here and now. Participation is always by choice—each person is encouraged to engage in ways that feel safe, respectful, and supportive of their own boundaries and needs. The forum emphasizes the power of witnessing and being witnessed, allowing experiences to be met with presence rather than fixing or advice. Support emerges through shared attention and honest expression, fostering regulation, clarity, and a deeper sense of connection with oneself and others.

If you are wanting more connection with yourself, processing something significant, seeking support through a challenging life experience, or hoping to increase self-awareness, emotional regulation, and clarity around what you’re carrying, this circle offers a supportive space to do so. It can also be helpful if you’re wanting to feel less alone, build greater nervous system awareness, practice being present with your experience, or explore new ways of relating to yourself and others through embodied, relational support.

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 About the Facilitator:
Genevieve Layman is a therapist trainee supervised by Elizabeth Hoke, License #1440. She brings a multidisciplinary, heart-centered approach to her work, shaped by her background as a horticultural therapist, award-winning author, and longtime student of Nonviolent Communication. Genevieve is currently completing training in Somatic Experiencing, with a focus on nervous system awareness, embodiment, and trauma-informed care. Genevieve especially enjoys facilitating groups, where participants can experience belonging, connection, and relational healing in real time with real people. Her work is informed by a deep relationship with the natural world and a belief in the wisdom of the body, mutual empathy, and the healing potential of authentic human connection.


#peoplehelpeingpeople #love #impact #liberation #community #mentalhealth #portland #oregon #virtual #support #group #joy #purpose #resistance 


To RSVP or learn more: Email genevieve@liberationinstitute.org

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Grief Group For People Experiencing Relationship Rupture/Loss

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When: Starting Feb. 5 first 3 Thursday’s in February and March

Time:  7 – 9 pm

Where: Address Provided with Reservation

Length of Each Session: 120 minutes

Format: In person

Suggested donation: Suggested donation of $10 per session (or what you can afford). No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

To RSVP or learn more: Email: genevieve@liberationinstitute.org

Group Description

 This six-week grief group offers a gentle, supportive container for being with the experience of relationship loss and the many emotions that may arise, including sadness, anger, shame, fear, loneliness, relief, longing, confusion, and love. We will draw on grief wisdom, grief practices, and look to grief elders to support our understanding, expression, and the integration of our experience. Art-making, shared reflection, and grief ritual are some of the practices we will explore together as we honor what has been lost and metabolize grief together. Participation is always by choice and at your own pace, with care taken to honor personal boundaries, needs, and what feels most supportive for you.

Being in grief together can soften the sense of aloneness that often accompanies loss, as shared presence supports connection with oneself and with others through the experience of compassionate witnessing. Together, we will create space to honor endings, hold complex emotions with care, and support one another in integrating loss and finding a way forward—carrying what matters, releasing what no longer serves, and gently reconnecting with clarity, self-trust, and hope.

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 About the Facilitator:
Genevieve Layman is a therapist trainee supervised by Elizabeth Hoke, License #1440. She brings a multidisciplinary, heart-centered approach to her work, shaped by her background as a horticultural therapist, award-winning author, and longtime student of Nonviolent Communication. Genevieve is currently completing training in Somatic Experiencing, with a focus on nervous system awareness, embodiment, and trauma-informed care. Genevieve especially enjoys facilitating groups, where participants can experience belonging, connection, and relational healing in real time with real people. Her work is informed by a deep relationship with the natural world and a belief in the wisdom of the body, mutual empathy, and the healing potential of authentic human connection.


#peoplehelpeingpeople #love #impact #liberation #community #mentalhealth #portland #oregon #virtual #support #group #joy #purpose #resistance 


To RSVP or learn more: Email genevieve@liberationinstitute.org

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Animal Loss and Grief Support Group

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When: Tuesday

Time: 6-7 PM

Where: via Zoom/Drop-in

Suggested donation: $5-10 per weekly session. Donations welcome but no one turned away due to lack of funds 

To join contact: groups@liberationinstitute.org

Description: This group is dedicated to honoring the deep bonds we share with our animal friends and the profound impact they have on our lives. The loss of an animal companion can be deeply painful, and yet often misunderstood or minimized by others. People often tell us things like “just get another pet,” leaving many feeling unseen in their grief. This group offers a safe, compassionate space to honor and process animal-specific grief – a very real and often invalidated form of loss. Whether you’ve lost a beloved companion animal, you are experiencing anticipatory grief for a companion animal, or you work in a setting where animal loss or euthanasia is part of the job – such as veterinary care, animal shelters, or rescue organizations – you are welcome here. Guided by two compassionate therapists who have also experienced the pain of animal loss, this group offers a safe, supportive space to process animal-specific grief – a form of loss that deserves to be seen, validated, and supported. Through guided discussions, somatic experiencing and therapeutic exercises participants can share memories, explore emotions, and utilize tools that promote resilience. You’ll have the opportunity to connect with others who truly understand what it means to lose animal friends – and to be reminded that your grief is valid, your bond was real, and you are not alone.


Facilitators: Steve Dumain & Roxanne Adli

Steve “Dumain” is pursuing his Master’s in Counseling Psychology with a specialization in Depth Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute. He currently serves as a Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee at the Liberation Institute, providing telehealth therapy for individuals, couples, and groups across California. His clinical orientation draws from various styles, including depth, somatic and family systems psychology; including trauma-informed practices, and mindfulness-based approaches. His work emphasizes the integration of the unconscious, body awareness, and relational healing to foster self-understanding and resilience and a mindset of growth and wisdom. He is particularly interested in working with clients navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, identity development, and relational issues. With a strong commitment to inclusivity and social justice, Steven aims to support individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and identities through an integrative and compassionate therapeutic approach.

Roxanne is a therapist trainee currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, with specific interests in trauma healing, attachment wounds, and healthy relationships. Guided by a trauma-informed approach, she is deeply interested in how trauma and early relationships with caregivers shape our understanding of self, our ways of connecting, and the types of relationships we form with others. She seeks to help clients uncover the root causes or traumas underneath their behaviors and feelings so that healing can come from a place of genuine understanding, self-knowledge, and self-awareness. In sessions, she strives to create a gentle, healing, safe, trusting, and compassionate space where clients feel deeply seen and supported as they journey toward growth, self-awareness, and wellness. In this space, she seeks to help people reconnect with their authentic selves so they can grow in wisdom and find their inner strength, capacity, and drive for meaningful change and growth.

 LGBTQ+ Substance Use Recovery Space

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When: Wednesdays

Time: 8pm – 9:30pm 90 min

Where: via Zoom/Drop-in

Suggested donation: $5-10 per weekly session. Donations welcome but no one turned away due to lack of funds 

To join contact: groups@liberationinstitute.org

Description: This group provides a deeply supportive space for individuals to share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a non-judgmental environment, fostering a sense of belonging and reducing feelings of isolation. Through the dynamics of group interaction, we aim to create an environment where participants can improve interpersonal skills, practice empathy, and experience mutual support amongst group members. Though we welcome people who are “sober curious”–– those who have not yet committed to the path of sobriety––we ask that participants not be under the influence of mind-altering substances for at least 24 hours prior to arriving in group.


Facilitators: Kara Schamell & Steven Anderson

Steven is a Marriage and Family Therapist trainee and a second-year master’s student in Counseling Psychology. As a gay man and active member of both the LGBTQ+ and recovery communities, he brings several years of lived experience in sobriety to his clinical training. Steven has facilitated recovery group meetings for over two years and is passionate about supporting queer-identifying individuals as they navigate substance use challenges and find healing within the queer community. Before pursuing a career in counseling, Steven worked in creative roles in the fashion industry in New York City and Los Angeles, where he developed a deep appreciation for identity, expression, and resilience. Steven is supervised by Adina Ascher, LCSW 28900
 

Kara Schamell is a Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee in her second year of a master’s program in counseling psychology. With six years of personal experience in group therapy and five years of experience facilitating racial justice consciousness-raising groups, she is passionate about providing spaces for healing to unfold within community. Kara is a strong ally to numerous family members and friends who are in recovery, whose journeys inspire her work as a therapist. As a lesbian, she feels especially called to serve the LGBTQ+ community, which is disproportionately affected by substance abuse and mental health challenges. Prior to transitioning to a career in mental health counseling, she worked in the field of women’s health for nearly 15 years––guiding hundreds of people through pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and peri-menopause. Kara is supervised by Miles Ruttinger, LMFT #133402

Care for Caregivers

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When: Thursdays

Time: 6-7:30 PM

Where: via Google Meet

Suggested donation: $5-10 per weekly session. No one turned away for lack of funds. 

To join contact: groups@liberationinstitute.org

Caring for the physical and mental wellbeing of others as a family member or in a professional capacity is uniquely taxing work. There can be devastating effects on those providing long-term care, especially for those helping individuals with higher support needs: financial pressures, legal quandaries, health problems, and emotional turmoil. Joining a support group can be incredibly beneficial for caregivers. Caregiver groups work to help those who care for loved ones or clients with chronic conditions, disabilities or disease, as well as those supporting the living needs of children and older adults. These groups provide a safe space to connect with others who understand the unique challenges of caregiving, share experiences and find emotional support. They also provide a space to share coping strategies and strengthen caregiver self-care. The primary value of caregiver support groups is to provide a place where caregivers can give voice to stressful experiences, strong feelings and personal frustrations in the company of others who can relate and respond without judgment. Care for Caregivers provides a nonjudgmental and compassionate framework for caregivers to find understanding and support from others who are in similar situations. Both family and professionals are encouraged to participate. 

This group provides a nonjudgmental framework for caregivers to find understanding and support from others who are in similar situations. 

Both family and professionals are encouraged to participate.


Facilitators:
Kaitlyn Leilani May Plante is currently pursuing her Masters in Counseling Psychology at California Institute of Integral Studies, and works as a MFT Trainee at the Liberation Institute, providing accessible, neurodivergent-affirming therapy for individuals, couples, families, and groups across California via tele-health. Her practice integrates a multi-modal Expressive Arts Therapy practice with somatics, neurobiology, Narrative therapy, and Liberation psychology. Kaitlyn’s work is collaborative, client-centered, strengths-based, and solution-focused. She is committed to providing trauma-informed care, emphasizing resilience and empowerment. After a life-threatening accident left Kaitlyn physically and emotionally scarred, she decided to pursue a career in mental health, in hopes of helping others who have experienced trauma. Her goal is to open an integrative therapy and retreat space offering Expressive Arts and other holistic therapies. Kaitlyn is supervised by Miles Ruttinger, LMFT #133402

Psychedelic Integration for People in Recovery

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When: Once a month on the Third Friday

Time: 515pm-645pm

Where: Tabor Space Library https://taborspace.org/library 

This community gathering invites people in recovery who are interested in, or currently integrating psychedelics into their healing practice. We will discuss how psychedelics impact addictive behaviors and risks of relapse.  We will explore relationships with altered states of consciousness, sobriety vs moderation, various recovery models, and systemic pressures leading to overconsumption and addictive tendencies.   The purpose of the gathering is to be in dialogue about these topics and how they impact our relationship to self, others, substances and altered states.

While we’re not requiring everyone to be sober or abstinent from all substances, we do ask that everyone attending the meeting not be engaging with whatever substance that triggers the addictive behavior.  Our intention for this monthly gathering is for everyone to have a confidential and safe space where people are able to self manage and discuss openly.  This group offers support for people who already have an active healing process around their addiction and are looking for a community to share it with and get support from.

This group is offered to the community in collaboration with Portland Psychedelic Society https://www.meetup.com/psychedelic/events/299239325/

RSVP to elizabeth@liberationinstitute.org

Facilitators:

Elizabeth Hoke is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California and Oregon who has over a decade of personal and professional experience with addiction recovery.  She is dedicated to helping people in need receive mental health services through Liberation Institute where therapy is provided for all on a sliding scale. Elizabeth also works with Dr. Rosonke at Rainfall Medicine, sitting with patients as they explore their relationship with addiction through the use of ketamine and psychotherapy. https://www.liberationinstitute.org/our-clinic/team/

Pryor Shade is a therapist trainee at Liberation Institute, veteran, educator, and artist who understands the struggles that we as humans can experience, trying to fit in, earn a living, access resources, develop relationships, and appreciate our own value as creative beings. Along the way he has learned a great deal about humility, about the need for curiosity and a desire to acquire new knowledge and skills. It’s not so much about having the right answer, but to help people share their story and feel heard, seen and valued. One of the greatest lessons he has acquired is to get out of his own way: to let go of his agenda, and be an active participant in the process. No matter what the task, a collaborative approach tends to be far better than a mission executed by an army of one.