Time: 8:30-10pm

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: We love watching our children grow, but we also recognize that raising a child can be a demanding chapter where it is easy to overlook your own emotional well-being. Managing parental stress, burnout, and the emotional roller coaster of these early years is crucial. You don’t have to carry these burdens alone! Our Parent Support Group is designed to be a supportive, confidential, judgment-free space dedicated to parent mental health and emotional well-being. With the support of two dedicated therapists, each session will feature an optional discussion topic or focus on a topic brought by a parent. The goal is to share resources, discuss effective coping strategies for stress and overwhelm, and offer encouragement for navigating the emotional demands of modern parenting. 

Facilitators: Denisa Selby and Roxanne Adli 

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. Roxanne is supervised by Caroline Leon Williams, LMF 127792. 

Denisa Selby is currently pursuing her Master’s in Counseling Psychology at National University and works as a Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee at the Liberation Institute, providing telehealth therapy to individuals and groups. Denisa works with clients dealing with high levels of stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, existential crises and identity development. In the work with clients, she has been drawing from principles of humanistic, existential and solution focused therapy. She is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach. Previously Denisa worked as a case manager with foster children and families, supporting their adjustment and connecting them to resources; she is also a single parent to two young adults. Denisa is supervised by Toni Schrader, LPCC #759

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.

Time:  6 weekly sessions

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

Based on: Psychedelic Integration: Psychotherapy for Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness
By: Marc Aixalà

Join us for a 6-week online book club and integration group designed to explore and process non-ordinary states of consciousness. Together, we’ll unpack Marc Aixalà’s insights on psychedelic integration and support one another in making meaning of our personal experiences.

What to Expect:

Focus on grounding insights into daily life

Guided discussions and reflections based on Aixalà’s book

A supportive community space for sharing and integration

Details:

• Start Date: TBD (once we gather availability – please email to share yours)
• Where: Online via Google Meet
• Duration: 6 weekly sessions, 60–90 minutes each
• Contribution: Donation-based ($10/session – no one turned away for lack of funds)
• Limited spots available

Disclaimer:
This group is intended to support individuals who have already had experiences with non-ordinary or altered states of consciousness and wish to integrate those insights in a safe, therapeutic community. Participation in this group does not constitute encouragement or recommendation to engage in the use of psychedelics or other altered-state practices. Each participant acknowledges personal responsibility for their choices and attends the group solely for integration and mutual support.

 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: 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

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: milka@liberationinstitute.org
Complete the form: https://forms.gle/SsmzQ1z8wgX1tVNr7ail: 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.

What to Expect:

• Guided reflection on purpose, calling, and life direction.
• Use of astrological symbols as tools for self-discovery, not as dogma.
• A supportive, non-judgmental environment where participants can share stories, insights, and challenges.

Important Notes:

Participation in astrology-based activities is optional; all perspectives, including skepticism, are welcome.

The group focuses on self-reflection and growth, not prediction.

 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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