GET TO KNOW US

I grew up outside of Philadelphia and moved out to Portland to attend graduate school at Lewis & Clark College. I am so excited to have a home and community here!

I have a Bachelor Degree of Music in Music Therapy from Elizabethtown College and a Master of Arts in Professional Mental Health Counseling from Lewis & Clark College. I am a Professional Counselor Associate under supervision and a Music Therapist.

I believe that building a therapeutic relationship in a safe, trusting, and non-judgmental space is the key to healing. I work from a trauma-informed perspective and I see the therapeutic relationship as collaborative between client and therapist. I resonate with a narrative, creative, somatic, and here-and-now approach to therapy. I believe that people create a story about themselves from past experiences and interactions…some of which have been challenging and painful. I believe that unhealthy thoughts and or someone's self-identity have stemmed from negative interactions or events that have shaped that narrative. Highlighting strengths and healthy coping skills that you already have will allow you to write a healthier life story.

Specialties: I have worked as a music therapist across various settings and age ranges including a residential center with medically fragile folks, acute psychiatric care and senior centers. I highly value working through music via music creation (singing, playing instruments, analyzing songs, songwriting, etc). Music is an incredibly healing tool and you do not have to be a musician yourself to benefit from music therapy; that’s where I am here to help! My music therapy background can be incorporated into our therapy if you like but, it is not a requirement. 

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Are you someone who is ready to engage in therapy? I am! I want to work with someone who is motivated to be here and maybe excited to get started but also a little anxious about it. We don't have to be similar and we don't have to have had the same experiences; it's ok if we are different because we will still be able to build a good relationship. I really enjoy working with individuals who are in some kind of life transition (whether it is a relationship change, becoming an independent adult, navigating your career options or deciding on the school you might want to attend). I like working with people who are struggling with the 'bullshit of life' and are in the process of trying to figure themselves out. I like people who want to aim for the life they want and not the life that has been dictated for them. In essence, I am a big fan of personal choice! I want to help the unseen and the unhead and the people who feel invisible feel seen and heard. 

I prefer in person sessions.

I am seeing clients in session Mondays and Thursdays. I am seeing clients over telehealth Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I am working alternate Fridays in the office and over telehealth.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions; I look forward to working with you!

AMY 'AMES' FREER, MA
(THEY/THEM)

Professional Counselor Associate & Art Therapist Associate

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Bachelor of Arts, Psychology 2015, Lewis & Clark College

Master of Arts, Art Therapy, 2022, Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling

I have spent the majority of my life in Oregon and the tall pines of the Pacific Northwest have always felt like home to me. In my free time, I like to binge TV shows, go hiking or paddle boarding with my partner, dabble in an artistic/creative hobby, lovingly annoy my cat or play board games with friends. I am nonbinary/queer and neurodivergent. People who know me well would describe me as creative, nerdy, compassionate, goofy and an inquisitive/deep thinker.

The primary focus of my training and practice is as an art therapist, and I am so excited to offer art therapy counseling services to anyone who wants a more experiential form of therapy! It is my role to provide you with clinically informed, supportive opportunities to reconnect to your creativity and develop new ways of relating to your struggles and creating meaning around your experiences. We can also engage in art processes that help foster transferable skills such as safely reconnecting to your body or emotions, managing distress or frustration, self-trust and compassion around “mistakes”, mental flexibility, cognitive skills, implementing boundaries, communicating needs and collaboration. Sessions tend to include both talk therapy and the creation of art, and the amount of either depends on your unique needs…from session to session, I will always try to meet you where you’re at. I am a professional counselor associate and an art therapist associate under supervision. 

I use a strengths based, trauma informed lens that honors your unique experiences and perspective, supports your goals, and recognizes the ways in which you have resiliently adapted to protect yourself and get your needs met. Additionally, I am always considering how you may be uniquely impacted by systemic inequities, intergenerational trauma and both external and internalized forms of marginalization. 

Special interests: LGBTQIA+ teens and adults, ADHD/Autistic adults, complicated grief and loss. complex trauma (attachment-related, childhood, intergenerational or systemic), relational struggles (boundaries, communication, attachment dynamics), identity, navigating disability/neurodivergence, stress and burnout, adjusting to difficult life transitions and existential struggles

I am currently accepting clients ages 15+ for individual in person and telehealth sessions, but I am prioritizing those seeking in person sessions.

I work Monday - Friday. My schedule is below. Our practice plans to offer art therapy groups and workshops in the future, stay tuned!

Please feel free to reach out and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have!

* I am currently full and am not accepting clients at this time, but if you want to work with me, our admin Savannah can put you on my waitlist. 

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