Daren Ford

I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with a Master’s in Social Work from Portland State University. I work with individuals navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, and substance use, and I bring experience from interdisciplinary behavioral health settings where care often intersects with complex life circumstances.

My approach is collaborative, direct, and rooted in the understanding that healing doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Mental health is deeply shaped by culture, community, history, and systems of power. Part of my work is intentionally engaging in a decolonizing approach to therapy—honoring lived experience, questioning one-size-fits-all models of care, and creating space for clients to define healing on their own terms.

I integrate frameworks such as American Society of Addiction Medicine and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration as supportive tools—not rigid rules—while drawing from motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, and relational work that centers respect, autonomy, and real connection.

I offer a focused practice in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP), with careful attention to preparation, safety, and integration. This work is not just about the experience itself, but about making meaning of it in ways that align with your values, identity, and community.

If you’ve felt unseen, misunderstood, or constrained by traditional mental health systems, you’re not alone. This space is about slowing down, listening more deeply, and working together to understand your story in a way that feels empowering and authentic.

Healing here is collaborative, culturally responsive, and grounded in your reality—not someone else’s framework of what you “should” be.

Your first session is a chance for us to get to know each other in a grounded, supportive way. We’ll talk about what’s bringing you in, what’s been weighing on you, and what you’re hoping might feel different in your life.

I’ll ask some questions to understand your history, current challenges, and strengths—but this isn’t an interrogation. You’re always in control of what you share and at what pace. My role is to listen carefully, help you make sense of patterns, and begin identifying what might actually be helpful moving forward.

We’ll also talk about how I work, answer any questions you have, and start shaping a direction that feels aligned with your needs, values, and lived experience.

Most importantly, you can expect a space that is respectful, collaborative, and real—where you don’t have to perform or have everything figured out to begin.