Healing Arts Therapy

08/28/2026

08/19/2026

https://www.healingartstherapypdx.com/post/back-to-school-essentials-for-the-q***r-community-join-our-q***r-teen-group

Starting a new school year can bring a mix of excitement and anxiety for many students. For q***r teens, these feelings often come with additional challenges, such as finding safe spaces, expressing identity, and building supportive friendships. This post offers practical tips for q***r teens and th...

07/21/2026

https://www.healingartstherapypdx.com/post/welcome-to-healing-arts-therapy-meet-erica-goldsmith-lcsw

At Healing Arts Therapy, we believe that healing happens through authentic connection, curiosity, and compassion. We're excited to welcome Erica Goldsmith, LCSW, to our team—a therapist and clinical supervisor whose warmth, depth, and decades of experience make them an incredible resource for our ...

07/06/2026

https://www.healingartstherapypdx.com/post/embracing-change-the-journey-of-dismantling-the-self-we-were-told-to-be

The idea that we must destroy the version of ourselves shaped by others to truly save ourselves is both powerful and unsettling. It challenges the comfort of identity and calls for deep transformation. This journey is not about losing who we are but about shedding layers imposed by society, family,....

06/24/2026

https://www.healingartstherapypdx.com/post/welcoming-tori-bulick-lpc-a-to-healing-arts-therapy-and-our-supportive-community

Healing Arts Therapy is excited to announce the addition of a new therapist to our group practice. This month marks a special milestone as we officially welcome Tori Bulick, LPC-A, a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate and Registered Dance/Movement Therapist. Tori brings a unique blend of skil...

04/25/2026

ADHD isn’t a lack of willpower—it’s a difference in how the brain regulates emotion.

Research shows that ADHD impacts the prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain responsible for impulse control and regulation) and its connection to the amygdala (the emotional center). This means emotions can feel more intense, arrive faster, and take longer to settle.

This isn’t “overreacting.” It’s neurobiology.

People with ADHD often experience:
• Faster emotional escalation
• Higher intensity of feelings
• Difficulty shifting out of emotional states
• Increased sensitivity to rejection or perceived criticism

From a nervous system perspective, it’s less about controlling emotions and more about supporting regulation.

Science-backed strategies that help:
🧠 Name it to regulate it — labeling emotions reduces amygdala activation
🌬 Slow the body first — breathwork and movement calm the nervous system faster than logic
⏳ Build in pause buffers — even 90 seconds can interrupt an emotional surge
🔁 Practice repair, not perfection — regulation is a skill, not a personality trait
💛 Reduce shame — self-criticism prolongs dysregulation; self-compassion shortens it

Emotional regulation with ADHD isn’t about becoming less emotional.
It’s about creating safety in your body so your brain has the space to respond instead of react.

If this resonates, you’re not alone—and you’re not broken. You’re working with a nervous system that needs different tools.

04/09/2026

April is Autism Acceptance Month—and it’s also a powerful time to talk about something many people are just beginning to understand: AuDHD (the intersection of ADHD and autism).

For years, people were told you could only have one or the other. Now we know that’s not true. In fact, research shows a significant overlap—many individuals experience traits of both. (CHADD)

Living with both ADHD and autism isn’t just “double the challenges”—it’s a unique neurotype. It can look like:
✨ Wanting structure but struggling to create it
✨ Craving connection but feeling overwhelmed socially
✨ Deep focus on passions alongside difficulty with everyday tasks

And just as important—it can come with incredible strengths:
🌱 Creativity
🌱 Pattern recognition
🌱 Deep empathy and insight

Autism Acceptance Month invites us to move beyond awareness into acceptance, understanding, and support.

If you or someone you love has ever felt like they don’t fully “fit” into just ADHD or autism… there may be a reason.

You’re not broken.
You’re not too much.
Your brain just works differently—and it deserves to be understood.

04/01/2026

Many women with ADHD notice that their symptoms shift throughout the month and this isn’t imagined.

Hormonal changes, particularly fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone, directly impact dopamine, which plays a key role in attention, motivation, and emotional regulation.

For many, this can look like increased overwhelm, lower focus, or more difficulty with executive functioning in certain phases of the cycle, especially before menstruation.

Understanding these patterns can support a shift from self-judgment to self-awareness, and from pushing harder to working more sustainably with your nervous system.

If you live with ADHD, you might consider tracking your cycle alongside your symptoms to better understand your own rhythm.

You’re not inconsistent! Your brain is responding to real physiological changes.

This is something I support clients with often. I help clients by integrating nervous system awareness, ADHD, and the realities of living in a hormonal body.