Hello and welcome! My name is Michael Mihalas and I am an experienced and highly trained psychotherapist in NE Portland, Oregon. I offer individual therapy to adults and teens interested in improving mental wellness and deepening self understanding. In therapy you will find new ways to cope, manage distress, explore the unconscious psyche, and work through unwanted thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and relationship patterns. I am trained in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), trauma-focused CBT, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and psychoanalytic psychotherapy (principally interested in the Relational, Self Psychology, Interpersonal, and Bionian traditions).
Common therapy goals: symptom relief, increased insight, greater personal agency, a stronger cohesive sense of self, higher self-esteem, improved boundaries, becoming unstuck, recognizing and handling emotions, accessing to joy, finding purpose, freedom to feel pleasure and peace, and a capacity for love, work, and mature dependence.​
Brief Professional Bio
About Michael
Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, my interest in the human psyche began with high school readings of Greek mythology and Carl Jung. The summer following high school graduation I enrolled in an introduction to philosophy course at a local community college and discovered I was instead interested in psychology. After university, I spent the next four years as a backpacking guide leading youth and adults on experiential expeditions focused on self discovery and personal growth. Wanting to pursue a career as a therapist in private practice, I went back to school and trained as a social worker, and eventually relocated to Portland, Oregon in 2013. Building on my fascination with the unconscious mind and psychoanalytic thinking, I completed an additional two years of education, case supervised training, and my own personal 2x a week therapy. My hobbies include camping, fly fishing, banjo, art and cinema, and reading science fiction, psychological fiction and non-fiction.
Education
Certificate
Oregon Psychoanalytic Center
Masters of Social Work
University of Southern California
Bachelors of Psychology
UC Santa Cruz
Two years of post graduate supervised training in psychoanalytic psychotherapy.
Graduated with honors. Emphasis in severe and persistent mental illness, and military social work.
Course work and research focus on children and families. Internship at Santa Cruz County juvenile hall and restorative justice community garden.
Professional Affiliations
Oregon Psychoanalytic Center
American Psychoanalytic Association
Psychology Today
Relevant Work Experience
2015-Present
Private Practice Therapist, Portland, OR
Long term care for adults and older teens
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2021, Spring
Course instructor
Oregon Psychoanalytic Center, Portland, OR
"Fundamentals of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy"
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2014-2018
Randall's Children's Hospital, and, Unity Center for Behavioral Health
Portland, OR
Therapist on the inpatient psychiatric unit for children and teens.
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2013-2014
Albertina Kerr, Portland, OR
Community based and in-home therapist for the intensive community treatment services (ICTS) program serving children and families.
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2011-2013
Hillsides Home For Children, Pasadena, CA
Therapist at a residential group home for children with emotional and psychological challenges.
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2010-2011
West Los Angeles Veterans Administration, Los Angeles, CA
Social worker intern for veterans with PTSD and severe mental illnesses.
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2009-2010
Miracles Drug and Alcohol Detox Program, Culver City, CA
Social worker intern providing individual and group therapy to inpatient clients with substance use disorders.