Offering individual therapy for adults
I specialize in helping people navigate anxious feelings, depressive thoughts, traumatic experiences, major life transitions, relational stress, chronic illness, and disability. I use a mix of talk therapy and experiential work to create a space where every part of your experience matters. I’ll be here to hold it with you— rage and sorrow, joy and uncertainty—with tenderness, respect, curiosity and compassion.
Therapeutic Philosophy
The foundations of modern therapy were built within a narrow framework, designed by old white men for people who fit a specific mold — often disregarding those who exist outside it. While we’ve learned much from these original concepts, they frequently fail to acknowledge the realities of people who don’t fit into neat boxes.
I challenge this traditional model and keep my humanity at the forefront of the work. I feel deeply for and with my clients. I don’t believe every struggle is a disorder; anxiety, depression, and other symptoms are often natural responses to a harsh world, not problems to simply “fix.”
Therapy with me isn’t about pathologizing you. It’s about understanding your experiences, honoring your strengths, and finding ways to navigate life that feel right for you.
My Approach
I take a client-centered approach meaning you are the expert on your own life. My role is to listen, collaborate, and support you in ways that feel meaningful. Together, we’ll identify what’s working, explore new perspectives, and develop practical strategies to help you move forward.
A big part of our work may involve building a mental health toolkit: personalized resources and coping strategies you can rely on beyond our sessions. I believe that small changes, practiced consistently, lead to lasting breakthroughs.
Holding Space for What’s Real
One of the most important things I do is hold space with tenderness and fierce compassion. Healing requires both gentleness and truth. I strive to create a space where you feel deeply seen, supported, and empowered.
Therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all, so I tailor my approach to what resonates with you, ensuring our work aligns with your needs, values, and goals.
This Work Is Not About Fixing You
We won’t reduce your struggles to symptoms or try to force hope where it doesn’t fit. In a world that demands your silence, productivity, and constant “resilience,” we’ll make space to rest, process, grieve, and simply be.
Healing here isn’t about becoming more palatable or “better.” It’s about reclaiming what’s been lost, reconnecting with your own wisdom, and finding ways to live that feel liberating, grounded, and deeply human.
We won’t dress your pain up in clinical language or pretend capitalism and oppression aren’t part of the problem. We’ll move at your pace, honor your truth, and carve out space to exist on your own terms.
Authentic Connection Matters
More than any framework, I believe in real, human connection. Therapy works best when there’s trust, collaboration, and mutual understanding. I show up authentically, and while I may share my values or perspective when it supports your healing, sessions are always centered on you.
I maintain clear professional boundaries and use clinical judgment to ensure anything I share serves your growth, never my own.
Who I Work Best With
My ideal client is someone ready to explore therapy with curiosity and self-compassion, even when it’s hard. Together, we’ll welcome complexity and vulnerability as strengths, gently question old narratives, and honor all parts of you. If you’re ready to lean into your story and discover new possibilities, I’d be honored to walk alongside you.
Nateesh Noakes
MS, CRC, PCA
I hold a Master’s of Science in Counselor Education from Portland State University with a speciality in Rehabilitation Counseling. I am a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) and a Professional Counselor Associate (PCA).
As a CRC, I have specialized training in working with individuals with a wide range of disabilities helping them overcome barriers to achieve their personal, psychological, social, and vocational goals. I support individuals to increase autonomy and independence when adjusting the to the medical and psychosocial aspects of disability.
I have been working in the field of counseling since 2014.
As a Professional Counselor Associate (PCA), I work in private practice and provide individual therapy to adults. I work under the supervision of Kerri Anderson-Linde. I have been in private practice since 2022.
I’m originally from Las Vegas and have been in Portland for 24 years. In my free time, I love traveling, road tripping and camping with my partner, rollerskating, photography, hanging with our wild calico Gemma, thrifting, taking walks, listening to music and going to see bands, audiobooks and podcasts. The only Boss I listen to is Bruce Springsteen.