Margaret McNeal, MA
My style is best characterized as dynamic, playful, compassionate, and deep. I bring a loving, nurturing presence alongside lively curiosity, intelligence, and insight.
Clients have described me “a good dance partner" with the necessary tact and tension for therapy to be an enlivening, enjoyable, tender, and expansive experience.
As a therapist, I am passionate about connecting with the unique nature of each client, helping to revive a feeling of wonder, love, and interconnection in my clients’ lives and the dominant culture we live in. I treasure the intimate moments of connection made possible through therapy and the incredible creative possibility in each moment. It is a true joy to witness the healing power of Nature as it guides each of us towards vitality and wholeness.
I earned my Master’s in Counseling from Pacifica Graduate Institute, where I studied Jungian and depth psychology alongside psychodynamic, somatic, trauma-informed, and multicultural approaches to therapy. For two years, I trained through the Process Work Institute’s therapy clinic, where I studied Process Work’s experiential and individualized approach to therapy. My Master’s thesis Process Work and the Living Unconscious: Embodied Praxis for Depth Psychology focuses on somatic work with the unconscious, including work with postural tendencies, body symptoms, and chronic illness.
I grew up in and around New Orleans, lived in the Midwest, and five years ago moved to Portland where I now live with my husband from South America. I have had many experiences of cultural diversity and embrace its many forms, with special sensitivity to cross-cultural experiences, including the complexities of immigration and the intersections of diverse cultures. In my practice, I welcome all people, regardless of their culture, spiritual or religious beliefs, politics, or sexual identity.
I have a special passion for supporting clients with chronic illness. During my early 20s, I suffered from Lyme disease and was greatly transformed by the experience. It can be challenging to find a therapist sympathetic to health challenges, and it is a special joy of mine to help support those going through the complex initiation of disease.
Prior to becoming a therapist, I trained as a musician and performer. I have a deep love of the arts and enjoy helping clients to connect with their creativity.
I am an explorer of art, spirituality, nature, culture, consciousness, human connection, and the intricate mysteries of the soul. All this infuses my work, alongside my therapeutic training.
Education & Training:
M.A. Counseling with Emphasis in Depth Psychology - Pacifica Graduate Institute, 2022
Read my published Master’s thesis - Process Work and the Living Unconscious: Embodied Praxis for Depth Psychology
Process Work via River’s Way Clinic, supervised by Dr. Gary Reiss, LCSW, Dr. Ingrid Rose, LPC, and Dr. Dawn Menken, 2020–2022
B.M. Vocal Performance - Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, 2016
Continuing Education:
Wild Woman’s Way with Michaela Boehm - Workshop training with master therapist and teacher Michaela Boehm in women’s embodiment, sensuality, and self-actualization, including Non-Linear Movement, a gentle somatic approach to releasing trauma (2024)
Transcendental Meditation Training - (2023)
A Workshop with Peter Levine: Mind, Brain, & Body in the Transformation of Trauma - Foundational training with Peter Levine, creator of Somatic Experiencing, a body-oriented therapy for healing trauma and restoring the nervous system; California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), San Francisco, CA (2023)
A Workshop with Deb Dana: A Polyvagal Guide to Navigating Challenging Times - Foundational training in Polyvagal Theory by master practitioner and author Deb Dana; California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), San Francisco, CA (2023)
Advanced Practice of Process Work in Clinical Settings with Dawn Menken - Advanced training in Process Work applications to psychotherapy (2022)
A Workshop with Pat Ogden: Utilizing the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Approach to Trauma & Dissociation - Foundational training with Pat Ogden, creator of the Sensorimotor method, a body-oriented therapy technique for trauma and attachment; California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), San Francisco, CA (2022)
Opening the Closed Heart: A New Look at Jungian Psychology - Workshop with Donald Kalsched, Jungian psychoanalyst and clinical psychologist, author, and foremost Jungian trauma theorist; The Jung Center, Houston (2022)
Trauma, Innocence, & the Core Complex of the Dissociating Psyche - Workshop with Donald Kalsched, Jungian psychoanalyst and clinical psychologist, author, and foremost Jungian trauma theorist; Oregon Friends of Jung (2022)
The Timeless Search for Stability & Meaning - Training in Jungian perspectives on individuation and transformation, particularly regarding the “quarterlife” transition during 20–30s; Salome Institute of Portland, OR (2022)
Sacred Medicine and the Psyche: An Introduction to Psychedelic Exploration - Exploration of psychedelics within the context of depth psychology and the individuation process; Pacifica Graduate Institute, Santa Barbara, CA (2022)
Process Work Winter Intensive - Introduction to Process-Oriented Psychology (“Process Work”); Process Work Institute of Portland, OR (2022)