Time: 5:30 pm – 6:30pm

Where:Google Meet

Length of Each Session: 60–90 minutes

Format: Closed group (limited spots available)

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

This therapy group blends insights from Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning with reflective tools from astrology to help participants explore their sense of purpose, direction, and meaning in life. Using the astrological birth chart, especially the North Node, and optionally Chiron, Lilith, Saturn, we will reflect on inner strengths, life challenges, and potential barriers to fulfillment. Astrology is used symbolically as a prompt for exploration, not as a rigid or predictive system.

Grounded in person-centered therapy and logotherapy, the group emphasizes freedom, authenticity, and meaning-making. Participants will be encouraged to share experiences, reflect on personal values, and support each other in clarifying life direction in a safe, collaborative space.

 About the Facilitator:
Milka Engelke, MSc. (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. Milka is supervised by Elizabeth Hoke LMFT #T1440.

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


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

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Time: 5:30 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: sophiam@liberationinstitute.org

In Pleasure Activism, author and activist adrienne maree brown asks the questions, ‘How do we make social justice the most pleasurable human experience? How can we awaken within ourselves desires that make it impossible to settle for anything less than a fulfilling life?’ This 12-week book club invites you to explore these same questions by engaging deeply with adrienne maree brown’s work, reflecting on your own experiences and practices of pleasure, and building community connections — all with the goal of expanding your access to and experience of pleasure in your own life. This group is facilitated by Sophia Moss, a therapist under supervision at The Liberation Institute (supervised by Elizabeth Hoke, #T1440). Contact Sophia at sophiam@liberationinstitute.org for more information and to sign up for the group.

 About the Facilitator:
Sophia’s (she/they pronouns) counseling work is informed by the various identities she holds as a queer, biracial woman, auntie, and sister; by her professional background as an elementary educator over the past seven years; and by her own journey of coming home to herself through the difficult gift of therapy. Sophia is a poet and creative, deeply inspired by the environment and queer ecologies, and she loves incorporating art and ecotherapy interventions into her counseling work. Sophia is also trained in EMDR, which is one of the most evidence-based therapeutic approaches to healing trauma, and is accepting new clients interested in exploring this work together.

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


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

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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 for a unique, interactive book club centered around Peter A. Levine’s groundbreaking work, Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma. This isn’t just a reading group—it’s a supportive space for discussion, reflection, and gentle exploration of how trauma lives in the body and how it can be released.

Each week, we’ll delve into key chapters and themes, unpacking Levine’s insights through guided conversation, shared experiences, and practical exercises. Whether you’re reading the book for the first time or revisiting it with new eyes, this club offers a chance to connect deeply—with the text, with yourself, and with others on a similar path.

 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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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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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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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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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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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

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

Time: 7 pm – 8:30 pm

Where: GoogleMeet

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

Join a group of women as we dive into anger: what it tells us, and how we might best listen to it and learn to dance with it. We’ll be reading Harriet Lerner’s book The Dance of Anger through the lens of our broader group investigation into the tension between the parts of us who long for closeness and intimacy and the parts of us who crave autonomy in our personal relationships, whether with friends, lovers,  parents, siblings, children or other family members. When this tension isn’t consciously felt and explored, anger can definitely arise, so Lerner’s book will fit perfectly with our larger theme.

We will meet for nine weeks, ending the week before Thanksgiving.

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 as well as metaphorically). She lives in Corvallis with her husband and their sweet golden retriever, Finn. Tamara is supervised by Shelly Stratton, LCSW 7252.

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

RSVP to tamara@liberationinstitute.org

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