Mission of the Washington Gorge Collective (WTC):
To expand access to high-quality, in-person mental health care for underserved communities in the Columbia Gorge, with a focus on equity, sustainability, and systemic change.

Goals

  1. Deliver In-Person Services to Underserved Communities
    Provide accessible, in-person mental health services to rural and hard-to-reach populations in the Columbia Gorge—particularly in areas where residents currently lack meaningful access to care.

  2. Address Historic Inequities in Klickitat and Skamania Counties
    Break down long-standing geographic, economic, and cultural barriers to care by building sustainable mental health infrastructure and increasing access to therapy in Klickitat and Skamania Counties.

  3. Organize Providers for Collective Impact and Sustainability
    Unite Washington-based therapists and peer support specialists to build a collaborative, community-rooted model of care that amplifies impact, supports provider sustainability, and promotes long-term mental health outcomes across the region.

HOW THERAPISTS GET INVOLVED

WTC meets every other month at Everybody’s Brewery on the last Thursday of the month. Our next meeting is

August 28th 2025 5:30-7pm.

Current WTC therapists who partner with ACC for contracts and grants

These therapists have access to ACC grant funds to supply a certain amount of sliding scale and free therapy sessions.

All therapists offer free consults.

Brooke Jefferson
Pre-Licensed Mental Health Counselor

Brooke approaches therapy with genuine eagerness to hear your story, the desire to know your internal world better, and a commitment to exploring - together - how best to foster growth and healing in your life. She will meet you whole-heartedly with compassion, curiosity, and the belief that the wisdom to heal already exists within you. For her, it’s an honor to walk alongside you in your wellness journey, and you can expect her to meet you wherever you are in the process with a warm and nonjudgmental stance. Brooke offers support through an integrative, feminist, Health at Every Size (HAES), and trauma-informed lens. Her work is rooted in social justice, and she strives to create safety in the therapeutic container for every person regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, size, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, and background. Brooke often uses modalities such as somatics, parts work, Gestalt, and mindfulness, though ultimately her approach will be tailored to your unique needs and goals. Learn more about Brooke’s counseling style and specialties HERE!

Specialties
Eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image
Dissociation
Trauma
Anxiety, panic, and depression
Life transitions and navigating change
Spirituality
Adults and adolescents

Fees
$125 per session (50 minutes)

Leah Salmon
Social Work Associate

Leah approaches the therapeutic relationship with a deeply held belief that individuals are the experts in their own lives and that, through collaboration and curiosity, a path of discovery to inner wisdom and strength is possible. Much of Leah’s professional experience has centered around teens and families who are navigating complex problems. She operates with the knowledge that those problems are always intertwined with personal, cultural, and institutional factors, and she seeks to empower her clients to change these conditions where possible. Leah strives to cultivate a strong therapeutic relationship or alliance that encourages her clients to build internal and external resources that may pave the way toward finding their voice and implementing attainable solutions to address their needs.

Specialties
Adolescents, young adults, and adults
Folks managing trauma
People living with depression and/or anxiety
Grief and loss
People that have lived/are living through interpersonal violence/abuse
Queer folks!

Fees
$125 per session (50 minutes)

Chris Barker
Social Work Associate

Chris brings creativity and humor to the therapeutic process while collaborating to find practical solutions and adaptations to whatever challenges life is bringing you. He strays away from any one-size-fits-all approaches and instead draws from a range of different therapeutic styles (Family systems, Mindfulness, Solutions focused, and CBT) while making sure to leave space to figure things out on the fly and tailor your treatment to your unique needs. Chris has experience working with people of all ages dealing with a broad range of issues including Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, Grief, Anger, ADHD, Identity, Sexuality, and Self Harm. 

Chris has a background in wilderness therapy and is passionate about getting people outside and interacting with nature in whatever ways inspire and help them find peace. 

You can know that from the very first session, Chris is 100% on your team and will work hard to support you and ensure that you get what you came for out of therapy. 

Specialties:
Adolescents and Young adults
Anxiety/Depression
Shame and Guilt
Impulsivity
Intrapersonal Difficulties
Anger Management

Fees:
$125 per session (50 minutes)

MEET OUR PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST

Clare Stanfield
Peer Support Specialist

Clare believes we are all intuitive experts of our own bodies, desires, and goals. We may need support in recognizing what we already know. She grew up along the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland in a rural community surrounded by big cities. Living through abuse, divorce, and suicidality, Clare has learned to value the knowledge that comes with lived experience and hopes to elevate that same strength in the people she works alongside.

Today, Clare lives and practices as a peer support specialist in the Columbia Gorge. As a peer support specialist, her role is not to diagnose you or prescribe any treatments or medication (while those aspects of your life will be honored). Instead, it is help connect you to services, enhance the quality of your current services, overcome obstacles, and chart your own recovery or wellness journey—all from a place of mutual understanding and empowerment. While working with Clare, you can expect a non-hierarchial approach that integrates therapeutic skills, empathy, and relatability.

Specialties
Sexual and physical abuse
Depression, anxiety, and grief
Disordered eating
Oppressive systems’ impacts on mental health Relationships (romantic, communal, social, etc.)

Educational Background

Masters in Social Work, Portland State University— June 2024 Bachelors of Arts in Psychology, Appalachian State University— June 2018

Fees
$55 for 45 minutes / $65 for 60 minutes