Emric Pennington-Davis, LSWAIC

Welcome–seeking therapy can be a difficult process and I celebrate your bravery in taking this step on your journey!

I was born and raised in White Salmon and know first-hand the unique opportunities for beauty and community–as well as unique opportunities for harm and isolation–that can occur within the rural, small-town experience. Throughout our lives, we can find ourselves trying to fit into boxes that don’t align with our authentic selves or experiencing rejection from our family, friends and community because our truths don’t align with rigid social expectations. If you are feeling disconnected, overwhelmed or in pain: you’re not alone.

I believe that my role as a therapist is to stand beside you as you explore opportunities for healing and growth. In my work, I provide an empathetic, consent-based, and person-centered space to process stress and trauma, learn new coping skills, and celebrate your strengths. You are the expert on your experiences, your story and your journey. I will walk alongside you as you discover and reconnect to the person you want to be, creating space for you to move through healing at a pace that supports your nervous system and emotional wellbeing. Instead of centering medical models that pathologize human experience, I work from a lens rooted in social justice and cultural humility to support clients in finding joy, meaning and belonging in life on their own terms.

My approach to therapy is deeply humanistic and values-based, weaving together acceptance and commitment therapy, somatic therapy, narrative therapy and art therapy to holistically meet the unique needs of each client. My training as an associate licensed social worker not only built an understanding of the modalities I use in each session but also cultivated a greater awareness for the impacts that oppressive systems have on every aspect of our health and lives. I specialize in working with folks who are exploring identity and navigating life transitions, as well as those struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, chronic illness/pain, and relational wounds.

I have extensive experience supporting Queer and questioning individuals as they navigate the journey of connecting with their authentic selves. I also specialize in supporting folks with ASD and ADHD as well as those exploring the possibility that they may be neurodivergent; I work with clients to embrace and navigate neurodiversity through exploring strengths and avenues for empowerment. As a Queer, transgender man diagnosed late in life with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), I find myself drawn to work where experiences of neurodiversity, Queerness and trauma intersect. My approach to therapeutic work centers on the understanding that stories we tell ourselves–and are told by the systems we live within–have great power. Together, we can explore the stories you want to tell in your life, co-creating a narrative space for you to process, explore, play and–ultimately–thrive.

In my personal life, I find a great deal of fulfillment in all things crafty, be that painting miniatures, embroidering or making strange little knitted creations. I love to combine my passion for crafting with my love of the outdoors, creating natural dyes from fungi and herbs grown in my garden. When I’m not outside looking at moss and flowers, you can find me curled up with my gremlin of a Golden Retriever, Avie and reading a sappy Queer romance novel.