Embedded Files
Fall 2026 - Accepting new clients
Hello, and welcome! I'm Carissa Visser (she/her). I provide individual therapy for adults (age 18+) who are seeking to get their mental health into balance and/or investigate physical pain/illness. I invite you to explore this site, and reach out to set up a chat if what you read here speaks to you or interests you. I offer a free, 20-minute video call consult to explore whether we'd be a good fit. I'd love to hear about what you are wanting to work on or change, and talk with you about how I can help.
Who I work with
All identities, ideologies and world-views are truly welcome in my safe, non-judgmental space. Whoever you are - it’s an honor to walk with you on your path, and to support you in your journey.
I have the pleasure of working with courageous individuals who are open to cultivating self-knowing and self-connection, and who are interested in how this could impact how they feel and think.
My approach
I approach the challenges that bring people to therapy from a place of curiosity and compassion. Mental health concerns aren’t just things to get rid of. They’re showing you what needs your attention. They’re gateways to paths where positive change can occur.
We all have an inherent capacity for change, growth, healing, and thriving. This isn’t something I believe in or that I think is true, it’s what I’ve experienced consistently in my work with people. Therapy with me can help bring all of that to light.
How does therapy with me do that? I specialize in experiential ways of working. Experiential therapy differs from talk therapy in that the work is focused on guiding you through a process, and on the experiences that come out of that process. These experiences can lead to significant shifts in how you feel, and in how you relate to yourself and the world. This is the real healing and change that you deserve.
Experiential therapy - IFS & EMDR
I am an IFS therapist (trained by the IFS Institute), and IFS is my primary way of working with clients. IFS therapy operates from the knowledge that we all have parts, or subpersonalities. You’ve likely had the experience of noticing that a part of you feels one way, and another part of you feels another way, especially around a decision or a dilemma. These are parts as they are referred to in IFS. This way of working will help you get to know and help the parts of you that drive or hold the feelings, thoughts, or behaviors that you’d like to see shift – I.e., the challenges that bring you to therapy. If you’d like to learn more about IFS therapy, the IFS Institute has an intro video on their Home Page. I’m also happy to provide more information about IFS and answer any questions you might have in your free initial consult.
I am also an EMDR therapist, trained by the Personal Transformation Institute (EMDRIA-approved). EMDR therapy taps into the body and mind’s intrinsic capacity for self-healing to process past experiences, so that those experiences are no longer negatively impactful in the present. My training is in Somatic and Attachment Focused (SAFE) EMDR which was designed to make the EMDR therapy process more effective. In addition to utilizing the SAFE EMDR model, I integrate IFS therapy into all of my EMDR work. I offer EMDR therapy to those who are specifically seeking an EMDR therapist. Otherwise, IFS is my default or standard way of working.
Services offered:
I offer online sessions (only) to Oregon residents statewide. Please reach out for current availability or to be added to my wait list.
Contact:
carissa@vissercounseling.com
Page updated
Report abuse