Sarah Catherine Golden

LPC, Assistant Clinical Director

My work as a therapist includes support with creating meaning rather than feeling stuck searching for it, identifying and rewriting unhelpful narratives, and untangling tensions that result when our values and behaviors do not align. As we move through life, our relationships with ourselves and others inevitably change; naturally, these transitions are not always smooth or comfortable. I aim to help my clients see themselves in the larger contexts and systems in which we all collectively exist, to externalize and de-pathologize challenges, and to deepen relational connections.

I recognize and honor diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of my life and work. I am a part of the LGBTQIA2+ community and enjoy supporting trans and gender nonconforming humans with gender-affirming care, including letters of support. I am sex and kink positive, supportive of all relational styles, and am allied with sex workers. Social justice and mental health are inextricable to me, and my work as a therapist is and will always be rooted in the principles of accessibility and respect. With that said, I recognize my privilege as a white, able-bodied clinician and am committed to ongoing anti-racist and anti-oppression education and practices. I am equally committed to naming, resisting, and dismantling the systemic oppression that is currently depleting the well-being of much of our population.

I earned my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in 2018 from Vermont State University, and I have been working in mental health and social justice since 2015 in Vermont, Los Angeles, and Oregon. I also have photojournalism, studio, and fine art backgrounds and am a published writer and editor. I have additional degrees in anthropology, sociology, and fine art, and am internationally certified to teach English as a foreign language. I have lived in many US states, several countries in Western Europe, and Mexico, and completed portions of my graduate studies and research in Nicaragua, Ireland, and Russia. Pluralism and multiculturalism are built into and inform my preferred theories and methodologies.

I am formally and comprehensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, and Art Therapy and facilitation, among other modalities. I have specialized training in sex therapy, as well as in working with people with complex trauma, anxiety, depression, personality disorders, ADHD, and autism. I have also spent all of my career working with individuals with dual diagnoses of intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and mental health disorders. In our collaborative treatment planning, we will mutually decide how to best point you toward your goals and what interventions feel most appropriate. I am most passionate about postmodern and existential humanistic theories and practices, and I also use a lot of psycho-education and practical skill-building. Humor, authenticity, creativity, and sincerity are indispensable to who I am and how I work.

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and Approved Clinical Supervisor in the state of Oregon (#C7242), and I follow mandated reporting laws as per state regulations. At times, I will seek consultation and supervision regarding particular situations or as I seek out continuing education. Information regarding the limitations to confidentiality will be provided to clients on an ongoing basis.