Matthew Porter (he/him)

Everyone experiences anxiety, which is a natural emotion (fear) that arises out of the needs for safety, control, and clarity. Overwhelming anxiety can be debilitating, so learning to identify anxiety triggers and practicing healthy coping skills can reduce anxiety in the moment. Dialectical and Cognitive Behavior Therapies and Mindfulness provide a set of effective skills and tools to address anxiety while offering space and reflection to change maladaptive beliefs and responses to stress.

I am strongly rooted in Psychodynamic theory and practice, honoring the wisdom of the past while finding healthy new ways to relate to ourselves and others. Relationships can be both challenging and rewarding, and learning to navigate relationships more effectively leads to greater personal happiness, satisfaction, and productivity. Communication skills, boundaries, and self-care are essential tools that provide balance and integrity in your personal and interpersonal relationships.

PTSD develops out of stress and trauma, triggering the system to react and protect itself from potential sources of harm in the moment. However, PTSD also rewires the brain to over-compensate and over-react to events and situations in the present which may or may not be threatening; learning to discern triggers and sources of stress while simultaneously addressing the underlying trauma is the work of trauma reprocessing. EMDR and Mindfulness approaches to healing help to resolve past trauma.

Whether individually, in couples or family work, or in group therapy, relationships are a primary focus and motivation for most people seeking therapy. As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I am psychodynamically-informed in all my care, honoring the experiences of the past while providing practical and effective tools and strategies for improving relationships in the present. Finding an effective and satisfying balance between Self-Care and relationship-building creates personal health.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an effective and evidence-based treatment for PTSD and trauma. I am trained in Attachment-Focused EMDR, which provides further Resourcing and skills for working with interpersonal, attachment-based trauma, including childhood sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, as well as interpersonally-based trauma from early childhood throughout the lifespan.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a Mindfulness-based skills therapy that focused on teaching skills for emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. Through the practices of Mindfulness, one learns to settle down in the moment, practice observation of one's emotions and experience, and hold space for reflection. By combining Mindfulness with a variety of practical coping skills and strategies, you learn to manage stressors and relationships more effectively.