I provide focused, time-limited psychotherapy for individuals who are feeling stuck and want to make real changes in their lives. I am committed to helping people live lives that are more meaningful and vibrant, lives that have a sense of integrity and purpose.
I am providing both in-person and telehealth services at this time.
What would make for a well-lived, meaningful life? Many people come to me because they are feeling “stuck” in their lives. They often feel a loss of vitality, satisfaction, or meaning in their lives. That “stuckness” may come in the form of a chronic sense of emptiness or depression, difficulties with intimacy and relationships, struggles integrating past trauma and other painful life experiences, persistent shame or chronic self-criticism, or a more general life dissatisfaction. The type of therapy that I practice, called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), is an evidence-based therapy that utilizes processes like mindfulness, acceptance, and values in order to help clients develop the skills needed to more effectively work with the suffering they experience.
But a well-lived life is more than just the absence of pain; it is the presence of meaning and purpose. Therefore, rather than just focusing on what people don’t want in their lives, I am most interested in helping people reorient to what they do want their lives to be about. I seek to help people live lives of integrity, purpose, and meaning even when the inevitable pain of life visits them. Many of us haven’t had much opportunity to explore what a “well-lived life” would actually look like for us personally. So, in addition to identifying areas of stuckness, I work with people to explore how they can create a meaningful life in the service of what would be most important to them.
As a licensed psychologist I practice evidence-based therapy, which means that my clinical work is informed by empirical research identifying those methods that science has shown to be most effective. Therapy is a big investment of time, resources, and energy. The scientific data suggest (and my more than 20 years of clinical experience has also shown me) that, for most people, the largest gains from therapy usually occur relatively early on in therapy, often within the first few months. Therefore, in order to help my clients make the most out of their investment in therapy, I work in a focused, time-limited model. That means that I see clients for up to 12 sessions focused on a particular struggle, issue, or theme in order to make real and lasting change. While you may choose to come back at a later point to do another time-limited piece of work together, my focus is on helping you identify unworkable patterns and make concrete changes in your life rather emphasizing ongoing, long-term therapy. Fundamentally, my work is about helping people who are stuck reorient to what is most important and, in doing so, create more meaningful, well-lived lives.
Psychedelic Safety and Integration Services
In addition to my regular therapy practice, I have also received specialized training in psychedelic assisted therapy, including completing the full MAPS training course and supervised clinical experience. I am also a research therapist on Portland Psychotherapy’s MDMA for Social Anxiety clinical trial. In my therapy practice I work with clients who are considering using psychedelics or who have used them in the past, providing a space for them to talk about and integrate those experiences into their daily life. Please note, I am unable to help individuals obtain or facilitate the use of psychedelic substances in any way. I am only able to provide support to individuals who are considering pursuing or have had psychedelic experiences in another context, working with them to increase the likelihood that their experiences will be safe and meaningful in a lasting way.
Things I’ve Written
I’ve included a sample of some of my writings below that I thought give a sense of my interests and who I am…
- “Values in Therapy: A Clinician’s Guide to Helping Clients Explore Values, Increase Psychological Flexibility, and Live a More Meaningful Life” — book I co-authored with Dr. Jason Luoma
- ACT and Body Image Difficulties: Maybe not liking your body isn’t the problem
- Pain and values: two sides of the same coin
- Gender, sexuality, and other things that don’t belong in boxes
- Gratitude – It does a relationship good!
- The ACT Therapist – a poem I wrote with Dr. Jason Luoma
Treatment Approach
Orientation: I practice a type of mindfulness-based cognitive-behavioral therapy called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). My work tends to be highly relational in nature and developing a strong therapeutic relationship is fundamental to my approach.
Modalities: Individuals
Client Focus
Ages:
18+
Special Populations:
LGBTQ affirming
Kink/Poly/ENM affirming
Qualifications
Co-Founder and President of Portland Psychotherapy
Peer Reviewed Trainer in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Fellow of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science
Practicing Since: 1997
Degree: Ph.D., Clinical Psychology
Year Graduated: 2002
License Number and State: Licensed Psychologist in Oregon # 1600 and Washington PY61154300
Specialties:
- Relationship difficulties
- Intimacy/sexuality concerns
- Personal growth and values clarification
- Body image concerns
- Shame/self-criticism
- Trauma/abuse
- Stress/life transitions
- Psychedelic harm reduction and integration
Financial
Average Cost: $285
Accepted Insurance Plans:
Will bill most insurance plans as an out-of-network provider
How I Can Help:
As the President and Co-Founder of Portland Psychotherapy, it is extremely important to me that we do our best to help all those who reach out to us get connected with quality, science-based mental health services. Finding the right therapist, one with whom you feel comfortable and understands your unique struggle is essential if therapy is going to be helpful. If you have questions or would like to speak with me to see if my work might be a good match for what you are looking for, please feel free to contact me. And if it turns out that I am not best able to meet your needs, I would be very happy to help you find referrals for someone who might be a better match.
Email Address: jlejeune@portlandpsychotherapy.com
Phone: 503-281-4852