Meet Sara McIntyre, LPC, BC-DMT

approach & background

Sara McIntyre, Licensed Professional Counselor and Board-Certified Dance/Movement Therapist.

I enjoy the process. While the destination of therapy is important, I’ll help slow us down and appreciate the here & now. The work you are doing and the roadblocks to your progress. You are the expert of your own experience, and it can be helpful to have another perspective.

My clinical experience is primarily with adults, across many different identities. I approach each person with compassion and openness, and am ready to receive you just as you are today. I will hold the space for you, while giving you gentle nudges to progress towards your goals.

I am attuned to the power and privilege dynamics that can influence the therapeutic alliance. It’s necessary to my practice that I constantly examine how my privilege or power may affect your therapy, and I consistently seek consultation and supervision to stay reflective and proactive. I spend personal time doing work to untangle biases, assumptions and racist/sexist/homophobic/transphobic/fatphobic/white supremacist beliefs. I believe therapy is political. 

I practice from an eclectic lens! I am person-centered, and meet you where you are right now. We will explore your lived experience openly and honestly. We will explore the below-the-surface-stuff that drives your current emotions and behaviors.

The non-verbals also give me data. We’ll make connections through movement! Exploring your body movement patterns, aka how you move about the world, and their qualities gives me information about your embodied experience. What can be said through movement that’s been hard to say with words? We can move it and then talk about it! Sometimes the movement may be something as simple as breathing together. 

Dance/Movement Therapy allows me to support you in making connections in your life. Connection to yourself, others, behaviors, patterns, states, expression, creativity, communication and so much more! 

I attended Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR for my Bachelors of Science with a double major in psychology and dance. I completed graduate training at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA for a Masters of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a Specialization in Dance/Movement Therapy. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Oregon. I also hold licensure as a Board Certified Dance/Movement Therapist (BC-DMT).