Naomi Wright, PhD

Helping Individuals & Families Get Unstuck

There are so many ways people can get stuck. Maybe you’re having trouble doing the stuff you care about most because you’re feeling sad, anxious, angry, or having a hard time getting along with people. You might be struggling to heal from trauma, manage complex health problems, or navigate neurodiversity in an unsupportive world. Or maybe you’re a caregiver who has repeated the same loop over and over with your child and things don’t seem to change. It’s not your fault that you got stuck in the first place and it’s not your fault that nothing you tried has worked just yet.  

As a psychologist, I use strategies supported by science. I will start with getting to know you and your unique challenges and strengths. Next, we will set clear goals, learn specific skills, and take action to bring you closer to what matters most to you. The quickest path to change is to practice what we learn between sessions. Don’t worry! We’ll be careful to take small, manageable steps at the beginning.  

To address the problems of young children, I prefer to work directly with parents. That is because changing the day-to-day reactions around a child is the best way to shape their behavior. With older children and teens, we will find a balance of one-to-one and family time.  

Many people see progress in 12-20 sessions, but others desire longer-term support. My hope is that we will build a toolkit of useful skills so you can feel confident in managing challenges and staying unstuck after graduating from our work together. 

Background

 believe therapy is a team effort. You are the expert in yourself and your family – as a clinical psychologist, I am the expert in evidence-based treatments that work. I draw on my experience with people from many walks of life in hospitals, shelters for unhoused folks, and community clinics.  

My work reinforced what I learned growing up poor in rural Oregon: much of what gets in the way for people is out of our control. This reality can make us feel hopeless and frustrated. I strive to help you navigate the immense difficulty of everyday life while finding some space to stretch, move, and breathe.  

Approach

As someone who has conducted scientific research on abuse and betrayal, I always look out for how past trauma may affect current behavior. Working with me, you will probably also see my theater background come out– therapy is serious, but I believe we can also have fun and be silly! Every person is different, so we will collaborate to make sure the tools we use match your unique needs.  

Orientation: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Trauma-Focused CBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)-informed, Parent Management Training, Functional Family Therapy

Modalities: Individual, Parent-child, Parent guidance, Family

If you or your child are stuck with any of the challenges above and are willing to try some new strategies and practice between appointments, I might be a great fit as your therapist. I look forward to hearing from you.