Shannon Rice, MA

Hello! My name is Shannon Rice (she/her), MA. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of OR and hold full licensure in the state of CO.

Starting the journey of therapy to explore your inner world takes great courage. It is not easy to lean into places that hurt or feel shaky. If you experience anxiety, depression, have a difficult time trusting others or yourself, or feel frozen and shut down, it is my honor to help expand your sense of safety and wellbeing in the world. If you have ever experienced complex, relational, or developmental trauma, entering a therapeutic relationship might feel particularly scary or overwhelming. I believe that Somatic Experiencing is the perfect remedy due to its gentle, approachable, and highly effective nature. This system is designed to help you experience a sense of safety and home in your own being.

I support many individuals to live a more pleasurable and presence-centered life. While working together, you will gradually experience more ease in session by learning how to use your body and breath as supportive tools. You can learn to view your system as a place of refuge and support, versus something scary to avoid. You will build confidence to support yourself outside of session and feel more capable and empowered to face the inevitable waves of life. You might surprise yourself!

When working with couples, I can support your understanding of one another. We are all shaped by our original family, for better or for worse. It can help tremendously to learn how this affects us, and our nervous systems, in our primary relationships today. By learning how to communicate more effectively, how to deal more skillfully with conflict, and knowing how we feel most connected, you can experience more ease and connection in your couple system. Just as I would with individuals, I can teach how to understand your internal cues, your partner’s cues, and how to support regulation both individually and with your partner. Helping couples learn how to operate as a team is deeply gratifying to me.

I am happy to support your relationship with intimacy and sexuality. Our relationship with sexuality can become skewed for so many reasons (culture, original family, religion, gender roles, etc.) and/or due to sexual assault or trauma. Shutdown, fear, or avoidance are common responses to such experiences. I have much experience supporting folks reclaiming their sexuality in ways that support where they are and what they are wanting for themselves now.

I strive to be a socially-just and culturally-informed therapist. I understand and honor how our multitude of social locations and identities shape our experience and opportunities in the world. I practice life-long learning and commit to challenging myself to better understand how my own privileged and oppressed identities shape my views and experience in the world. I hope to offer a supportive space for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ folx and beyond.

After doing Somatic Experiencing®  for the last 10 years, isn’t just a collection of tools, it’s an application of Stephen Porges’s “Poly Vagal Theory” . . . a way to live with rhythm, presence in Flow, and access Flight, Fight and Freeze when needed. . . And enjoy the journey.