Counseling

Outside providers and resources

How to find a therapist

What to expect
  • It may require time and several communications to identify and schedule your first counseling session.
  • Many mental health providers are conducting remote therapy through secure telehealth platforms. This has created flexibility in scheduling and opened the geographic region for searching for a good fit in counseling services.
Places to start your search

There are several search engines that specialize in helping people find a therapist in private practice.

In addition there are several organizations that have a group of counselors. Many of these agencies accept multiple insurance plans including OHP. Here are some examples:

Searching tips
  • You can filter by insurance, gender, and specialty which can be helpful if you are seeking therapy for a specific aspect or area of your life (but be careful not to use too many filters as your options may become more narrow than you want!).
  • Keep an eye out for those that are not currently accepting clients.
  • Confirm the agency/counselor is able to bill your insurance at an “in network rate” if you are hoping your insurance will pay for the majority or all of the session costs. If not, ask questions to understand your financial responsibility per session.
  • If you find a provider who does not accept your insurance but you’d really like to work with them, you can always ask if they provide a sliding scale to see if they’d fit into your budget for therapy.
  • Some therapists will offer a free 15 minute consultation. If they do, think about some things that feel important for you to know if working with them will be a good fit, such as:
    • “What is your approach to working with clients?”
    • “What is your experience working with my specific concern?”
    • “How often do you meet with clients?” The ideal response is usually “as often as the client’s situation requires”. If the therapist is too busy to meet regularly, it’s very helpful to know that upfront.
    • If you’ve worked with a therapist before, think about what you liked about them.
    • If it doesn’t feel like a match after a few initial sessions, consider continuing your search!

Once you identify a therapist you would like to work with. Reach out to them by phone or email.

Template for reaching out

“Hello, I’m interested in setting up an initial session with you. Are you currently accepting new clients, or do you have a waiting list? I have [insert your insurance] insurance and want to confirm you can bill at an in-network rate. Thank you!”

Schedule an appointment

Once you have found a potential match, schedule your first appointment.

Resources for low-cost / no insurance therapy
Crisis resources

BIPOC mental health resources

BIPOC on-call support
  • If you are a young person of color who is feeling stressed, depressed, or anxious, you can text STEVE to 741741 to connect with a culturally-trained crisis counselor 24/7.
  • Blackline provides a space for peer support, counseling, witnessing and affirming the lived experiences to folxs who are most impacted by systematic oppression with an LGBTQ+ Black Femme Lens. Call or text BlackLine at 1-800-604-5841. Texting is available 24/7; visit their website for calling hours during COVID-19.
  • The Racial Equity Support Line is a service led and staffed by people with lived experience of racism. They offer support to those who are feeling the emotional impacts of racist violence and microaggressions, as well as the emotional impacts of immigration struggles and other cross-cultural issues. Call the Racial Equity Support Line at 503-575-3764 on weekdays from 10:00am to 7:00pm to get support.
  • StrongHearts Native Helpline (24/7) is a Native American-centered support for intimate partner violence. Advocates to no request of record the contact’s identification and-or address. Call: 1-844-762-8483 or use the Online chat link
  • Naseeha answer calls from around the world from Muslim and non-Muslims. They provide a safe zone for youths and individuals to talk and get the help they need. Call or text Naseeha at 1-866-NASEEHA (627-3342) 7 days a week from 9:00am to 9:00pm PST.
  • David Romprey Oregon Warmline’s team members are confidential peer support who have experienced life challenges – including moods, voices, visions, trauma, and addictions. We know what it is like to feel big feelings or to find ourselves in moments when there seems to be little to hope for. Call 1-800-698-2392 (English and Spanish).
BIPOC-centered therapy and counseling
  • 7 Tips for Finding a Culturally Competent Therapist—from Someone Who’s Been There – An article by A. Rochaun Meadows at Healthline
  • Questions to help QTBIPOC find affirming mental health providers – A tool developed by Mental Health America and the Human Rights Campaign
  • Finding Mental Health Care that Fits Your Cultural Background – A guide developed by the National Alliance on Mental Illness
  • Inclusive Therapists – Search for a therapist by location, specialty, accepted insurance, etc. We center the needs of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. We honor the full neurodiversity spectrum and advocate for mental health care accessibility for people with disabilities/ disabled people.
  • OHSU Avel Gordly Center for Healing – Call the new patient line at 503-418-5311 to get connected to culturally sensitive mental health care in the Portland Metro. The Avel Gordly Center for Healing focuses on culturally sensitive care for the African and African-American community. We recognize how trauma affects the health of our patients and we strive to remove the stigma that is associated with mental illness. We have a close collaboration with community partners that provide cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness based therapy, psychotherapy, and medication management. We have a diverse group of expert practitioners who provide individual, group, marital, couples, and family therapy.
  • Native American Rehabilitation Association of the NW (NARA) – Call the Mental Health Intake Line at 503-307-7775 on weekdays between 8:00am and 5:00pm to get a referral. Guided by a cultural advisor, NARA’s adult mental health program provides a variety of counseling and support services for adults, including: individual & family counseling, case management services, psychiatric evaluations and medication management, cultural groups and activities, group therapy, substance abuse services, and access to community-based resources.
  • Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center – The Mission is to provide high quality, comprehensive, and culturally appropriate primary health care to the communities of Washington and Yamhill counties with a special emphasis on migrant and seasonal farmworkers and others with barriers to receiving health care. Our trained and experienced integrated behavioral health team of counselors, providers, and peers are here to help on the road to recovery and treatment with better access, choice, and coordination.
  • Asian Health & Service Center – Make an appointment with the outpatient Mental Health Clinic in Portland, or call for emotional support for stress and anxiety. AHSC provides a safe and culturally sensitive place for Asians who seek mental health care. It is a culturally competent and linguistically appropriate service that is offered in Cantonese, English, Korean, Mandarin or Vietnamese. All staff members of the mental health program are multilingual and multicultural professionals who have extensive experience in the field.
  • Khalil Center – The TIIP therapeutic framework was developed by Khalil Center leadership to integrate professional psychology into an Islamic framework by accessing our 1400-year-old tradition dating back to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself. At Khalil Center, we believe that Islam answers critical questions about a person’s spirituality and behavior that must be utilized in mainstream clinical mental health practice.
  • Imani Center – Call 503-226-4060 to start enrollment and become a client. The Imani Center offers individual and group counseling, peer support and limited case management in a culturally safe environment where participants can be themselves. At the Imani Center, you’ll have the opportunity to build community with folks who look like you, with the support of staff members who have lived knowledge of Black culture and the African American experience.
  • Therapy for Black Girls – Search for a therapist by location, specialty, accepted insurance, etc. So often the stigma surrounding mental health issues and therapy prevents Black women from taking the step of seeing a therapist. This space was developed to present mental health topics in a way that feels more accessible and relevant.
Mental health support groups
  • NAMI BIPOC Peer Support Group A free, drop-in recovery support group by and for people living with mental health barriers who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group is a free, peer-led support group for any adult who has experienced symptoms of a mental health condition. You will gain insight from hearing the challenges and successes of others, and the groups are led by trained leaders who’ve been there. NAMI’s support groups are unique because they follow a structured model to ensure you and others in the group have an opportunity to be heard and to get what you need.
  • Fireweed Collective Online Support Groups Fireweed Collective Groups are virtual spaces where folks can connect to, and offer mutual aid with others who share similar life experiences and struggles. Groups run for a month. They meet once a week online for one hour. All support groups are sliding scale of free to $20 – and are facilitated by members of Fireweed Collective.
Social supports and connections
  • PDX Black Excellence PDX Black Excellence is a community organization cultural movement to connect and support Portland’s black residents and advocates. Through select services and curated events we believe we can create a unique experience in Portland that fosters social and professional networking, new relationships, and new understanding.
  • JUNTOSpdx Launched in 2022, JUNTOSpdx mission is dedicated to building CONNECTIONS in the Latino Hispanic community and reconnect them with their roots. HIGHLIGHT the diverse talent in the community, INSPIRE the city to engage with our cultura, and CELEBRATE the rich and diverse Latino Hispanic culture.
  • APANO Uniting Asians and Pacific Islanders to build power, develop leaders, and advance equity through organizing, advocacy, community development and cultural work.
  • NAYA Family Center Events Founded by the community, for the community, NAYA is a family of numerous tribes and voices who are rooted in sustaining tradition and building cultural wealth. We provide culturally-specific programs and services that guide our people in the direction of personal success and balance through cultural empowerment. Our continuum of lifetime services create a wraparound, holistic healthy environment that is Youth Centered, Family Driven, Elder Guided.
  • Slavic Community Center of NW Our fundamental goal – help members of this community become fully functional, well-integrated part of the society in every aspect of their life in this country: education, employment, health and wellness, social services, business development, career growth, legal assistance, etc. while preserving their cultural heritage.
Self-care articles, blogs and other readings
  • Coping and Wellness Strategies by Black Mental Wellness. Coping and wellness strategies are a range of approaches, activities, and social interactions that can help improve your thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. Search our site for coping and wellness strategies and identify a few strategies that you find interesting, then practice those strategies, and lastly, monitor your response.
  • Black and LGBTQ: Approaching Intersectional Conversations by The Trevor Project. A PDF file guide of approaches for before, during, and after a difficult conversation to make sure the dialogue – and your mental health – stays safe.
  • Racism and Mental Health – Tips from Dr. Joy by Therapy for Black Girls. This is a readable PDF notes version of Dr. Joy’s Racism and Mental Health episode of her Therapy for Black Girls podcast.
  • Therapin*y Blog Explore Filipino/a/x mental health & wellness.
  • Mental Wellness Activity Book for Asian Americans The University of Connecticut’s Asian and Asian American Studies Institute has partnered with the #IAMNOTAVIRUS campaign and the Asian American Literary Review to provide students with this Mental Health Workbook.
  • Rest for Resistance Blog Rest for Resistance strives to uplift marginalized communities, those who rarely get access to adequate health care or social support. This includes Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Pacific Islander, Asian, Middle Eastern, and multiracial persons.
  • Information for Folks with a New Mental Health Diagnosis by BEAM. Receiving a new mental health diagnosis can be a difficult time. To support our folks navigating new diagnosis, we have compiled a collection of resources, tools and links that can help you navigate insurance, finding a therapist, understanding medication and much more.
  • How to Protect Your Mental Health While Fighting Racial Injustice A blog post and list of mental health resources by Online Counseling Programs
Self-care podcasts
  • Perfectly Imperfect – A Podcast on Mental Health for Folx of Color (Apple Podcasts, Spotify) With Johnzelle Anderson, LPC, this podcast discusses mental health issues impacting communities of color. The mission is to make information about mental health digestible to all listeners with a special focus on POCs.
  • Brown Girl Self-Care Podcast with Bre Mitchell (Apple Podcasts, Spotify) Join Bre as she shares life experiences, weighs in on current events, amps up her wellness/health habits and finds clean(ish) products to try all for the sake of taking her physical, spiritual and emotional well-being to the next level and (hopefully) inspiring other women of color to do so as well.
  • Latinx Therapy with Adriana Alejandre, LMFT (Apple Podcasts, Spotify) Break the stigma of mental health as it relates to the Latinx community. Learn self-help techniques, how to support ourselves or those around us that struggle with mental illnesses and create cultural competency for other providers working with the Latinx population.
  • Ask a Dam Therapist by Ireti DeBato-Cancel & Chanale Propst (Spotify, Apple Podcast, Amazon) An unapologetic deep dive into the Black student mental health and wellness attending a PWI. It hit different in our community. Come join us for candid conversations and a good laugh with some of the brightest minds in the field and culture.
  • Between Sessions Podcast by Melanin & Mental Health (Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud)Between Sessions is a weekly podcast with therapists Eboni Harris, LPC, LMFT and Eliza Boquin, LMFT discussing all aspects of mental health. Two brown chicks changing the face of therapy on both sides of the couch.
  • Black People Die By Suicide Too (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud) Black People Die By Suicide Too Podcast (formerly Fireflies Unite Podcast with Kea) is hosted by T-Kea Blackman and Jordan Scott. Their mission is simple; normalize the conversation about suicide in the black community, provide hope and resources. Podcast launches on May 24, 2023.
  • MannMukti Podcast by MannMukti (Spotify, Apply Podcast) MannMukti.org is a one-stop resource for South Asians to learn about and address mental health concerns with each other. MannMukti translates to “mental liberation” in Hindi. Our mission is to encourage healthy, open dialogue of mental health issues in an effort to remove stigma, improve awareness and promote self-care.
  • The Mindful Muslim by Inspirited Minds (Spotify, Apply Podcast) The Mindful Muslim is an Inspirited Minds podcast that hosts raw, open, and honest conversations on various topics within the sphere of mental health, psychology, Islam and spirituality.
  • Hats Off Podcast with Courtney Leak, LCSW and Earl Martin, LCSW (Apple Podcasts, Spotify) We are two clinical social workers looking to change the stigma around mental health with lessons wrapped in comedy and truth!
  • The EVOLVING Chair with Lakiesha Russell, LPC (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud) The Evolving Chair Podcast is hosted by Millennial Lakiesha Russell, Licensed Professional Counselor. She is passionate about breaking down the fear and shame in the black and brown community on all things mental wellness.