Dr. Freya Meraki

Hello there! My name is Dr. Freya Felicia Meraki (she/her/hers; formerly Dr. Thomas)- I would prefer it if you called me Freya, however, if you prefer Dr. Meraki, I will honor that. Life is a journey and sometimes on that journey we need additional help. I often see therapy as a road trip we embark upon together to provide extra help when you need it. You’re the driver while I’m a passenger and a guide. This means we’ll work together to figure out the best road map for your goals, after all, you’re the expert on you and I have expertise in mental health so why not collaborate? In my approach, I do my best to meet you where you’re at with what you need. This is your journey after all and I want you to get the most of it possible. I work with you to create a warm, safe environment to explore, practice, experiment, be curious, and test out new skills and ways of functioning. Everyone is doing the best they can with what they have (knowledge, skills, resources, support, energy, etc) and with willingness, people can do better and work towards living a life worth living – not just surviving day-to-day. During our time together, we will also discuss appropriate pacing for you. It’s important not to speed through this healing road trip (nor ride the brakes throughout it). When in distress, we may freeze or try to rush through things, however, processing pain (current, future, and past), learning new skills, new ways of functioning, new ways of being, and/or new beliefs can take time and often requires compassion, repetition, patience, and practice. There also might be setbacks or relapses on your road trip, which is normal especially with new habits/behaviors/ways of being/healing, and that doesn’t necessarily mean therapy isn’t working (nor does it mean you’re a failure) – it’s just more information to consider in revising or modifying your roadmap to get you where you want/need to be. Treatment approach: I work with individuals, couples, families, and groups ages 13+ years and use integrative and collaborative approaches to treatment, which includes psychodynamic theory, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), and interpersonal process. Specialties: ADD/ADHD, Anxiety, Mood Disorders, Grief/Death, LGBTQ+, Transgender identity and transition process, Sexual issues, Women’s issues, Men’s issues, Anger Management, Abuse, Substance use issues/addiction, Stress management, Mindfulness, Identity, Life transitions I am a sex positive provider, including kink & BDSM, relationship style & orientation, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Education: I earned both my Master’s degree and Doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology from Pacific University, but those are not the end all, be all of my education. I highly value continuing education and often attend various workshops and classes throughout the year in addition to following recent research and literature related to psychology and medical science. Experience: In the field of psychology I have had the following experiences: interning at a county jail, working as a mental health worker in a child residential center, working as a case manager for populations with severe and persistent mental illness, working as a student clinician (several years: graduate school clinic, adult residential for substance use and mental health, an outpatient clinic specializing in domestic violence, and community mental health clinics), and as a psychologist in community mental health. Licenses: Colorado and Oregon: Clinical Psychologist