So…what brings YOU here today?

How I can help

Counseling can help relieve a wide range of issues, including the ones listed below. If you see yourself in any of these examples, I encourage you to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation so we can decide together if we’re a good fit.

My approach

If you’re looking for a counselor, you may notice that we all have our own theoretical approach. And while I don’t advise choosing a counselor based solely on that (unless, of course, the help you’re seeking is highly specialized), it’s helpful to understand their approach on some level just to have a better idea of what to expect from your therapy experience. 

I draw heavily from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (so what is that, exactly?)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is based on the idea that our feelings and behaviors are influenced by our thoughts or perceptions about events—not the events themselves. If we want to change feelings and behaviors that are troubling us, we focus on modifying the thinking that is behind them. 

What’s so great about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

It is evidence-based, with research showing its effectiveness in treating a range of symptoms. 

It promotes results that can be measured against specific treatment goals. 

It can be used successfully with individuals, couples, families and groups.

And the best part…you can learn to apply concepts of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to examine some issues on your own. Counseling may continue for as long as it is helpful and beneficial, though I support clients developing tools to help themselves, too.

And finally, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has helped me, and I have seen it work for others, too.

What to expect with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is typically a short-term treatment. Depending on your goals, it may last a few weeks to a few months or more.

With Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, you can expect to:

• work together to set goals for your counseling;
• have homework to do outside of session (we’ll come up with that together, too!);
• better understand your thought patterns and how to change them; and, 
• GROW with guidance, empathy and support.

While my counseling approach provides a solid foundation for working with clients, what is most important to a successful outcome is a positive therapeutic relationship. That means I’m focused on helping you to feel seen, heard and understood when we work together, and ensuring we make overall progress toward your treatment goals. 

Additional treatment tools I can offer

Gottman Method Couples Therapy is an approach to relationship therapy developed by Drs. John and Julie Gottman, with the benefit of their decades of research and face-to-face work with couples. It is an evidence-based approach that focuses on skill building, with communication and conflict management as key areas of development. Learn more about the Gottman Method.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy helps clients reprocess traumatic memories that were not resolved naturally, allowing the brain to resume healing and the trauma response to be diminished. Though commonly used to treat PTSD, EMDR has also shown to be effective in treating anxiety, depression, grief, panic disorders and a variety of other conditions. It often yields results faster than more traditional approaches to therapy. Learn more from the EMDR International Association.

Cognitive Processing Therapy is a cognitive-behavioral treatment designed specifically for PTSD. It is a structured approach that has proven to be effective in reducing PTSD symptoms stemming from abuse, assault, combat, rape, natural disasters and other traumatic experiences. Treatment for a specific traumatic event is typically completed over the course of 12 sessions, though fewer or additional sessions may be required. Learn more about Cognitive Processing Therapy.

What to expect from counseling

Counseling is a collaborative experience. We’ll discuss what you want to work on, set goals for our work together, and revisit your goals throughout treatment. I ask for feedback regularly so we can adjust our work and make the best use of our time together. 

Counseling is not me telling you what you should do. I don’t have all the answers, and can’t provide a “quick fix” for every problem. What I will do is work closely with you to help you find your best path forward. 

Counseling can be hard! Troubles sometimes stem from painful past experiences that may surface in therapy. Processing those experiences in a safe space can help you move closer to your counseling goals.  

You’ll have a safe, confidential space to share what you are experiencing and be heard and understood without fear of judgment or shaming.  

Results take time and effort. It is not unusual to see some progress within the first few sessions, though you won’t necessarily experience “a-ha!” moments every time we get together. You may even feel like you’ve taken a step back sometimes. That’s OK! What’s important is that we see overall progress during a series of sessions and experience a generally positive trend in relieving the symptoms that brought you here.     

Sessions are typically 50 minutes in length, though longer sessions may be scheduled as needed. 

Therapy may continue for several weeks, a few months, or longer depending on what you want to gain from it.

About Tiffany

I came to the counseling profession after spending more than 20 years in corporate marketing communications. Stay with me…it’s not as big a leap as it may seem! Both fields are focused on helping people, and they require similar skills for success: the ability to listen closely, ask the right questions, build trusting relationships and understand human thought and behavior.

Before I became a practitioner of counseling, I sought help from a counselor to navigate a few rough spots in my adult life. Then, a major curve ball landed me in counseling for about a year of weekly sessions. Not only was counseling instrumental to my healthy emergence from that experience, it transformed other aspects of my life in ways I never imagined—including my relationships with others and my relationship with myself.

Until then, I had not fully realized that life could be better. My experience in counseling helped identify and lift some of the emotional burdens I’d been carrying for most of my life. It was so transformative I was moved to go back to school so I could help others discover their own version of that experience.

I enrolled in a graduate counseling program. While continuing to work and go to school, I had the opportunity to join a national peer-to-peer support network as the primary contact and group leader for the Portland/Vancouver area. This provided me the opportunity to help others who’d gone through the “curve ball experience” that I did while continuing to develop my skills as a counselor. I continued this volunteer service for four years. I completed my internship at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office as part of my degree requirement, including one-on-one and group counseling work with incarcerated adults at the facility. Both of these real-life experiences were deeply rewarding and serve as a constant reminder of how healing it can be for people to receive understanding and empathy in the midst of their pain.

I graduated with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from George Fox University and am a member of the American Counseling Association and Oregon Counseling Association.

Tiffany Butler
MA, LPC

Getting Started

The first (intake) session

During the first appointment, we’ll walk through a series of questions that will help me learn more about you and provide a solid foundation for our work together. Intake sessions are 80 minutes, and are charged at the extended session rate ($195 for individual clients, $250 for a couple or family). 

50-minute (standard) sessions

• individual counseling $165
• couple or family counseling $185 

80-minute (extended) sessions

• individual counseling $195 
• couple or family counseling $250

Payment

Payment for services is due at the beginning of each session. I am not affiliated with any insurance or managed-care providers, so payment for services is out-of-pocket. I accept cash, checks, debit cards and credit cards.    

Please note that a credit or debit card is required to be kept on file, even if you are paying with cash or check.  

Cancellation

If you must cancel, please do so at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled session to avoid being charged for that session. While it is rare, repeated cancellations and/or failures to reschedule can result in release from counseling.