I am passionate about helping you connect sexually to yourself and your partner(s). This process is about creating a sense of fulfillment that resonates with you. It can be hard to determine what we truly want when we receive so much contradictory advice and hear so many conflicting messages. However, if we can put aside the “shoulds” and arbitrary benchmarks, we can create sexual connections that reflect who we are and what we want. My goal is to create a space that is free of pressures and expectations and instead focuses on what you want. I believe that you are the source of change, but everyone needs guidance and support. I will collaborate with you to build your own narrative of what healthy sex looks and feels like, a narrative that honors and validates your experiences.
Alissa specializes in…
- Licensure
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Oregon
- Marriage and Family Therapist Associate in Washington
- Clinical Supervisors: Karlaina Brooke, PsyD, AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and Maegan Megginson, MA, LMFT, LPC, AASECT Certified Sex Therapist
- Degrees
- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Economics – Hamilton College
- Master of Arts in Marriage, Couple and Family Therapy with specialization in Sex Therapy – Lewis and Clark College
- Advanced Trainings
- Ecopsychology Certified – Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling
- Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy – ICEEFT Externship
- Clinical Supervision
- University of Michigan Sexual Health Certificate Program (SHCP) Sex Therapy & Sexuality Education
My Journey
When I was a teenager, I experienced mounting pressures around sexual expectations. I experienced sexual insecurity due to misinformation and sex-negative dialogues around women’s first sexual experiences. In response to my own anxiety, I expanded my conceptualizations and conversations around sex, which helped me understand that at its most creative, sexuality is about sharing an intimate and unique form of self-expression. While this experience resulted in a sex-positive outlook, it was accompanied by a certain degree of hardship and stress-driven by societal narratives around sex, sexuality, and romantic relationships. This realization has fostered a desire to help others co-construct healthier and more satisfying concepts of relationships, sex, and sexuality.
These experiences led me to focus on sex therapy with a specialization in sexual pain, low desire or desire discrepancy in partners, performance anxiety, and unconsummated relationships. If something is blocking you from connecting to your sexuality, I can help.
Professionally, I believe the conversation around sex and sexuality needs to change to allow for more honesty and empowerment. I am trained from a social justice framework and seek to understand my clients from a systems perspective, which considers the broader context of presenting concerns.
When I am not in the office, I am exploring the trails in and around Portland, paddle boarding, camping, reading at a coffee shop, or trying to eat my way through this delicious city.
