Brian Hannah, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Portland OR
My clients tend to find me to be warm, reflective, interactive, and skilled at navigating both day-to-day concerns as well as larger macro (lifespan) challenges. I believe that all people have the capacity for growth and change, and that each person has an inner healing intelligence. Just like the body heals a wound if provided adequate support and the right environment, our minds and spirits too can heal if provided with a warm, accepting, and reflective presence. Having a place in which we are truly witnessed and seen is something that all humans need, and I am honored to provide such a place for my clients. In my practice, all parts of my clients are welcome- especially the most challenging, dark, and stormy parts. These parts, the parts that we tend to ignore or disregard (also known as the "shadow"), need examination, understanding, and integration; I make this a core part of my practice. I welcome you to reach out to me if these values speak to you, and I am more than happy to arrange a free consultation with you so that you may ask me any questions you may have in order to see if I'd be the best fit for you.
After graduating with a Bachelor’s of Science in psychology from the University of Oregon, I found a passion for working with adults struggling with chronic homelessness, substance abuse, and severe mental health issues. Although this work was deeply rewarding, I found myself wanting a larger skill set to draw from and decided to pursue a Master of Social Work degree from Portland State University. After completing my masters program, I fell in love with working in hospice and palliative care, providing bereavement counseling and social work services to individuals with chronic and life-limiting illnesses and their families. After many years of wonderful work in hospice and palliative care, I opened my private practice so that I could provide psychotherapy with a breadth and depth that was not possible in the hospice and palliative care model. Since that time, I have had the profound pleasure of being trained in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, somatic therapies, psychedelic harm reduction, and more. These trainings, coupled with my experience in working with death, dying, and disability, have allowed me to become a psychotherapist that is willing and able to delve into the darkest corners of the psyche and the soul, as well as celebrate and integrate the arduous climb to the spiritual mountaintop. As a queer person, I am excited and honored to bring my skill set, dedication, passion, and determination to serving the LGBTQIA2S+ community. I have had the honor of working with Veterans, children, teens, young adults, older adults, queer individuals, and polyamorous/ENM individuals, and have learned specialized approaches to successfully support each of these groups.