Lucy Sherman, Lpc, EMDR Certified THERAPIST offering In person therapy sessions and Intensives
You don’t have to carry this all on your own.
I’m a Portland, Oregon based Therapist who specializes in helping Highly Sensitive adults process Complex Trauma and Sexual Trauma through EMDR, Creative Expression and Oracle cards as a projective tool.
please know:
Being here doesn’t mean you’re a burden or not enough, it means you have gone through some hard things that no one should have to cope with and process alone.
We create a validating space while I guide you in healing from the trauma that you have gone through. The environment we build invites humor, imagination and openness. We experiment and collaborate together to create a comforting tool kit that can help you strengthen your relationship with your intuition and feel more ok in your body as you process trauma.
Is This Your Experience?
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How it's Always Been Isn't Working Anymore
From a young age, you learned to keep going, no matter what. You were often praised for your resilience and composure—"You’re so strong," people would say—even when things felt incredibly difficult and traumatic. The people around you may have seen you as an adult, or a caregiver, and your emotional experience was often overlooked or invalidated. So, you did what you had to do: you kept moving, kept going, and learned to rely on yourself.
Now, in your mid-30s or early 40s, things feel different. The weight of it all is starting to catch up with you. Your body feels tense, and no matter how much you tell yourself to push through, your body is sending louder signals. You’re feeling more pain, more overstimulation, and a sense of overwhelm and it’s It’s clear that it’s time for something different—something that allows you to truly rest, heal, and reconnect with yourself in a new way. You don’t want to keep running this endless marathon. You want to feel better—more grounded, more supported, more at peace.
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Logically You Know but in Your Body it Feels Different
I know that if you’ve experienced sexual trauma or assault, the effects can feel overwhelming and persistent. You might be struggling with a mix of shame, distrust—both of yourself and others—and a deep sense of tension in your body that’s hard to shake. You might even find yourself minimizing your experience, or knowing what happened on a logical level, but still feeling stuck or disconnected.
I truly get it and I want you to know that you’re not alone in this. I’m here to support you with a warm, compassionate, and non-judgmental approach. Drawing on both my professional training and personal passion for this healing, I use evidence-based methods that have brought deep relief and transformation to many clients and myself. Together, we can work toward reconnecting you with your own power, intuition, and a profound sense of healing.
Ingredients For Therapy together…
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EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitzation and Reprocessing) is an evidenced-based trauma therapy that can help your body get unstuck. You may feel logically you know things are ok know but your body is stuck responding as it did in the past and you know you feel ready to try an approach outside of just talking to find relief.
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Sometimes there are no words and having imagery to begin to explore can bring such depth while also feel like lower pressure than creating art expression out of nothing.
Within Therapy you get to explore your experiences through images and words. As the therapist I’m not reading, interpreting the cards but deeply connecting with your personal experience of them and offering reflective questions and invitations for self discovery.
There are different decks, choice and ways to pull at random or look at each card like collaging and create collective imagery of your unique experience with guidance.
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You will be invited to create and use imagery to deepen reflection while moving toward self-trust. These guided creative invitations are personalized to you and inspired by our work together in session as another language to use outside of verbal. (Absolutely no previous art experience necessary).
Mediums: Collaging, Drawing, Writing, Painting and imagery Cards.
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The feeling of being on the cusp of some profound realization and then time is up can be disorienting in 50 min. in EMDR intensives and extended sessions there is space to deepen.
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We collaborate with Everything! This has to feel right for you after all. We find our rhythm and learn what works for you and doesn’t work and we build a trusting therapeutic relationship where you are honored.
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We explore grounding tools that can help inside and outside of session. This could be noticing senses, taking deep breaths, imagining peaceful place, presence, moments of connection etc… System feeling more regulated than before? That is grounding.
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I do not take this work lightly, it truly is an honor sitting with folks in the parts of trauma they thought they could never share, never be validated and supported in or ever find relief from. The day by day small shifts and transformations that can happen when there is a foundation of trust and empathy and presence together is incredible. I know to hold space for others I also need to hold it for myself and create intentional self care practices that help me to show up most authentically, human, energized, empathetic and present.
My Identity and Our Work
I am dedicated to creating a space where folx with all intersecting identities feel honored and met with empathy and care. People who identify as LGBTQ2IA+, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color), who identify as neuro divergent, of all abilities, all sizes, all ages and relationship structures are welcome in my practice. I feel it is so important for our work to be a place that is validating to you and where you feel understood and seen and don’t feel you need to be “on.” I am a cis-het white highly sensitive female (she/her pronouns) with Jewish dad, born into an able body and goodness there are many unearned privileges with these identities so I’m continuing to learn and unlearn. In my practice I have a special appreciation for working with folks who identify as queer and highly sensitive.
A bit more…
I love doing this creative healing work! Yes, I am professionally trained and thoroughly passionate about helping others find relief from trauma and then on a personal level, this kind of work has also helped me. The feeling of shame can be overpowering and we can feel like we are not enough, over time we find ourselves in situations that don’t align with us and we can feel stuck. I have always turned to creativity when stuck and therefore love bringing things that have worked for me in my healing, to clients.
Having a gentle, non-judgemental place to explore with a professional who has a toolbox that can help in processing, can bring such solace. Making art without repercussions can feel freeing and meaningful while building a new perspective.
When I’m not with my amazing clients, I love soaking up time with my basset mix Penny in nature, singing random songs to myself, Anyone else? Connecting with friends and loved ones, coming up with fun creative ideas, going to moon gatherings, finding beautiful decks for my personal use and with clients and putting on a good podcast or show.
My Training & Education
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
EMDR-Certified Therapist
Trained in Somatic Attachment EMDR
Advanced Training in EMDR for Chronic Pain
Master’s in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling and specialized in working with folks experiencing chronic pain and adjusting to disability
Trained in Expressive Arts Therapy Approaches
10 + years supporting folks experiencing trauma in a variety of settings, private practice, group practice, resource centers, clinic, residential and psychiatric day treatment programs
specializing in: