Trauma, Grief and Shame Therapist in Portland, Oregon
Meet Kemper Gottshall
Starting therapy can feel strange. How much do I share? What will this even look like?
You want to feel prioritized, heard, and seen. You want clarity to follow you after session.
As a person-centered therapist, I keep your lived experience at the center. We begin where you are and discover what you need, even if the first step is discovering how it is you truly feel.
I lead with curiosity: asking the hard questions while holding space for whatever comes up. My sessions are relational and engaging. You won’t be squeezed into a box.
I’m Kemper Gottshall, a grief and trauma therapist in Portland, Oregon. Outside of sessions, you’ll find me hiking with my wife and our dog, Milo.
I work with people who are tired of carrying their pain alone.
I know what it’s like…
I know how disorienting and chaotic trauma and grief can be. One minute I’d think I was overreacting to everything; the next, I could barely get out of bed. I was conditioned to believe my feelings were frightening and unapproachable, a problem to be solved, outsourced, or simply too much for this world.
I know what it’s like to feel that who you are isn’t strong, smart, or “good” enough, or that feeling deeply means you’re weak. That being a man meant knowing how not to express myself, for the “benefit” of everyone else.
Here’s what shifted: I started listening to that persistent voice within me. I began to recognize its strength and resilience, the part of me that survived not only what others projected onto me, but the shame I carried. I could finally see shame as something I’d taken on, not who I am. I wasn’t too much. I am lovable. It takes strength to feel.
This work isn’t just about becoming a more functional version of yourself. It’s about changing how you see yourself, not as you should be, but as you are.
- Loved ones keep telling you that you seem “off.”
- It feels like everyone expects you to fail anyway, so it’s hard to see the point in trying.
- Stepping away from your to-do list feels impossible; your reputation and your worth seem to be on the line.
- You’re weighed down by painful memories, or a dull ache you can’t name, and you can’t imagine where to start.
If any of this resonated with you, I’m glad you’re here. I’ve spent years helping people figure out where to begin, and how to start creating distance from the shame they’ve come to believe is who they are.
Healing begins when we can be present with ourselves. Learning what that looks like without shame is a good place to start.
Working with Me as a Grief Trauma and Shame Therapist in Portland, Oregon
Presence
Starting where you are rather than where you think you should be.
Curiosity
Observing what’s happening inside you, without judgment.
Safety
Feeling safe in your body and your emotions again, so it’s possible to finally talk about your pain.
Compassion
Meeting your pain, and the parts of you that carry it, with patience instead of shame.
Connection
Healing happens in relationship, and you don’t have to carry it alone.
Authenticity
Seeing yourself not as you should be, but as you are. Free to be yourself without apology.
Welcoming to all the parts of yourself
Therapy with me is collaborative, and even funny. It’s not all so ominous. We can laugh with the pain too.
We’ll practice curiosity and answer deep questions together.
Challenging, but gentle. We’ll discover new perspectives, but with compassion and trust.
What it is…
…What it isn’t
- Coercive: I’m not in the business of telling people what to do.
- Finding a fix: We’re not cars, so we shouldn’t be expected to all respond to the same tools the same way.
- Transactional: You are paying me for my skillset. Not my compassion. Your worth isn’t something you earn here.
“Be better”This isn’t about becoming someone better. It’s about rediscovering how amazing you’ve always been, and who you’ve had to be to survive.
But who am I, really?
I’m a husband, a dog and cat dad, traveler and a hobbyist (woodworking and collage). I love the gym, yoga, gaming with friends, trying a new show, collecting vhs tapes or an escape room with my wife, & love spending time with my dog, Milo.
I bring my whole self to our work, and the parts of my story that matter most to yours will walk alongside you. I was the black sheep and scapegoat in my family, so I know what it means to heal from deep shame, both the shame I was handed and the shame I since carried.
People have always found it easy to confide in me. I’m humorous, unassuming, and relational by nature. Schedule a call and we can connect.
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Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of the Cumberlands in 2023.
Oregon: LPC C10616
Florida: TLHT LMHC, Registration: TPMC7676
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Inner Child Work & Protectors: Parts Work Internal Family Systems, Jay Early
RLT Introduction, CE Certificate
Additional EMDR and IFS training coming soon.
Trauma Therapy in Portland, Oregon
Trauma Therapy
Trauma doesn’t always look the way we expect. It can show up as a body that’s always on alert, trouble sleeping, sudden irritability, or feeling numb and far from your own life.
Trauma therapy helps your mind and body learn that the danger has passed.
Grief Therapy in Portland, Oregon
Grief Therapy
Grief doesn’t move neatly through five stages and then end.
In grief therapy, we don’t try to make your loss smaller. We look at how you’ve been carrying it: what you’ve held in, what you’ve been afraid to feel, and what still needs to be said.
Men’s Health in Portland, Oregon
Therapy for Men
Many men were taught early that strength means staying quiet. Don’t cry. Handle it. Don’t be a burden. These messages come from a culture shaped by patriarchy, and they carry a real cost.
In therapy, we build emotional language at your pace, without judgment.
Addiction & Recovery Therapy in Portland, Oregon
Addiction Recovery
Addiction rarely exists on its own. It often begins as a way to survive pain that felt too big to face: grief, trauma, or shame. Therapy can help you explore what’s underneath the drinking or using and build a life you don’t need to escape from.
Therapy Services in Portland, Oregon
