Portland Somatic Therapy: Working With Your Nervous System

Jeniffer Duncan, LPC, LAT

Your body holds what your mind can’t process

The meeting with your startup team that left you with a clenched jaw for three days. The grief that sits heavy in your chest every time you pass the Hawthorne Bridge. The way your shoulders live up by your ears, even during Saturday Market, even at yoga class in the Pearl.

As a somatic therapist, I help Portland residents work directly with their nervous system because your body remembers everything, even when you want to forget.

Why Somatic Therapy?

You've probably tried talking through it. Maybe with a therapist in one of those sleek NW 23rd offices, or over coffee with friends at Stumptown. You can tell the story, understand the patterns, even have insights about why you react the way you do.

But your body still responds as if the threat is happening right now.

This is because anxiety, trauma, and other overwhelming experiences get stored in your nervous system, not just your memory. Your body learned to protect you: by tensing up when your boss emails you, shutting down during family visits, going into high alert on crowded MAX trains.

And it's still doing that job even when you’re objectively safe in your Powell Butte Heights home.

The Portland weather doesn't help either. Eight months of gray skies mean your nervous system never gets the natural reset that sunlight provides. Add in the fact that you're secretly white-knuckling through another Zoom call from your home office; your body keeps score of all of it.

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FAqs For Portland Residents

  • You've probably gotten really good at understanding your patterns and talking about your feelings. But if your body still goes into panic mode — racing heart, shallow breathing, that knot in your stomach — then the work isn't done. Somatic therapy goes directly to your nervous system where these responses actually live.

  • We're simply noticing what's already happening, like how you hold your breath when stressed or where tension lives in your body. It's about awareness. You can do this work in your regular clothes from your couch.

  • Actually, being in your own space — whether that's your Irvington craftsman or your studio in Multnomah Village — often helps your nervous system feel safer to explore. You're working with the same body in the same environment where your anxiety actually shows up. No performative calm needed for the commute home.

  • Please contact Multnomah County Crisis Line, or dial 988 if you’re having an emergency.

    For community-based support groups, please visit NAMI Multnomah County.

Meet Your Portland Somatic Therapist

Jeniffer Duncan, LPC, LAT

I combine art therapy and somatic approaches because the patterns you're trying to change aren't stored in the logical part of your brain. They’re held in your nervous system, your body, and parts of your psyche that words alone can’t reach.

While you can intellectually understand why you feel anxious, or why your grief hasn’t resolved, lasting change requires working with the whole person.

That’s where I come in.

Jennifer Duncan, Oregon Licensed Professional Counselor
License #C3022 · Verify with State Board

  • Yes, I am currently accepting new clients. I generally work Monday through Wednesday. I have limited afternoon availability, so please contact me to inquire about hours.

  • No, I only see clients online.

  • My fee is $250 for 55-minutes. If you prefer to work more intensively, I offer 90-minute sessions for $375. If you’d like to schedule a half-day or a multi-day therapy intensive, please see my rates page for more information about package options.

  • No, I am not in-network with any insurance company. I would be happy to provide a Superbill (an itemized receipt) for you to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.

  • I primarily use art therapy (also called expressive art therapy, or creative art therapy) and somatic therapy.

  • Yes, but only when it will be helpful and effective for you. If you’ve already had a lot of talk therapy, it’s likely time to try a more body-based approach.

  • I offer complimentary 30-minute consultations to prospective clients so that you and I can get a feel for what it will be like to work together. However, if that doesn’t work for you, I’d be happy to schedule your intake appointment.

    Please scroll down to my contact form, or send me a message on my contact page and I will respond within 48 business hours with my availability.

frequently asked questions

Let’s Get Started

Contact Me

Contact me to schedule your first therapy appointment.

Complete this form and I’ll be back in touch via email, text, or phone within 1-2 business days.

Call or Text

503-974-4140

Email

jduncanlpc@gmail.com

MAILING ADDRESS (Services are conducted 100% online)

4207 SE Woodstock Blvd. #398 Portland, OR 97206

Serving Portland with Specialized Online Therapy…

I provide online therapy to adults throughout Oregon with focused support for residents of Portland and the surrounding area.

Find the right support in Portland:

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