Skip to content
Therapy in Portland, Oregon

Practical, grounded therapy for the questions that don't have easy answers.

I'm Gerry McNamara, a licensed therapist with eighteen years of experience helping individuals, couples, and families work through anxiety, depression, trauma, and the harder seasons of an examined life.

Gerry McNamara, LMFT, Portland-based therapist
18 years in practice · Online sessions in Oregon & Washington
About

Before therapy, I was an engineer at NASA.

CredentialsMA, MS, LMFT
Antioch University Seattle
Licensed:
Oregon (T1297)
Washington (LF60217940)
Arizona (LMFT-15660)
Georgia (001361)
Florida (MT2746)

I loved the precision and problem-solving mechanical engineering called for. But the most interesting problems I kept running into were human rather than technical. I followed my passion for human-centered work and went back to school to become a licensed therapist.

What I bring from that earlier life is a practical, collaborative way of working. I'm not interested in keeping you in therapy forever. I'm interested in helping you figure out what's actually going on, find tools that work in your real life, and understand yourself well enough that you can keep doing the work without me.

A lot of the people I see are thoughtful adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, big life transitions, or relationship strain. Many of them are analytical, capable people who feel a little frustrated that they can't just think their way out of what they're feeling. We work with that, not against it.

Who I work with

Therapy for individuals, couples, and families.

The largest part of my practice is one-to-one therapy with adults navigating the hard middle of life, though I also have deep experience with couples work.

i.

Individuals

Anxiety, depression, trauma and PTSD, burnout, life transitions, grief, self-esteem, and the deliberate work of figuring out who you are when the script stops working. Adults and adolescents (teen through 65+).

ii.

Couples

Communication, recurring conflict, infidelity, intimacy, and relationship transitions. I work from a Gottman and attachment-informed framework that's practical, structured, and oriented toward what actually changes things.

iii.

Families

Family conflict, parenting through hard seasons, adolescent struggles, and the work of staying connected through change. Family-systems oriented with attention to each person in the room.

Approach

Practical, collaborative, genuinely curious about you.

I draw from several evidence-based approaches and adjust depending on what you're bringing. The common thread is that we're working as a team, looking for both useful tools and a real understanding of where things come from.

  • i.

    Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

    For the practical, day-to-day tools. How the patterns run, and how to interrupt the ones that aren't serving you.

  • ii.

    Internal Family Systems (IFS) & Psychodynamic Work

    For understanding where the patterns come from. What gets activated, what's protecting what, what wants to be heard.

  • iii.

    Trauma-Informed & Strength-Based

    For pacing the work safely. We move at a speed your nervous system can handle, and work with the resources you already bring.

  • iv.

    Gottman & Attachment-Based

    For couples and families. Structured, research-grounded work on communicating, repairing, and staying close.

Logistics

The practical details.

Insurance
Most plans
Billed directly when in-network. Out-of-network superbills available on request.
Fees
$250 / session
50-minute sessions for individuals and couples.
Format
Online sessions
Secure video. Available across Oregon and Washington.
Consultation
Free 15 minutes
A short check-in via phone to see if we're a fit.
Carriers in-network:

Aetna · Anthem · Blue Cross Blue Shield · Cigna / Evernorth · First Choice Health · First Health · Legacy · Medicaid · Medicare Advantage · MHN · Moda Health · Optum · PacificSource · Providence · Regence · Samaritan Health · UnitedHealthcare — and others; get in touch to check yours.

Get in touch

Let's see if we're a good fit.

The form on the right goes straight to me. Based on your needs, we can book an initial counseling session, set up a 15-minute phone consultation, or handle your quick questions by email.

You'll hear back within 2 business days

Prefer the phone? Call or text:
(971) 200-5089
I'm interested in
What would be most helpful?*
For your privacy, please share only general information here. Details are best discussed in a confidential session rather than a contact form.