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The Pursuit of Wellness LLC

Therapy, peer support, ketamine therapy, and clinical supervision in Oregon

 

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 Resources

Please present to your nearest emergency room or call 911, non-emergency, or your local crisis line if immediate assistance is needed. Call 911 to report abuse/neglect of a child, vulnerable adult, elderly adult, or an animal.

 

Call or text 988 for immediate mental health assistance. Sign up for peer support HERE. 

 

Oregon Only

 

National Resources

 

Specific Groups

 

LGBTQIA Resources

For more info about the following, email: help@lgbthotline.org

  • Trans teen online talk group (ages 12-19)

  • Trans youth online chat group (ages 13 and under)

  • LGBT national youth hotline (up to age 25): 1-800-246-7743.    
  • LGBT national hotline: 1-888-843-4564   

 

 

 

Description of Terms

  • "Dissociation" is a general term that is often described as zoning or spacing out, seeming far away or not there, or losing time. It happens when the brain and body disconnect from each other, allowing your mind to go somewhere else while your body goes through the motions. It's a very adaptive way of coping when you're in a situation that you can't get out of. Dissociation exists on a spectrum, from mild to severe. Mild dissociation is normal and something we all experience to some level on a regular basis. For example: Forgetting where you put your keys, having no memory of your drive to work, or thinking about something else during a conversation, or reading a book and then realizing you don't know what it was about. Dissociation beyond these typical occurences can feel like losing track of longer periods of time, having gaps in your memory from the day, last week, or for years of your childhood, getting lost in an activity for an unknown length of time, being unsure whether or not you did something (like ate a meal), or not recognizing people who seem to know you. 
  • "Dissociative disorders" is a group of five types of dissociative experiences that can become a diagnosed mental health condition. Usually, a person with high levels of dissociation or who meets the criteria for a diagnosis of a dissociative disorder has survived prolonged traumatic events and/or lived in a significantly stressful environment as a child. It can extend to levels of dissociation that are sometimes described as having a dissociative identity, amnesia, fugue, living with internal parts, depersonalization, or derealization. 
  • "Parts" is a term that refers to different aspects of your identity that are separate from each other and live together as a system. Also known as "headmates," "plurals," or "alters," parts may have their own names, their own trauma triggers, and hold specific memories from your past - possibly some memories that you are not presently aware of. Some parts might be self-destructive or seem to direct their anger toward you. Parts can be all ages and genders. Sometimes a part may be an animal or non-human character, such as a robot. When you first become aware of your parts, or become "system aware," it can be overwhelming to gain a sense of stability when they all want different things. They often have different goals and very strong emotions.  Communication among internal parts is not the same thing as hearing and seeing things, as in visual or auditory hallucinations. All parts are motivated by the instinct to help and protect. "People who live with parts" or "systems" are two ways of referring to this or to people in the DID community. In clinical terms, a person with parts is likely diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, previously known as multiple personality disorder, or other specified dissociative disorder (OSDD). Most of the time, the therapeutic goal for this is functional multiplicity/plurality, or creating internal wellness, healing of trauma, and good communication in order to live together in harmony going forward.
  • "Trauma" is a general term that can include any past painful, distressing, psychological harmful, or terrifying event that continues to have a negative impact on your life. This can lead to different levels of emotional stress, trouble trusting others, and interruptions in everyday tasks, often involving nightmares, flashbacks, being easily startled, negative beliefs about yourself or the world, fear, difficulty feeling positive emotions, and avoiding reminders of the painful events.

 

Waiting Lists

A therapist may be able to provide you with suggestions for other providers who could be viable options for therapy if they are unable to work with you (such as in the case of having no openings, not being the best fit, or being out of network with your insurance). Being placed on a waitlist does not mean you are now a client/patient under the therapist's care, or guarantee that you and the therapist will be a good fit or begin meeting within a particular timeframe. Your professional relationship with a therapist begins once a schedule, fee agreement, and plan are established and all documents relevant to informed consent and policies have been signed. After that, you begin your work together to create a clear picture of your personal story and mental health, identify goals to work on, and get started on a path of pursuing wellness. If at any time you feel you have been wronged or treated unethically by a therapist, you have the right to file a grievance with relevant entities (such as licensing boards) and discontinue services. Except in situations of mandated treatment, your participation in therapy is voluntary and can be discontinued by you or the therapist at any time. You and the therapist both have the right to decide to discontinue services if necessary. 

 

Why go to therapy? Any and all reasons! There are unlimited reasons why a person might want to include a therapist (or peer support specialist) in their support network. There are no rules. You don't have to talk about a specific thing or focus only on what is going wrong in your life. What would you like to see change? Are there patterns or challenges that just keep happening? Are you navigating existential questions, such as spirituality or being unsure what your purpose is in life? Does it seem like some of the relationships in your life just don't ever work out? Do you find yourself wondering, "Why does this keep happening to me?" These are questions people might be asking themselves when considering whether or not to see a therapist. 

You are doing it right every time you show up. 

 

 

 

Feel free to let us know if there are additional resources you would like to see here, or if you find that any of the links don't work!

 

    

Emergency: Call 911 or 988, or click HERE for a list of crisis lines.