Kendahl

My name is Kendahl Batiste-Ball, I use she/her pronouns and am a biracial and Black identifying, neurodivergent, cisgender woman. I am a mother, a sister, a daughter and a partner. I am a 2nd generation Portlander who comes from a very large extended family, where I learned that community and connectedness are often some of our greatest protective factors. Outside of living in Northern California briefly while getting my bachelor’s degree, I have lived in Portland my whole life and have an understanding of the complex waters in which we swim. I have struggled to find and understand myself while attempting to find a sense of belonging at many iterations in my life. I began to realize that I had grown up without a working language around mental health, which culturally is not uncommon. As a result, I decided to focus my practice on how to braid the cultural and ancestral wisdoms with a perspective that with the opportunity and space to access healing can in itself be a form of liberation for many people of color. I am a Clinical Social Work Associate (CSWA) which means I’m working towards becoming independently licensed.  

  I believe there is deep value in identifying how and where our lived experiences exist in our bodies. My clinical practice is grounded in knowing that deepening insight and understanding around how current and multigenerational identities influence how people experience the world. I strive to show up for people as they process how their lived experiences, environment and identities are embedded in how they human. I strive to help individuals with building authentic relationships to access healing and liberation from the unique types of stress, and marginalization we experience within the oppressive conditions we have been surviving for centuries.  My goal is to honor those realities to help access healing and relief. 

***ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS STARTING AUGUST***

Hi! I’m Renata (she/her). I identify as a biracial 3rd gen filipina/white, able-bodied, neurodivergent, cisgender woman. I grew up in Berkeley, CA and moved to Portland, OR in 2011. As someone who has intersecting marginalized identities, I have first hand experience navigating the challenges of not “making sense” to others and of feeling like I don’t belong. I know how this experience can impact wellbeing. I’m also familiar with the negative impact that mental health stigma can have within AAPI communities, in particular the Filipina/o/x community.

I am a Professional Counselor Associate, which means I am working towards licensure. My supervisors are K Hixson, PhD, LPC and Silvana Espinoza Lau, LMFT. I completed my M.S. in Marriage Couple and Family Counseling from Portland State University in 2020 and spent 3 years working as a counselor serving refugees and immigrants at a local community agency. Before I became a counselor I supported individuals and families around reproductive health, pregnancy options, the perinatal period, early childhood, and parent engagement. It was through this work that I recognized my strong desire to become a counselor. Outside of my work I enjoy spending quality time with friends, tending to my houseplants, crafting, and camping. I’m also a singer and musician.

Clients experience me as warm, non-judgmental, validating, empathic, strengths-based and collaborative. In our counseling relationship I provide a place to be fully yourself and consider making changes that might be helpful to you. I help you look at things differently by making connections you may not be aware of and shining a light on things that are in the background of your experience.

I find it helpful to explore how your relationships (with yourself, family, friends, and community) affect you. Additionally, I seek to understand you through the intersections of your many identities (race, gender, sexuality, neurotype, ability, class, body size, etc) and broach conversations about systems and structures of power and oppression in our work.

Hi! I’m Christina (she/her). I identify as biracial (Latina/white) and Brazilian-born. I moved to the U.S. when I was 12 years old with my mom and siblings. As an interracial family, our family experienced discrimination in both Brazil and the U.S. Our family never talked about cultural disconnection, racial inequity, nor was the racism my dad experienced ever explained, but we were each impacted by it. As a lighter skinned biracial woman, how I was impacted looked differently. I was provided light skinned privilege, while loved ones were not. I grew up often feeling angry, and at times ashamed, but never understood why. From my own therapy and healing, I better understand how my lived experiences inform who I am today, the traumatic impact systemic racism has had on my family, our mental health, and our communities as a whole. Themes that inform my practice and arise in my work with clients include feelings of being othered, isolation, invisibility, and inequity. I have a deep desire to hear your story, to support you in making meaning of your lived experiences, with the hope you feel seen, heard and less alone.  

I truly believe that this life we are living is simultaneously beautiful, filled with opportunities for love and healing, as well as facing incredibly painful, traumatic, and at times debilitating life events. During our time together, I will provide a safe, compassionate, and supportive space for you to share your story, develop new coping strategies and explore meaning for your lived experiences.