KarinPfeiffer-Robinson – True Heart Therapy

Hi, it's nice to meet you!

I'm Karin Pfeiffer-Robinson, and I'm glad you're here.

What is a fun fact about myself?

I grew up in rural northwest Washington State, in the foothills of the Cascades. My family had a business building hiking trails and bridges, so as a kid and young person I spent a lot of time in wilderness areas throughout the Pacific Northwest each summer doing physical labor and contending with thick clouds of mosquitos.

What can you expect as my client?

You can expect that I will welcome you, just as you are! I will be present with you, will deeply and compassionately listen, and I’ll invite you to talk with me about how our therapeutic relationship is going for you. I know how hard it can be to open up and trust another person, so I will respect and honor the pace and the process that is right for you as we work together. I’ll also encourage you to find and challenge the edges of your comfort zone so that you can grow in the ways you are wanting to. I am LGBTQ+ affirming and I approach my work with cultural humility.

Through our work together you may learn to better understand and trust your feelings, body sensations, thoughts, and ideas. You may begin to build or regain a sense of safety and well-being within yourself as well as in your relationships with others. By working on your relationship with all the different parts of yourself, you may release shame and become more self-compassionate.

Pronouns: She/Her

Who am I outside of therapy?

I feel most alive when I’m working in my garden with soil under my fingernails. Along with my partner, I’m the parent of a young (and quickly growing!) child. My favorite ways to be in the world include hiking or adventuring outside with people I love, reading a good book, having time and space to daydream and to hear my own thoughts, and making all sorts of things out of fabric, thread, paper, paint, pencil, and pen.

How did I become a therapist?

I wrote in my diary when I was about 12-years old that I wanted to be a counselor, but it wasn’t until much, much later that I actually pursued this career! I worked for many years with small-scale farmers, both in Paraguay and in the Portland metro area, and as a case manager with Latina women and their children, prior to going back to school to become a therapist. I have always valued heart-felt conversations and connection and I wish that there was more of that in the world. I love getting to be a part of a field where listening, slowing down, and being attuned are the most important aspects of the work.

I completed my M.A. in Professional Mental Health Counseling at Lewis & Clark College. I’m trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) through the EMDR Institute and I’ve also completed courses and trainings in Somatic Therapy and Internal Family Systems/Parts Work. I integrate and tailor these approaches to each client as I get to know you and as we see together what feels most helpful.

For the past several years, as a Professional Counselor Associate, I have worked primarily with adults who are navigating complex trauma, depression, anxiety, grief and loss, the impacts of systemic oppression, relationship challenges, and significant life changes.

If you feel heard and seen by me and want to embark on this work together, then you are my ideal client. I work well with clients who are navigating significant life changes and who are motivated to deeply explore their inner world and how they have been impacted by their cultural contexts, life experiences, and relationships.

I especially enjoy working with clients who have been called “old souls” or “too sensitive” since they were kids and who are wanting to discover how their sensitivity, rather than being the shortcoming that they might have been told it was, can be a source of strength and can be channeled in ways that enrich their lives.