Dr. Kittinger
Licensed Psychologist in California.

I specialize in therapy for religious trauma and spiritual abuse, helping clients navigate faith deconstruction and identity reconstruction.

Religious trauma (sometimes called Religious Trauma Syndrome) can develop after experiences of spiritual abuse, high-control religion, purity culture, authoritarian church environments, or painful faith deconstruction. Many people struggle with anxiety, shame, fear of punishment, sexual guilt, identity confusion, or difficulty trusting themselves after leaving a rigid religious system. I provide relational psychodynamic therapy for adults in Oregon and Washington to process church trauma, untangle internalized beliefs, and rebuild a sense of autonomy, safety, and self-trust.

Unresolved childhood trauma and sexual trauma often show up in adult relationships, attachment patterns, and self-worth. Through long-term relational therapy, we gently process early wounds, boundary violations, and complex trauma while building a safer internal foundation. Our work moves beyond coping toward deeper healing and relational repair.

I work with adults struggling with high-functioning anxiety, perfectionism, and burnout.

High-functioning anxiety, perfectionism, and burnout often stem from early relational conditioning and internalized pressure to perform. In psychodynamic therapy, we explore the roots of overachievement, self-criticism, and chronic stress while developing more sustainable ways of living and working. Therapy offers space to slow down and untangle the patterns driving exhaustion, people-pleasing, and anxiety.

Body image concerns often extend far beyond appearance — they are shaped by early attachment experiences, trauma, family messaging, diet culture, and societal beauty standards. Many adults struggle with body shame, dissatisfaction, disordered eating patterns, chronic self-criticism, or feeling disconnected from their bodies.

My research has focused on body image and the development of positive embodiment — an approach that moves beyond body positivity toward feeling at home, grounded, and alive in your body. Through my research I cultivated a specific interest in providing therapy for body image and self worth.

Through therapy we explore the roots of body shame and cultivate a more integrated, compassionate, and embodied sense of self.

Identity exploration therapy supports adults navigating questions around gender identity, sexuality, spirituality, career shifts, cultural identity, and major life transitions. You may feel lost, stuck, disconnected, or unsure who you are outside of family expectations, religion, or achievement. Through relational psychodynamic therapy, we explore how your identity formed, what feels authentic now, and how to move toward a more grounded and self-directed sense of self.

Periods of dread, numbness, or feeling stuck often reflect deeper questions about meaning, purpose, and authenticity. In relational psychodynamic therapy, we explore existential anxiety, life transitions, and identity shifts without rushing to quick fixes. This work supports greater clarity, vitality, and alignment.

Grief is not only about death — it can include the loss of relationships, faith, identity, or imagined futures. I provide depth-oriented therapy for complicated grief, ambiguous loss, and prolonged mourning. Together we make space for sorrow while supporting integration and forward movement.

The reproductive years can bring profound emotional complexity — including anxiety, identity shifts, infertility grief, postpartum mood changes, and relational strain. I offer space to process the layered experiences of conception, pregnancy, and early parenthood. Therapy supports both emotional regulation and deeper identity integration.

Family estrangement can bring relief, grief, guilt, and unresolved attachment pain all at once. In relational therapy, we explore boundaries, loyalty conflicts, religious or cultural pressures, and the long-term impact of family rupture. The goal is not forced reconciliation, but clarity, self-trust, and emotional steadiness.