About Erin Fanshier, LCSW, CCTP, RYT 200
Welcome! If you are here, you are likely contemplating taking a step toward healing. Whether you are dealing with a current difficult situation, or are ready to address past events, I commend you for taking this step. Therapy can be a difficult journey, but can open many doors. Maybe you are finding yourself reliving past experiences, having difficulty with anxiety or sleep, or struggling with feelings of doubting your own self-worth. Maybe you are struggling to put your past experiences into words, or to make meaning from what you have been through. Maybe you are a parent who wants to address deep attachment wounds from your own childhood in order to be the parent you want to be. Maybe you have tried just talk therapy before and didn’t make the progress you wanted. Wherever you are on your journey, I invite you to explore my page, and if you would like to discuss more, please contact me to book a free initial consultation.
I am a licensed clinical social worker, with over ten years experience in the fields of domestic violence and trauma. I believe in the capacity of healing for all. I believe in the mind-body connection, and working from an integrated, holistic lens.
I am a born and raised Oregonian, who has lived and worked in the Portland area for over 15 years. I received a Masters in Social Work from Portland State University with a focus on Children, Youth, and Families and working within integrated healthcare systems. For the past five years I have worked in the nonprofit world providing trauma therapy to survivors of domestic violence and early childhood mental health, with a social justice and antiracist lens. Previously I have worked in shelters, school settings, medical clinics, and community organizing.
Yoga and breathwork have been a large part of my own healing, and I have been trained in adding trauma informed yoga, Yin Yoga, and Yoga Nidra to my clinical work. I have a creative approach to treatment that focuses on the mind-body connection, somatic experiences, movement, art, mindfullness as well as traditional trauma treatments.
My Approach
My focus is on serving survivors of trauma. This includes intimate partner violence, sexual violence, near-death experiences, childhood trauma, and grief and loss. I believe that almost everyone has experienced trauma in their lives, and it is not up to me, or anyone else, to define what is a traumatic experience for you. We can’t always control what has happened to us, or how our bodies and minds will react. Often times those who have experienced a traumatic event in the past will have memories, or sensations, come out of nowhere. There is no timeline for trauma, or for healing. I welcome those at any stage of their journey, and offer you a safe space to tell your story.
I also believe that we are all experiencing collective trauma. The grief and loss around Covid-19, economic uncertainty, systemic racism, police brutality, and climate change are affecting us all in our community. This is one of the most difficult times in our collective history, and can bring up many traumatic feelings or experiences from the past. Everyone deserves safety, hope, and healing, and there is no better time than now for all of us to reach out for help.
The approach that I use is psychodynamic, trauma-informed, attachment based, and somatic. What does that mean? This means that I will talk with you about how your relationships, including early childhood experiences, have shaped your life, and how you can build on the resources within yourself and your support system to help you heal. I work through the lens of trauma, and aim to provide a safe, supportive, and calm space for you. This means that I will work at your pace, your timeline, and you are in the driver’s seat at all times. I will work with you to determine what style of therapy is the best fit for you.
Some of the tools I use in my work include:
Trauma-Focused CBT for adolescents and young adults
EMDR for processing traumatic experiences
Cognitive Restructuring for PTSD
Somatic Therapy
CBT- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
ACT- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Narrative Therapy
Mindfulness
Trauma-Informed Yoga Nidra
