Meet Portia
I became a psychotherapist after having spent a number of years as a radio documentary producer who focused on psychological issues. It was so moving to meet men and women who had had transformative experiences in therapy that enabled them to heal emotional wounds from the past and go on to lead more authentic and fulfilling lives.
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During those years, I also did powerful personal work with some wonderful therapists who helped me move beyond issues that had been standing in the way of moving forward in my life. Later, when I was studying to become a therapist, they became mentors who taught me about the healing power of a therapeutic relationship-- what it means to come home to yourself—to deeply know, accept and value yourself as you truly are.
I continue to believe that this quality of unconditional friendliness toward yourself—what Buddhist psychologist Tara Brach calls “radical acceptance” is essential for peace of mind, personal happiness, and a satisfying life.
In addition to discovering the richness of Buddhist psychology along my journey, I came to realize that psychotherapy is not just a talking cure—though talking is involved. Rather, it is an experiencing cure. That means we have to pay a lot of attention to the wisdom of the body because, to quote Bessel van der Kolk, “the body keeps the score.” Paying attention to physical states that have emotional meaning can take us to the source of our distress and also lead the way to healing. My greatest mentor in this area was Albert Pesso, the co-founder of psychomotor therapy or PBSP. This learning was also enriched by my study of EMDR and AEDP among other somatically based approaches to therapy.
I love this work and am grateful to be in a profession that has allowed me to learn so much about myself, about what it means to be human and what makes healing and transformation possible.
It would be my privilege to work with you to create the therapeutic experience that best matches your needs. To set up a free telephone consultation, you can contact me via email at
portia-franklin@integrativepsychotherapy-nm.com or phone at 917-544-0723.