MENUKayla Birkeland, LMHC
Kayla Birkeland’s Therapist Disclosure Statement <<< (Clickable)
I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor serving clients in Washington and Oregon, working with individuals ages 11 through adulthood. I earned my bachelor’s degrees in Biblical and Theological Studies and Psychology from Multnomah University, and my master’s in Clinical Psychology from Pacific University. I am a Certified Child and Adolescent Trauma Professional and continue to pursue advanced specialization in autism and ADHD.
My work centers on neurodivergent care, with a focus on supporting individuals with ADHD and autism. I have a particular interest in late diagnosis. Whether you’ve known your diagnosis for years, are newly discovering this part of yourself, or are beginning to wonder if you might be neurodivergent, I enjoy helping people explore, understand, and integrate this aspect of their identity through a neuroaffirming lens grounded in the neurodiversity paradigm.
I prioritize relational connection in the therapy space and aim to create an environment where you don’t have to mask, shrink, or translate yourself for someone else’s comfort. I value authenticity and believe therapy is most effective when grounded in real human connection. Each person is complex, multifaceted, and far more than the challenges they bring into the room.
My approach is integrative and collaborative. I draw from person-centered, trauma-informed, cognitive behavioral, and existential frameworks, incorporating DBT skills when practical tools are helpful. I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all therapy. Instead, I value curiosity, experimentation, and discovering what helps you move through your life more fully.
Before becoming a clinician, I spent eight years working in school and special education settings. This experience continues to shape my understanding of learning differences, behavior, and the ways neurodivergent individuals are often misunderstood rather than truly seen. I am especially passionate about supporting neurodivergent and BIPOC individuals in spaces that are culturally responsive, affirming, and grounded in lived experience.
As a neurodivergent clinician, I don’t approach this work from the outside looking in. I understand what it means to make sense of yourself in real time while navigating systems that weren’t designed with your nervous system in mind. I bring curiosity, humor, honesty, and deep respect for complexity into our work together. I’m not here to fix you—I’m here to help you recognize you were never broken.
Trust takes time, and I don’t assume it—I earn it. I approach therapy as a meaningful and intentional space, showing up with consistency, care, and presence in each session.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my husband, family, friends, and pets. I love reading, painting, and working with leather, and I’m always exploring new creative outlets. Staying active is important to me—I enjoy boxing, horseback riding, and hiking. Nature is deeply grounding, and I love spending time in the Pacific Northwest, whether that’s stargazing or exploring tide pools along the coast. I’ve called the PNW home since 2014 and hope to for many years to come.
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?
