Meet Paul Walsh, LMFT
If you're looking for a therapist, you probably want more than credentials. You want someone you can actually talk to, who won't flinch at what you bring in, and who will help you make sense of it. I'm Paul Walsh, a licensed marriage and family therapist at Quiet Light Counseling in Johns Landing, Portland. For 17 years I've helped adults through grief, divorce, big transitions, anxiety and the unsettling feeling of being disconnected from yourself.
Maybe this is you
You're the steady one. People count on you, and from the outside you look fine. Inside, you're carrying a loss, a hard change or a fog you can't explain, and you're tired of holding it together alone. Maybe you've been told you're too sensitive. Maybe you're a man or a new dad who has never really talked to anyone about this. I work with adults of all genders, and you don't need to know where to start.
What working with me is like
- You'll be met, not managed. Change usually starts with a real connection, not a script.
- We'll make sense of what's happening, so it stops feeling like a mystery or a sign something is wrong with you.
- You'll leave with something you can try. I'm warm, but I'm also practical.
- We go at your pace. Anything you're not ready to share can wait.
My approach is humanistic and person-centered, drawing on attachment-based, interpersonal and strength-based work.
Why I do this work
I grew up learning to read a room and stay steady when things got loud. Today it means I usually notice when someone is hesitant before they say a word. I've worked in community mental health, integrated care at Kaiser Permanente, refugee resettlement and private practice. I opened Quiet Light Counseling in 2026 to focus on the work I find most meaningful: helping people who feel far from themselves feel real and steady again.
Outside the office I'm a dad, a music lover and a former basketball player whose knees moved me on to pickleball.
Education and licenses
- MA in Counseling Psychology, California Institute of Integral Studies, 2008
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Oregon #T1413
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, California #88877
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Washington #MFT.LF.61566900
- Member, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)
What I help with
Derealization · Derealization after cannabis or psilocybin · Grief and loss · Divorce · Life transitions · Anxiety and health anxiety · Highly sensitive people · Online therapy
Let's talk
You don't need the right words to start. A free 15-minute call is enough to see if we're a good fit. In person in Johns Landing, or online anywhere in Oregon, Washington or California.