Diane McLendon

Who I am as a Therapist

Life often puzzles us – it seems like we’ve tried everything to feel better or improve our relationships, but nothing seems to work. In my therapy work, I believe you are the expert of your own life. My role is to help you see your own patterns, and once they’re understood, paths forward become much clearer. Together, we will work side-by-side to put that puzzle together into a coherent picture. I take a light-hearted, humorous approach to therapy, and also provide a safe space for you to reach inward and really understand yourself and your relationships. I use experiential moments in therapy for you to experience your life and relationships as you want them to be. I believe both insight and experience are necessary for true healing to occur.

I am a licensed marriage and family therapist and hold a Master’s degree from Lewis & Clark College in Portland. Most of my work has been with couples and families. My therapeutic approach is influenced by emotionally focused therapy, narrative therapy, solution-focused therapy, and multigenerational therapy. I have experience working with individuals, couples, and families who have encountered trauma, addiction, systemic and societal oppression, anxiety, depression, and infidelity, among others.

I approach each couple, family, and individual with fresh eyes, and remain open and collaborative throughout the therapeutic process. This is your therapy and I want to be sure that I am meeting your needs by meeting you where you are at. I welcome feedback and seek to provide an experience for you that results in self-empowerment and lasting change.

Specialty Areas

Therapeutic Approaches 

• Anti-Racist Trauma-Informed Care (ARTIC)
• Transgender Affirming Care
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Compassionate Communication (NVC)
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
• Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
• Gottman Method
• Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS)
• Mind-Body/Somatic
• Intergenerational Family Therapy
• Mindfulness
• Motivational Interviewing (MI)
• Narrative Therapy
• Solution-Focused Therapy

Training & Experience  

• Clinical Supervisor at Family Ties Counseling Center
• Advanced training in Anti-Racist Trauma-Informed Care
• Advanced training in Emotionally Fcoused Therapy for couples and families
• Advanced training in Gottman method for couples
• Develop and taught curriculum for family addictions program and continuing education course