Individual Therapy
One-on-one sessions to explore anxiety, depression, relationship patterns, and the stories beneath the surface. In-person in Portland or via secure telehealth.
50 min · weekly or bi-weekly
Trauma-Informed Therapy · Portland, OR
You deserve to feel
You deserve to feel
at home in yourself
A safe, unhurried space to work through anxiety, grief, and life's hardest transitions — with warmth that stays with you long after the session ends.
Your therapist
Hi, I'm Dr. Mara Ellison, LPC
I've spent fifteen years working with people who feel like they're carrying weights they were never meant to carry alone — people who show up fully for everyone else and save nothing for themselves.
My practice is built on one belief: healing happens in the presence of genuine safety. Every session is paced by you, never the clock.
Trauma-Informed
EMDR Certified
Somatic Therapy
Grief Specialist
How I can help
Services offered with care
Every offering is tailored to your pace, your story, and what safety means for you.
EMDR & Trauma Processing
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing gently helps the nervous system digest experiences that feel stuck — without having to retell every detail out loud.
80 min intensive sessionsGrief & Life Transitions
Losing a person, a relationship, a version of yourself — grief takes many forms. We make room for all of them, without rushing you toward a finish line that doesn't exist.
Ongoing · no timeline required
Words from clients
What people carry forward
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"For the first time in years I sat with something hard and didn't immediately need to run from it. That's what Mara gave me — the room to just… stay."
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"I came in convinced that talking about things would make them worse. I was wrong. The EMDR sessions changed something in my body, not just my mind."
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"She never pushed me toward 'feeling better'. She just sat with me in the grief until the grief felt less like a verdict and more like proof that I loved someone deeply."
The process
Beginning is the hardest step
Everything after that is just one foot, then the other.
01
Send a short message
Fill in the form below — just a few lines about what's brought you here. No pressure to have it all figured out.
02
A 15-minute free call
We'll talk briefly — you can ask questions, I can hear a little of your story, and we'll both sense whether we feel like a fit.
03
Your first session, at your pace
We meet — in person or online — and you share exactly as much, or as little, as feels right. The work begins whenever you're ready.
Questions
Things people often wonder
Do you accept insurance?
Rooted is out-of-network with most insurers. A superbill is provided after each session so you can seek reimbursement from your plan. Many PPO plans cover 50–80% of the fee. I'm happy to help you understand your benefits.
What does a first session look like?
The first 50-minute session is a gentle intake conversation — no pressure to share more than feels safe. We explore what brings you here and whether we feel like a good fit. There's no evaluation, no checklist. Just a conversation.
Do you offer telehealth?
Yes. All sessions are available via secure video call in addition to the in-person office in Portland's Sellwood neighbourhood. Many clients mix both, depending on the week.
How long does therapy take?
There's no universal answer — and I'd be wary of anyone who gives you one. Some clients work through a specific event in a few months. Others come for years, finding value in the ongoing relationship. We'll revisit this together regularly.
Request an appointment
Let's find out if we're a good fit
Send a note and I'll reply within one business day to schedule a free 15-minute call.