A different path to becoming a therapist
Archaeology, photojournalism, five children and more than twenty years abroad shaped the counselor I am today.
Susan Robens, MEd, MLA
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Oregon
Most therapists follow a fairly straight path into the field. Mine was anything but.
I started my working life as an archaeologist, digging into ancient civilizations and trying to understand the stories of people long gone. From there I moved into photojournalism, learning to see the world through a lens and tell the stories of people living through real, present-day struggles. Along the way, I lived abroad for more than twenty years, raising five children in places far from where I grew up.
Those years taught me things no textbook could. I learned what it feels like to be the outsider. I learned how children adapt, struggle and ultimately find their way in unfamiliar worlds. I watched my own children work through the identity questions that come with growing up between cultures, and I experienced the anxiety, grief and disorientation that big life transitions can bring.
When I found my way to counseling, everything I had lived through suddenly had a purpose. I know what it feels like to search for belonging. I know how it feels to be stuck. And I know that healing is possible.
Education and training
I hold two master’s degrees: a Master of Education in Mental Health Counseling from Lamar University, and a Master of Liberal Arts in Conflict Analysis from Antioch University McGregor. My undergraduate degree is in archaeology from the State University of New York, including study in Jerusalem.
My graduate internship was at a residential center for mothers and children in recovery from substance use, where I trained in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and mindfulness-based approaches. I have also trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), a structured treatment for PTSD, and I am certified in Somatic Trauma Therapy, which works with how trauma is held in the body.
I bill insurance through Forging Paths Counseling, a group practice based in Salem, and run my own practice, Susan Robens Counseling, from my office near Tigard.
Professional memberships
I am a member of:
- American Counseling Association
- Association for Play Therapy
- Oregon Counseling Association
My approach
I bring mindfulness into every session, not as a buzzword but as a real practice that helps people slow down, notice what is happening inside them, and respond to life with intention rather than reaction.
My approach blends cognitive behavioral therapy with mindfulness, with play for younger children and with somatic work for trauma, while always considering the whole picture of your life: your culture, your relationships, your history and your hopes. I believe all people are wired for connection and have a deep desire to find a place of significance and belonging. My role is to help you find that place.
Whether you are a child who needs to express something through play, a parent looking for a steadier home, a teen under pressure, an adult carrying something from years ago, or someone facing the changes of later life, I will meet you where you are. We will work at your pace, with respect for your story and your strengths.
I would love to hear your story
Call 503-495-5072 or send a message, and we will find a time to talk.