Saba Spencer
Associate
Identities: Mixed-race, Bicultural
Therapeutic Style: Tender, Empowering and Grounded
Works with:
- Individuals
- Couples
Who I am as a Therapist
As a relational therapist, I believe that healing happens through connection—both with others and within ourselves. I work with individuals and couples who feel disconnected, stuck, or overwhelmed by the weight of expectations. Together, we create a space where you can slow down, listen inward, and explore what feels true for you. Whether you’re navigating identity, relationship challenges, or emotional pain, I offer a steady presence as you reconnect with what matters most.
As a mixed-race, bicultural woman, I carry an embodied understanding of complexity and nuance, and I’m drawn to work that honors your full humanity—including the parts that have been hidden, disowned, or told they don’t belong. In our work, we’ll explore not just your personal story, but how the systems around you have shaped what feels possible or permissible. I’m especially attuned to the quieter ways disconnection shows up—through self-doubt, shame, perfectionism, or silence—and I aim to offer a space where all parts of you are welcome.
My hope is that therapy is a space of restoration and return, where even the most tender parts of you can be met with warmth, curiosity, and dignity. A place to remember who you are, to grieve what’s been lost or suppressed, and to move toward greater self-trust, clarity, and connection. Whether you’re healing from trauma, longing for deeper relationships, or seeking more joy and aliveness, I’m here to support you in strengthening your connection to yourself and others.
“Be softer with you. You are a breathing thing, a memory to someone, a home to a life.” – Nayyirah Waheed
Specialty Areas
Mental Health Challenges
- Activism & Burnout
- ADHD
- Anxiety
- Attachment & Relational Challenges
- Biracial Couples/Families
- Chronic Illness
- Consensually Non-Monogamous Relationships
- Cultural & Systemic Oppression
- Depression
- Divorce
- Gender Transitions
- Grief & Loss
- Identity Development
- Immigration & Acculturation
- LGBTQIA+
- Life Transitions
- Managing Stress
- Neurodiversity
- Sexual Health
- Sexual Pleasure
- Spirituality
- Trauma Recovery (PTSD & Abuse)
- Women’s Issues
Therapeutic Approaches
- Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Attachment Based Therapy
- Dreamwork / Jungian Therapy
- Ecotherapy
- Emotionally Focused Therapy
- Feminist Therapy
- Gottman Method
- Hakomi
- Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS)
- Interpersonal Neurobiology
- Mind-Body / Somatic
- Mindfulness
- Narrative Therapy
- Socio-Emotional Relationship Therapy
- Transgender Affirming Care
- Trauma Therapy (CPT, PE)
Who I am when I’m not a Therapist
Outside of therapy, I’m often out in nature, moving my body, or creating small rituals to honor the rhythms of daily life. I’m drawn to moments of beauty and presence—whether in a shared meal, a sunset, or a messy creative process.
Education
- MA in Marriage, Couple and Family Therapy from Lewis and Clark College, OR
- BS in Marriage, Community Health from University of Maryland, MD
Training & Experience
- Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy Externship, ICEEFT
- Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy Certificate, The Embody Lab
- Life-Cycle Celebrant, Celebrant Foundation & Institute
- 200-hour Yoga Teacher Certification, Yoga Refuge Portland
- Major coursework has included: sociocultural attuned counseling, couples therapy, group therapy,
Narrative therapy, child and family development, and advanced relational therapy. - Past careers in Marketing/Advertising and Public Health