Kayla Birkeland, LMHC

Kayla Birkeland’s Therapist Disclosure Statement <<< (Clickable)

Authentic engagement is of utmost importance to me. This means that I strive to create a space where people can feel comfortable and safe to be their whole and unique selves in whatever way that looks for them. I am an open individual and work to model authentic engagement in each session. I seek to understand the whole person and understand that each individual is made up of many parts and is wonderfully complex and multifaceted. You are far more than the challenges you share in the therapy room.

Whether you are coming to therapy due to loss, seeking to understand yourself and your life path more clearly, hoping to mend a deep relational wound, or seeking to reclaim your life from the impact of trauma past or present — whatever the reason — your decision to seek therapy is a courageous one. Participating in therapy is one way to enter the dark and painful parts of ourselves and our lives. Therapy is a process, and my goal is not to “fix” you, but rather work with you to explore and come to know yourself and others more fully so that you can feel empowered to experience your life in a richer, more meaningful way.

I recognize that this kind of change happens when we can work together to pursue the truth of your experience. You are the expert on yourself, and I hold some expertise in different areas that will hopefully help to illuminate your path to healing. We exist as fellow travelers, both seeking to understand one another, the challenges you share, and to celebrate the successes along the way. This kind of alliance puts into motion the natural process of growth that can help one enter their pain and suffering, move through it, and ultimately strengthen one’s sense of honesty, self-esteem, self-efficacy, emotional tolerance, and their capacity for building and maintaining fulfilling relationships.

I understand that developing a relationship in which you feel safe to entrust me with the more intimate parts of who you are can take time. Part of my responsibility as your therapist is to earn your trust. The therapy space is a sacred one, and it is my job to demonstrate that with how I am present with you in that space each session.

My therapeutic approach is influenced by an underpinning in Existential-Humanist thought and philosophy, and trainings in CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy), DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy), and trauma recovery. I received my Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Pacific University. I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and am currently pursuing more training in the area of end-of-life issues and care. I have spent many years working in public schools which has provided me the privilege of working with a wonderful array of diverse individuals and has provided an understanding of the impact of systems on those within them. While I have loved my time working in the schools, I am ready to make a shift to clinic work.

In my free time, I enjoy time with my husband and family, friends, and my pets. I love to read, mostly memoirs when I am reading for fun, and I love to paint. Staying active is very important to me, so to do this I love to box. Boxing has become a way to challenge myself, process my emotions, and enjoy a good clean fight! Additionally, I love a good run or hike in the beautiful PNW. Nature is very life-giving to me, and any time I can spend staring at the stars or exploring the tide pools on the coast is always a magical experience. I have moved around a bit over the years, from California to Oregon, and now Washington. I have loved my time in the PNW and hope to make this my permanent home.

Specialties and areas of focus

Depression
Anxiety
Grief/loss
End of Life & Death
Values & Meaning
Spirituality & Faith
Identity
Trauma
Young Adults
Teens

Q&A with Liv

1.) Some therapists are more comfortable addressing the immediate problem, while others want to focus on the deeper issue. Which are you?

I am interested in what is most pressing to the individual that I am working with. While many challenges may be rooted in past issues, if digging up past traumas is not helpful to my client, or is not causing distress, then we can focus on navigating present challenges. If the person I’m working with finds it beneficial to investigate past troubles, or the course of therapy points to benefits in looking back and addressing past troubles as they relate to present challenges, then we can do that. It all depends on what is going to be most beneficial to the growth of the person I am working with.

2.) Do you tend to lead the session, or follow my lead?

I like a balance of both. Most of the time I am going to follow the lead of those I work with, however, when it comes to providing education on certain topics, challenging unhelpful thinking patterns, or reflecting thoughts on what has been shared, I will take the lead for a time, then hand the reins back over to my client. I see therapy as a collaborative process in which sometimes the client leads, sometimes I lead, and most of the time we will travel through the process side by side.

3.) What are your strengths as a therapist?

I have been told that I am easygoing and easy to connect with. I enjoy humor and care deeply for those I serve. I am an empathic individual, who is observant, and good at being present with people and whatever emotions they bring to the table on any given day or moment.

4.) If you had one superpower, what would it be and why?

I would love to be able to read 500 books at a time and absorb and retain all the information in each one of them. I love reading and never feel like I have enough time to read all the things I want to, so this would be an amazing skill…if only it were possible.

5.) What makes you laugh?

Oh goodness, so many things. I am not sure how to identify all the things that make me laugh. I love silly ridiculous humor; I love to laugh and find joy in the little things in life as much as possible. Humor is a big value of mine. Those I have worked with have frequently commented over the years that I am very easy to make laugh (they are not wrong), and I have spent portions of many sessions laughing to tears with my clients.

6.) Who would you have dinner with, dead or alive?

I always love dinner with my husband, and honestly, I’d find joy in sitting down to a good meal with pretty much anyone. It is not uncommon when my husband and I go out, to start up a conversation with some random stranger near us and end up talking as if we’d been friends for ages. I love to hear people’s stories, and where better to do that than over a good meal?