Cancer

Susanne Kositzin LCSW

“You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” -Jaws, 1975

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Please be Sure One Option From Each Section is True

Insurance Accepted:

  • Aetna

  • EOCCO OHP

  • HealthShare OHP

  • InterCommunity Health Network OHP

  • Jackson Care Connect OHP

  • Kaiser Permanente

  • Moda

  • Oregon Health Plan Open Card

  • Pacific Source OHP

  • Pacific Source Private Insurance

  • Providence

  • Regence BCBS

  • Private Pay

When life feels overwhelming, when sharks are circling your vessel with teeth bigger than your engine, you’ll need to upgrade to a bigger boat – that is, a bigger toolbox. You need more resources, more support, more skills. We’ve all been there. The cool thing is, once we build this bigger boat – toolbox – it will serve us the rest of our days. Once you have those skills, nothing can take them away.

In my work, I draw from a number of modalities and practices, but my primary approach is called ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). To me, ACT is about freedom. Freedom from the destructive thoughts that hold you back. Freedom from enslavement to painful emotions and the frantic efforts to make them stop. It’s about not feeling like a prisoner in your own head. Since receiving my Master of Social Work degree in 2007, I’ve spent much of my career working with people living with acute and chronic illness, particularly cancer. My life’s work is helping people adjust to difficult life changes, depression, anxiety, grief and loss, and other challenges. I have a special place in my heart for women transitioning to motherhood and the post-partum issues that so often arise, and individuals facing the ongoing challenges of parenting. I love the expressive arts and using poetry therapy (which sounds stuffy and boring but isn’t) to help clients find their own voice. I am open to working with adults of all ages, teens, and families. LGBTQ+ clients welcomed and valued.

My approach is grounded in compassion. It is about finding your own strengths and bolstering them with new skills to spark real and lasting change. I believe in kindness, humor, and connection, and I believe there is hidden treasure in everyone. Struggle is part of life, but struggle shouldn’t drive the bus, leaving us flailing around with no lap belt and gum stuck to our seats. You deserve to be the driver of your life, and you can build a boat stronger than the sharks. If you’re here, you’ve already started!

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