Saren Craig
M.A.Counseling & guidance
Licensed Professional Counselor, Oregon
I’m a therapist based in Oregon, living in Portland. I work with a lot of LGBTQ+ folks. A lot of us grew up in cis-het families that didn’t really see us, and a big part of what I offer is simple: someone who actually sees you. So much of what brings people to therapy is just needing somewhere to say the hard stuff out loud and have it land. Sessions are 55 minutes, talk therapy, me asking actual questions and being straightforward with my feedback about what’s happening in the room, said in a way you can hear it. I do parts work (IFS), which mostly means we slow down and listen to what different parts of you are carrying. I also care about what’s outside the room, and the system that affect us all.
If that sounds like your kind of therapy, you can schedule a free consultation on Google Meet below, or email me at saren@resonanceportland.com.
My fax number is 503-296-2833
My phone number is (503) 489-8188, but the quickest way to reach me is by email—or by scheduling a consultation below.
Out of pocket fee
I believe therapy should be accessible, and I also need to run a sustainable practice. This sliding scale isn’t based on income alone — it’s based on your overall financial capacity, including savings, debt, housing stability, and how much room you have for unexpected costs. Read through the four descriptions below and choose the one that best reflects where you currently stand.
I keep a limited number of spots open at each fee level, so availability may vary. If a tier is full, I’ll let you know and can offer a waitlist or check back in with you.
Bottle 1, $190. You don’t think about money for basics. Higher-end rent or you own. Paying this changes nothing about your month, and it keeps the cheaper slots open for people who need them.
Bottle 2, $150. Comfortable. Work (or don’t need it), savings, can eat out and travel without thinking twice.
Bottle 3, $130. Mostly fine. Car, stable housing, some savings, a vacation most years.
Bottle 4, $100. You’re okay but it takes managing. Some debt. Bills and stuff like that require planning.
Bottle 5, $70. Money is stressful most of the time. Housing might be shaky. Little to no savings.
Limited spots at each level. If yours is full I’ll waitlist you or set a check-back date.
Surgery letters: $130 for gender-affirming surgery support letters, updates free as long as you need the letter. WPATH-informed, and I intend to keep providing them.
Request a consultation by checking my availability on the calendar below.
I am deeply committed to advocacy around social justice issues, particularly focusing on the experiences of oppression faced by LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities in the context of mental health. I love the empowering and collaborative work I do with clients.
My commitment to social justice involves actively seeking ways to engage in reducing oppression through systemic change and increased awareness, which I believe fosters healthier communities.
With experience in various settings such as inpatient psychiatric hospitals, community mental health, case management, and supported housing, I have acquired a diverse set of skills and resources. These experiences have taught me how external systemic factors can influence internal struggles.
Understanding the power dynamics within the counseling relationship, I strive to empower my clients. I often explore the parts of ourselves that needed something along our life journey but may not have received affirmation. These younger parts require compassion and understanding to heal.
I treat each person with warmth, dignity, and respect, while maintaining the professional boundaries essential to the counseling relationship. My approach in sessions is both interactive and direct.
I draw from a broad theoretical background and approach care with a systemic lens. Recognizing that each individual’s growth process is unique, I encourage clients to explore and express their experiences learning new approaches to manage their mental health.
Most routes to gender-affirming care in the U.S. run through a DSM diagnosis of Gender Dysphoria (F64.0). That diagnosis documents distress—the harm created by incongruence and by social conditions that fail to recognize someone’s gender—not a disorder of identity. Being transgender is an identity, not a pathology, and access to medically necessary care shouldn’t require treating it as one. And yet: we live in this system. When a Gender Dysphoria diagnosis is required for insurance authorization or surgical access, I include it—because if that pathway is what it takes to access care that alleviates dysphoria and improves quality of life, we use it. A disability justice lens helps hold this tension: diagnostic categories are socially loaded and imperfect, but they remain one of the primary mechanisms through which people access care, accommodations, and resources in a gatekept system. Using diagnostic language strategically to access medically necessary care is warranted advocacy.
Confidentiality
What you say stays between us, with the legal exceptions you should know about before we start: serious risk to yourself or someone else with a specific plan, abuse or neglect of a child or a dependent or elderly adult, a court subpoena, and a licensing board complaint against me, which I have to respond to. Ask me about any of these.
I am outraged by the immense harm being inflicted on minoritized communities in this moment in history—particularly immigrant communities and the transgender community, which I am part of. I refuse to treat this as normal, acceptable, or debatable when people’s safety, dignity, and basic rights are being deliberately targeted. During this time, I will do everything in my power to protect my clients, safeguard their confidentiality, and uphold my moral duty to help prevent harm—to themself or to others.
Image artist: Daniel Quasar, Portland Oregon
If you are currently in a crisis call 988
Text ‘START’ to 678-678 for help from the Trevor Project or Call them at 1-866-488-7386
