Woman & Aging Process Group

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When: Friday mornings, 10:30-12:00, starting July 11, 2025

Time: 10:30-12:00

Where: via Google Meet

Who: Women aged 70 and older

Suggested donation: $10-20 per weekly session. No one turned away for lack of funds. 

To join contact: tamara@liberationinstitute.org

Come and join other 70-year and older women to celebrate and grapple with the joys and struggles of becoming an elder woman in this time and place. We will begin by reading together and discussing chapter by chapter Ashton Applewhite’s book This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism to get to know each other and move into the conversations. The intention, however, is for the group to be a process group, meaning that it is specifically designed to provide a safe container in which members can share their experiences with one another; receive support from each other; learn, grieve, celebrate, and grow together; all while focusing on the challenges and opportunities that aging is creating for each member and for their families and loved ones. My training is in parts work and Jungian psychology, so I am available to support participants with dream analysis, with calling in and dancing with various archetypes for women in later life, and with working with different parts of the self, insofar as these things may be helpful or relevant. 

To ask questions or reserve your spot, email Tamara at tamara@liberationinstitute.org


Facilitators:
Bio: Tamara Yates, who is 54, was fortunate enough to catch a glimpse, when she was in her 30s of the reality that getting old was actually going to happen to her. Since then, she has had access to a part of herself who is deeply curious about and respectful toward the process of aging. Tamara has worked as a facilitator of Voice Dialogue, a parts-work modality, for over a decade. She is currently pursuing a master’s in counseling psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute and is a professional counseling trainee at Liberation Institute. She loves to get her hands in the soil as a gardener and enjoys dancing. She lives in Corvallis with her husband and their sweet golden retriever, Finn. Tamara is supervised by Shelly Stratton, LCSW 7252.

Conectando las Américas * Unity in Diversity – Healing Together*

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When: Mondays, Starting Monday, May 26th, 2025:

Time: 1 PM – 2:30 PM (PT)

Where: Zoom

Facilitators fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and English

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 milka@liberationinstitute.org

Unity in Diversity – Healing Together

We’re launching a new online support group for expatriates from Central, South, and North America who are living in Oregon and looking for a safe, welcoming space to share, reflect, and grow.

What We Offer:
✅ A safe space to discuss challenges
✅ Opportunities to learn effective coping strategies
✅ A supportive community for sharing experiences and resources
✅ Help reducing feelings of isolation
✅ Tools to improve mental health outcomes
✅ Support in enhancing cultural adjustment and integration

Take the first step toward healing. Let’s grow – together. ❤️

Meet Our Facilitators

Milka Engelke, a Therapist Trainee at the Liberation Institute, will be facilitating ‘Conectando las Americas’ Group Therapy. As a Brazilian expat who has also lived 4 years in Europe, Milka brings wide personal experience and cross-cultural understanding of challenges when migrating to a new country. With a background as a licensed Psychologist in Brazil, MSc in Management of Operations from Ireland, Milka is passionate about helping others find meaning, especially in times of transition. Her personal journey through migration, nature, and introspection inspires her therapeutic work. Milka believes in the healing power of purpose, and through her own life experiences, she invites others to explore what truly gives their lives direction and depth. 

Kristina Oxford, Therapist in Training at Liberation Institute, was born and grew up in Oregon. Kristina has made and maintained connections within the Hispanic/LatinX community since adolescence. Having learned about hispanic culture and to communicate in Spanish by cross-cultural immersion, Kristina has valuable experience and perspective that can be useful for assisting and supporting the transition to life in the United States. Kristina has a wide range of life, academic, and professional experience which will be useful for connecting others with resources, information, and skills to use while building a brighter future. 

Both Trainees are Supervised by Elizabeth Hoke LMFT # T 1440


#GroupTherapy #LatinoSupport #ImmigrantMentalHealth #PortlandOregon #TherapyForExpats #HealingTogether #LiberationInstitute


To RSVP/Get Details: Email milka@liberationinstitute.org

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Exploring No Bad Parts Together – A Community Journey into Self-Compassion and Healing

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When: Online every Sunday from starting June 1st, 2025

Time: 5 pm – 6:30pm

Where: Google Meet

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 destinee@liberationinstitute.org

Join us in a warm, inclusive community as we read and explore No Bad Parts by Dr. Richard Schwartz, the founder of Internal Family Systems (IFS). This transformative book invites us to look within and discover that every part of ourselves—even those we may have rejected or feared—deserves compassion, understanding, and healing.

Together, we will move through the book chapter by chapter, reflecting on its insights and integrating the practices into our personal and collective lives. This group is not a therapy group, but a safe and supportive space to grow in self-awareness, share experiences, and support one another in the spirit of curiosity and acceptance.

Whether you’re new to IFS or already familiar with the model, you are welcome here. Bring your whole self—there are no bad parts.

What to expect:

  • Weekly gatherings with guided discussions and reflections
  • Opportunities for personal sharing (always optional)
  • Experiential exercises based on IFS principles
  • A compassionate, confidential, and community-oriented atmosphere

Our intention is to co-create a space where each person feels seen, heard, and valued as we journey together toward inner wholeness.

 About the Facilitator:
Destinee 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 Shelly Stratton LCSW #7252


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


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

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Finding Meaning Inspired by Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning”

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When: Mondays, May 19th – July 7th, 2025 (weekly)

Time: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM (PT)

Where: Google Meet

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 milka@liberationinstitute.org

Are you seeking a deeper purpose in your daily life?

Join a supportive space where we explore meaning, resilience, and personal growth through weekly reflections inspired by Viktor Frankl’s profound work.

Together we’ll use key themes from Finding Meaning as a springboard to reflect on our own journeys, past, present, and future. 

This group welcomes all genders, ages 18 and older, and is especially helpful for anyone facing life transitions or looking to reconnect with what truly matters.

“Find purpose in what you do today, so that, 50 years from now, you’ll look back with a smile.”

 About the Facilitator:
Milka Engelke (she/her) is a Therapist Trainee at the Liberation Institute, a Brazilian expat, and a lifelong seeker. Having lived in Europe for four years and walked spiritual pilgrimages such as the Camino de Santiago in Spain and sacred trails in Japan, Milka brings a deep, lived understanding of transformation, connection, and cross-cultural challenges. A licensed Psychologist in Brazil with a M.Sc. in Management of Operations from Ireland, and currently pursuing M.A. in Mental Health Counseling in the USA, Milka blends clinical insight with a global, heart-centered perspective. She is passionate about helping others find meaning, especially in times of transition. Her personal journey through migration, nature, and introspection inspires her therapeutic work. 

Milka believes in the healing power of purpose, and through Frankl’s teachings and her own life experiences, she invites others to explore what truly gives their lives direction and depth.


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


To RSVP/Get Details: Email milka@liberationinstitute.org

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Joy as Radical Resistance

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When: Weekly on Sundays beginning on May 11th 2025

Time: 10 am

Where: Google Meet

Suggested donation: Suggested donation: $10 per weekly 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.

Joy As Radical Resistance is a healing-centered support group designed for individuals from marginalized communities and accomplices who want to cultivate joy not just as a feeling, but as a revolutionary act. We will explore the importance of collective joy, pleasure, and celebration in the face of structural violence and everyday microaggressions. This group offers tools for reclaiming joy, nurturing resilience, and transforming pain into powerful acts of resistance and solidarity.

 Facilitator: Abeytax (Ah-Bay-Tosh)  Barana (they/them) is an Afro-Indigenous, queer therapist trainee in their second practicum term, writer, and community educator committed to creating spaces for radical healing and cultural reclamation. With a background in clinical psychology, Abeytax draws on Indigenous and earth-based practices, liberation psychology, and trauma-informed approaches to support clients and communities in decolonizing their minds, spirits, and relationships. Supervised by: Elizabeth Lenkeit Hoke, LMFT – License # T1440 & Shelly Stratton, PhD, LCSW – License # 7252, Liberation Institute. 


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


To RSVP/Get Details: Email Abeytax@liberationInstitute.org

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The Path Home: Decolonizing Hearts and Minds

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When: Weekly meetings on Wednesdays, beginning on May 7

Time: 5:00 pm

Where: Google Meet

Suggested donation: Suggested donation: $10 per weekly 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.

The Path Home: Decolonizing Hearts and Minds is a weekly therapeutic group for people of the global majority and accomplices seeking to challenge, unlearn, and heal from internalized messages of colonization, supremacy, and oppression. Through guided reflection, discussion, and expressive practices, participants will explore how colonizing narratives have shaped identity, self-worth, relationships, and community connection. The group centers Indigenous and ancestral wisdom and honors each member’s unique cultural heritage. Together, we will reclaim narratives of liberation, restore collective dignity, and build tools for ongoing decolonial healing.

 Facilitator: Abeytax (Ah-Bay-Tosh)  Barana (they/them) is an Afro-Indigenous, queer therapist trainee in their second practicum term, writer, and community educator committed to creating spaces for radical healing and cultural reclamation. With a background in clinical psychology, Abeytax draws on Indigenous and earth-based practices, liberation psychology, and trauma-informed approaches to support clients and communities in decolonizing their minds, spirits, and relationships. Supervised by: Elizabeth Lenkeit Hoke, LMFT – License # T1440 & Shelly Stratton, PhD, LCSW – License # 7252, Liberation Institute. 



To RSVP/Get Details: Email Abeytax@liberationInstitute.org

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Skill Building for Emotional Support

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When: Starting Friday, the 21st, Fridays 10-11:30am 90 min

Time: 10-11:30am 90 min

Where: via Zoom

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

To join contact: groups@liberationinstitute.org

For anyone looking for a safe space for general support and coping skill building with a
creative twist. This weekly drop-in group is focused on offering an inclusive, collaborative space
for general support, as well as tools for stress management, emotional regulation, and
self care. Techniques are drawn from positive psychology, mindfulness, and somatic
based practices to help clients better help themselves during times of distress. Sessions
may incorporate creative modalities such as sound, movement, writing, acting, and
visual arts to support participants through tough situations and strong emotions.
General support activities in group therapy can include icebreakers like “Two Truths and
a Lie”, sharing personal experiences, check-ins to discuss current challenges, active
listening, providing validation and empathy, discussing coping mechanisms, practicing
relaxation techniques like deep breathing, and collaborative art projects to foster
self-expression and group connection; all aimed at creating a safe space for individuals
to share their struggles and gain support from others within the group. Every session
gives space to learn and practice emotional regulation techniques, promoting balance
and holistic well being.


Facilitators:

Emily Martinez is currently pursuing her Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy
at Touro University Worldwide, and works as an MFT Trainee at the Liberation
Institute, providing accessible, collaborative therapy for individuals, couples,
families, and groups across California via telehealth. As a dedicated therapist
trainee, she is passionate about supporting individuals navigating issues such as
anxiety, depression, stress management, relationship issues, through a
compassionate and collaborative approach. Drawing on her training in Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and person-centered therapy, she strives to create a
safe space for clients to explore their experiences and develop coping
mechanisms for personal growth and facilitate positive change. She is deeply
motivated to help others facing challenges through a trauma-informed lens. She
places an emphasis on integrative therapy and other eclectic therapies. Currently
honing her skills in mindfulness practices and motivational interviewing, she aims
to provide tailored interventions that address individual needs.

Kaitlyn Plante’s work offers an artistic take on body-based and Liberatory
approaches to mental health. She uses visual arts, writing, music, movement and
drama therapy techniques to holistically and creatively address a variety of
issues in ways that talk therapy alone cannot. Kaitlyn supports those struggling
with anxiety, depression, self esteem, relationships, grief, and experiences of
trauma in finding an internal sense of safety, compassion, and liberation by
combining mind-body awareness with creative expression. Her work is
collaborative, client-centered, strengths-based, and solution-focused. She is
committed to providing trauma-informed care, emphasizing resilience and
empowerment. Kaitlyn is currently a MFT Trainee at the Liberation Institute,
providing accessible and inclusive therapy for individuals, couples, families, and
groups across California via telehealth. She is completing her Masters in
Counseling Psychology with a specialization in Expressive Arts Therapy at
California Institute of Integral Studies.

Both Kaitlyn and Emily are Supervised by Miles Ruttinger, LMFT #133402

Care for Caregivers

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When: Thursdays, Beginning Feb. 20, 2025

Time: 1-2:30 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

Suvi Silvanto is a therapist committed to providing compassionate, client-centered care. She works with individuals, couples, and families, integrating a holistic, trauma-informed approach that honors each client’s unique strengths and experiences. Drawing from Narrative Therapy, Liberation Psychology, and Attachment Theory, she focuses on resilience, empowerment, and personal transformation. She earned her MA in Counseling Psychology from CIIS in 2024 and has spent the past year as a student therapist at the Liberation Institute, supporting diverse clients through various challenges. Having lived in multiple cultures, she brings a global perspective to her work and is deeply interested in feminist psychology, social justice, and the intersections of identity and mental well-being. Suvi strives to create an affirming and accessible space that acknowledges the diverse experiences of her clients. Her integrative approach combines psychodynamic work, somatic techniques, mindfulness, and transpersonal psychology, tailoring therapy to each client’s journey. With a backgroundin art and design, she values creativity as a powerful tool for self-expression and exploration. Suvi is supervised by Adina Ascher, LCSW #28900

Dance of Intimacy: Exploring Connection and Autonomy in Relationships

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When: Starting Thursday, May 1, 2025 – July 17, 2025

Time: 6:30 pm – 8pm

Where: GoogleMeet

Suggested donation: $10-$20 per session, no one turned away for lack of funds

Have you ever felt like you would really like to break free and do things completely on your own, but can’t because another part of you is too worried it would cost you your closest relationships? Or maybe you veer the other way and have a strong autonomous part who refuses to get tied down, too afraid of losing your freedom, and all the while another part longs for a chance to dive into deep intimacy with another…

If you have felt a tension inside between one part of you who values connection and closeness with others and another part who longs for greater self-definition or freedom of expression, this is the group for you! In what will likely be an ongoing series on The Dance of Intimacy, we will spend the first 12 weeks working through Harriet Lerner’s brilliant book The Dance of Intimacy: A Woman’s Guide to Courageous Acts of Change in Key Relationships.

This group is for women, and female-identified persons – individuals only please, no couples.

We will use Lerner’s book to begin to wonder about how one goes about being fully who they are within relationships, and we will also use Voice Dialogue (a form of parts work) to explore the parts of ourselves that get activated as we go along.

Bio: Tamara Yates has been dancing the tension of the opposites within since she discovered Voice Dialogue, a therapeutic modality that works with inner selves or parts, in 2011.  Having worked for over a decade as a Voice Dialogue facilitator, she is currently pursuing a master’s in counseling psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute and is a professional counseling trainee at Liberation Institute. She loves to get her hands in the soil as a gardener and enjoys dancing (literally and metaphorically ). She lives in Corvallis with her husband and their sweet golden retriever, Finn. Tamara is supervised by Shelly Stratton, LCSW 7252

Bio: Lex Rafael is a professional counseling trainee at Liberation Institute who is currently pursuing a master’s in counseling at Pacifica Graduate Institute. She has been involved in depth psychology and mindfulness via the Diamond Approach for the last ten years. She has worn many hats, from yoga teacher and massage therapist to kindergarten teacher. Dance, creative writing, and romping with her dog are her go-tos for self-care. Lex is supervised by Brad Byrum, license #T2185.

Want to Sign Up or Ask Questions? Contact Tamara at tamara@liberationinstitute.org

RSVP to tamara@liberationinstitute.org

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Reading for Reconnection

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When:  Sundays, starting Feb. 2, 2025

Time: 11 – 12:30pm

Where: GoogleMeet

Suggested donation: $20 per weekly session, or what you can afford. No one turned away for lack of funds. 

Join Us!
RSVP: estherb@liberationinstitute.org or call:  503-836-7350 ext. 705

Would you like to . . .
Learn about the nervous system?

Better understand your attachment

style?

Go on an adventure?

Enjoy a sense of community?

About Us
We are a new group of Oregonians who enjoy reading books, both fiction and nonfiction, that give us insight into ourselves, each other, and the world.

Bio:
Hello fellow humans!
My name is Esther and I’m a new intern with Libi. My heart is so excited to learn and grow with this truly special team and I’d like to take a moment to introduce myself. I’m in my final year of graduate school and really resonating with therapies such as parts work, focusing, brainspotting, EMDR, mindfulness, somatics, etc.! I love finding ways to incorporate the body into the therapeutic process since I believe that deep and profound healing can happen when we can come home to the body. This is easier said than done, especially for my fellow humans who also struggle with chronic illness and neurodivergence that can leave our nervous systems feeling fraught with exhaustion and overwhelm. I hope to create a co-regulating space where unmasking and connection can become antidotes to the shame and isolation that so often plague our sensitive souls.

My hope is that this group will be a heart-filling space to breathe deeply, laugh heartily, and feel less alone in our human experiences. 

Esther Bonds, Counseling Intern, Supervised by Elizabeth Hoke, License #T1440