Polari was once a coded vocabulary spoken in Britain's theatres, fairgrounds, and back rooms by people who needed a safe way to be understood. Polari Counseling borrows that spirit: a space where you don't have to translate yourself to be heard.
Polari blended Italian-inflected words, rhyming slang, and Romani into a private language used by performers, market traders, and, for decades, gay men in England, at a time when speaking plainly could cost them everything. It let people say who they were to each other, safely, in public.
Polari Counseling takes its name from that history on purpose. Therapy works the same way at its best: it gives you a vocabulary, sometimes literally, sometimes just a felt sense of permission, for the things that have been hard to say anywhere else.
"The most basic human need is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them."Virginia Satir
My approach blends several evidence-informed traditions, adapted to what you actually need.
A non-judgmental, collaborative space, built on the Rogerian belief that you're the expert on your own life — I'm here to help you hear yourself clearly.
Grounded, action-oriented tools for the present: naming what you want, examining the thought patterns in the way, and building realistic steps forward.
Care informed by frameworks like the Cass Identity Model, for clients navigating sexual orientation, gender identity, or a sense of belonging.
Sessions are available in Georgia and Oregon, in-network with several major insurers and open to out-of-pocket clients everywhere else.
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