Naomi Painter (she/her/hers)

I have lived experience of open relationships and the structure of poly and swinger community. To avoid ethical conflicts and dual relationships, I have not been active in the Portland open relationships community in several years.

I am aware that gender and sexuality work on a spectrum and that we are all on our own personal journey towards what works for each of us. I work to be an ally to all genders and sexual expressions: lesbian, gay, bisexual/pansexual, transgender, intersex, queer, questioning, and the asexuality spectrum. I especially love helping clients build confidence and community after any family/community/religious institutional rejection of their transcendent and beautiful Self.

I have worked in case management for many years and am passionate about assisting those in helping professions, such as case managers, outreach workers, home visitors, and educators. Burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma come with the territory.

I primarily use CBT when working with problematic clutter/hoarding disorder. Twice a year, I facilitate a structured 16-week workship called “Buried in Treasures” for people who are overwhelmed by their possessions. I usually do one-on-one work after/concurrent with attendance at a Buried in Treasures workshop, but if you are unable to attend or need to get a start right away, let's talk.

Hakomi is a form of sensorimotor psychotherapy (also called somatic therapy), consisting of guided self-study that uses mindfulness to access traumatic memories and harmful beliefs encoded in the body - those places in your body where you feel restless, uncomfortable, ill, or just plain “don’t go there.” Together, we will harness the power of mindfulness, creativity, curiosity, and presence to courageously dive in, unearth your pain, and reshape your experience of the world.

Our work will be grounded in the understanding that you are the expert in your own lived experiences. Your strength and resilience has led you to this point, and my role will be to assist you in your journey to understanding your own traumas better, and not letting them control your life. I take into consideration all of your life experiences and relationships, and blend effective strategies.

My techniquest are largely grounded in somatic therapy, with the goal of improving the connection between your body's automatic responses and your mind's inner world, so that you can choose your responses instead of just reacting.

I am training under Terry Real in Relational Life Therapy, which is a highly directive and realistic method for assisting couples to reach their potential of finding connection with each other.

Religious community can be a nourishing spiritual space of communing with supportive others and connecting over a shared belief system. Unfortunately, it can also be a source of psychological abuse, shameful messages around personhood or emotions, and constant fear of punishment from a god figure. When these intense and emotional environments become coercive, overpowering, manipulating and rigid, they become abusive and traumatic.

Trauma doesn’t only come from the battlefield. A difficult childhood, a coercive or conflict-filled relationship, a toxic workplace, a natural disaster, an assault, a death, the loss of a friend or a support network…these things can shape our thinking, our behavior, and our well-being long after we’re supposed to be “over it.”