You deserve
a space that
feels safe.
Clearwater is a private therapy practice for adults navigating anxiety, life transitions, and the quiet weight of patterns that no longer serve you. Thoughtful, body-aware, deeply human.
Healing isn't linear. But you don't have to navigate it alone.
I'm Mara — a licensed clinical social worker with a background in somatic and attachment-based therapy. I work with adults who feel stuck in cycles of anxiety, people-pleasing, grief, or transition. My approach blends evidence-based methods with genuine curiosity about who you are beyond your diagnosis.
The first thing clients often say after a session is, "I didn't realise how much I was carrying." That recognition — gentle, unhurried, yours — is where we start.
A simple,
considered path.
No jargon, no overwhelming intake paperwork. Here is what working together actually looks like, step by step.
Reach out
Fill in the short form below — just your name, email, and a sentence about what's brought you here. No pressure, no commitment. I read every message personally and respond within one business day.
A free 20-minute call
We spend twenty minutes together over the phone — you ask your questions, I get a sense of what you need, and together we decide whether Clearwater is the right fit. No fees, no obligation.
Your first session
A 50-minute intake session in my Portland office or over a secure video link. We move at your pace. You share only what feels right. By the end, you will have a clear sense of how we could work together.
Ongoing, at your rhythm
Most clients begin with weekly sessions. As you find your footing, we adjust the frequency to what genuinely serves you — fortnightly, monthly, or intensive blocks. This is your process.
Areas of
specialisation.
Anxiety & Stress
Somatic and cognitive approaches to calm the nervous system, interrupt rumination, and rebuild a sense of safety in the body and mind.
Life Transitions
Grief, career change, relationship endings, identity shifts, becoming a parent. Therapy as a lantern when the map has run out.
Relationship Patterns
Attachment wounds, people-pleasing, conflict avoidance — exploring the roots so you can choose differently in the relationships that matter most.
Somatic Therapy
The body holds what words haven't reached yet. Body-aware techniques to release stored tension and reconnect with your physical sense of self.
Grief & Loss
Death, ambiguous loss, the loss of a self you thought you'd be. A gentle, non-pathologising space to grieve in your own language.
Therapy Intensives
Three or four concentrated hours for those whose schedules or circumstances make weekly sessions difficult. Same depth, different container.
What clients say.
After two years of pushing through, Mara helped me understand I wasn't broken — I was exhausted. That distinction changed everything.
— Nadia R., 34, Portland
I was nervous about therapy for the first time. The pace Mara set made it possible to actually open up. I've been going for six months and it's the best thing I've done for myself.
— James L., 28, online client (Oregon)
The somatic work was something I didn't know I needed. I'd done talk therapy before, but nothing reached as deep or as gently as this.
— Priya M., 41, Portland
Good to know
before you begin.
Your first 50-minute session is a gentle intake. We talk about what brought you here, what safety looks like for you, and whether we are a good fit. There is no pressure to share more than you are ready to.
A limited number of reduced-fee slots are available for those who need them. Please mention this in your enquiry and we will find a way to make it work.
Yes. Clearwater offers both in-person sessions in Portland, OR and secure video sessions for clients across Oregon and Washington.
Most clients begin with weekly sessions. As the work deepens and life steadies, we move to whatever frequency genuinely serves you — fortnightly, monthly, or open-ended check-ins.
Absolutely. Everything shared in session is strictly confidential, with the standard legal exceptions (imminent risk of harm). Your privacy is the foundation of this work.
Let's find
you a place
to begin.
Fill in the form and I'll reply within one business day with a few times for a free 20-minute call. No obligation — just a conversation.