My name is Lilly Martin and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I received my Master’s Degree in Social Work from Portland State University in 2018. I have worked in community mental health since my graduation. Prior to graduation I worked in substance use and houselessness services. I have experience working with folks experiencing acute and end of life illness in a medical respite environment, and have been practicing clinical mental health therapy since 2020. My clinical work focuses on trauma, spiritual transformative experiences, end of life, exploring identity(gender, sexuality, relational roles, etc), and mental health diagnoses stemming from trauma and years of repressed emotions. I follow the ethical guidelines for Clinical Social Workers, and continue to examine my own perspectives, biases, and behaviors so I can be fully present and supportive of others. I value and apply integrity within the therapeutic relationship by practicing accountability, respecting boundaries, providing person-centered care, and continuing to engage in my own healing process to mitigate projection and countertransference.

I am fascinated by the psychological identity structure, behaviors of protection, nervous system functions, and emotions. Through relational connection, curiosity, and various approaches, I facilitate the exploration of your internal experience so people can better understand beliefs, behavior patterns, and relationships with themselves and others. I am informed by various modalities and practices, in which I have practiced and applied in my own healing process. I am informed by Internal Family Systems, Emotion Focused Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Existential Therapy, Cognitive behavioral therapy, Compassion Focused Therapy, awareness practices, sound frequency, and experiential Somatic exploration.

I practice from a trauma informed perspective, that incorporates the intersectionality of privilege and oppression, and the understanding that all human beings have experienced diverse forms of traumatic experiences. Traumatic emotional experiences, repressed emotions, and beliefs, are all information that has been stored in our bodies like zip files on a computer. When these are released from the body, it frees up space for positive emotional states, feelings of connection, allows for less reactivity, allows the body to relax, and creates space for new behavior patterns and self-compassion. I embarked on a parallel process of understanding my own psychology, using many forms of practices and explorations that I have integrated into my practice. Though we are all unique, with different backgrounds and life experiences, there are common functions and activities of human psychology. Through the exploration of my own internal experience and life themes, I can better support and love others.