Erin Berk LPC, ATR
Education
Erin Berk is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Oregon who has been practicing since 2001. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Florida State University and a Master of Art Therapy and Counseling from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Theoretical Orientation
Erin helps her clients to develop stronger coping skills while gaining a greater sense of peace in their lives. The work of therapy is to reconnect you with your long-lost feelings. We repair in relating because this is how the disconnects got there to begin with. We do talk and listen or utilize art therapy, when appropriate---but we privilege emotion and emotional truth – beginning with the vital little glints of core feeling that might accompany what you say. The wonderful and strange thing – the experience of feeling these disowned feelings is very different from what you might imagine at the outset. These feelings feel good, not bad, are good, not bad. This is because they feel true. Connecting to what’s emotionally true can be calming, vitalizing, and energizing. And when you begin to inhabit yourself in this new way, you feel an “ok-ness yourself” that’s yours to keep. Erin’s approach to therapy is tailored to you: you set the pace, she guides, and you find your direction together. We all have a comfort zone, and you’ll notice Erin is very respectful of yours. The ultimate goal is to understand that comfort zone, and – gently – to expand it in the direction of health. The very first task is to understand what it is that’s brought you to seek help right now, and what inner change you are hoping for in treatment. You may know what you don’t want to be feeling – anxious, at odds with your partner, or depressed – but what is it that you do want to feel that you can’t feel now? As lousy as you may be feeling at the outset, it’s helpful to find a clear focus rooted in your core values – the things that make you, you, the things the un-anxious, un-depressed, un-distressed you loves to do. In finding our focus, we may touch on the core feelings you’d like to reach for again: joy, curiosity, and ease
More Information
Erin enjoys gathering with friends and family over home cooked food and meaningful connections, live concerts, road trips, and spending time with her family. She finds her bliss through photography and taking walks in nature.
Ages Served
18-64, 65+
Specialties
Depression, Grief/Death, Postpartum Depression , Women’s Issues, LGBTQ+, Transgender Issues, Trauma, Mindfulness, PTSD
Gender
Female
Languages
English
Locations
