Susan Pease Banitt

Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Not Accepting Clients

I believe in the power to heal body and mind through skillful compassion and relationship. My approach is multidimensional and holistic.

Clinical Social Worker in Portland, OR

Services
  • Individual
  • Child
  • Adolescent/Teen
  • Group

About My Clients

My clients are a diverse group with one commonality - they have all suffered trauma, complex trauma and/or extreme trauma. Many have DID. Some are survivors of ritual abuse and mind control. My clients tend to be intuitive, highly sensitive people with experiences that fall outside of 'ordinary reality'. Some identify as "lightworkers" or "star seeds". People come to my office with a variety of belief systems. I treat all ages including kids. I welcome all genders and sexual orientations.

My Background and Approach

My career in human services spans 45 years (I started young!). My training was rigorous and traditional with internships in the Harvard teaching hospitals. I have added several skill sets since then including: yoga therapy, shamanic healing techniques, and Usui/Holy Fire III Reiki. I have a big tool kit! My first book, The Trauma Tool Kit (Quest, 2012), outlined that full healing of PTSD and trauma related disorders can occur provided that the client work at healing multidimensionally and not just through talking. My goal is to help people reach full healing and integration at whatever level they want to, and I use adjunctive therapies both in office and through referrals to help folks get there. My second book, Wisdom, Attachment and Love in Trauma Therapy (Routledge, 2018) describes the healing power of relationship in therapy. My primary goal is that my client feel connected and cared about in treatment while maintaining appropriate boundaries. Connection heals.

My Personal Beliefs and Interests

Over the years I have worked in residential care, oncology, inpatient psychiatry, community based treatment and private practice. These jobs have shown me the resilience of people to overcome many kinds of adversity at many ages. In addition, I have overcome a childhood of multiple types of abuse and trauma and live a free and fulfilling life without PTSD. I believe in the infinite capacity of human beings to heal at every level, and I believe that healing can also take many forms that are best defined by the client. No matter what has happened to us there is a level of our being that is whole and unbroken. My work helps people access that level of their being as a solid foundation for healing. I do not believe that we need to relive every bad thing that happened to us in order to heal, and have many modalities on board that help people heal severe traumas with little distress. For more information about my beliefs and how I work, I encourage you to look at my books, blog and podcasts.

Techniques I Use

Specialties
Other Techniques
I have experience with the following
  • Agnosticism
  • Atheism
  • Baha'i
  • Buddhism
  • Christianity
  • The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
  • Hinduism
  • Islam
  • Judaism
  • Taoism
  • Wicca/Paganism
  • Interfaith
  • Multifaith

At A Glance

  • Experience: 25 years of practice
  • Languages: English, Français
  • Rate: $175 - 225/session

Reach out to Susan