Allie McIntosh

My journey began as an educator of children and adolescents. I spent a decade teaching my students a plethora of human development skills from identifying and regulating emotions to navigating social experiences. My true passion presented itself as I created and implemented a gender and sexuality curriculum. The curiosity, fascination, and self-exploration these young minds employed during this learning was exhilarating. On the contrary, the zealous nature displayed by the adults regarding these taboo topics, manifested my path to becoming a therapist. Every vocalization demonstrated an abundance of cultural, religious, familial, biological and societal patterns and power dynamics. As a white, cisgender, femme, heterosexual, monogamous person I struggled with the gatekeeping of this curriculum and the inherent power of the educator role, as these identities are rooted in privilege. The vast spectrum of gender, sexuality, love, pleasure, and desire strikes a nerve in every human being. Our worldviews create extensive maps that potentially have us playing out others’ interpretations of how we “should” live our lives, rather than how we would prefer to. I chose to become a therapist to provide an inclusive and affirming space for clients to become cartographers of their preferred realities. Maps hold a lot of information, but they don’t always lead us to our destination, therapy can act as your legend. My systemic therapeutic approach is rooted in narrative therapy. I acknowledge that larger systems create barriers for us to feel and present ourselves authentically. As a person whose professional identity was bound by the educational system, patriarchy, and sexism, it was therapy that helped me see the numerous possibilities for expanding my sense of self. I aim to support you in your journey to break free of these limitations and receive with open arms who you want or were meant to be. Self-discovery can be challenging and change can feel daunting, however rest assured that you are not walking into the darkness alone. Together, we can co-construct a narrative that embodies your personal goals. https://www.thecenterportland.com/therapists/allie-mcintosh/