Rhonda Grayson, MAMFT, LPC, NCC
​Supporting individuals and families navigating neurodivergence, caregiving, emotional well-being, and relationships.

 

My Story

I earned my Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from Southern Nazarene University in 2008 and began my private practice in 2011. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in Oregon, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Washington, and a National Certified Counselor.

 

For more than 15 years, I have had the privilege of helping individuals and families navigate emotional challenges, relationships, life transitions, and the often complicated process of creating healthier, more fulfilling lives.

 

Over the years, one area of this work has become especially meaningful to me: supporting neurodivergent individuals and people whose lives are shaped by the responsibilities of caring for someone they love.

 

Experiences of neurodivergence and caregiving vary widely. Some individuals are navigating autism, ADHD, or intellectual and developmental disabilities. Others are caring for an aging parent, a spouse experiencing declining health, or a family member who needs ongoing support. 

 

Although these experiences are different, they can share emotional realities that are rarely discussed openly.

 

Caregivers may find themselves serving as advocates, coordinators, protectors, problem-solvers, and sources of emotional and financial stability. Relationships can become strained, personal needs may be postponed, and the responsibilities of caring for others can gradually overshadow one's own identity and well-being.

 

In the middle of caring for everyone else, the person providing the care can become invisible.

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That is where I want therapy to be different.

 

I believe that people deserve to be seen as individuals, not defined by a diagnosis, a caregiving role, or the challenges they are facing.

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Therapy can provide a place to speak honestly about exhaustion, grief, love, resentment, guilt, uncertainty, changing expectations, and the complicated emotions that accompany life's responsibilities.

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It can also be a place to rediscover something that sometimes gets lost along the way: your own strengths, relationships, identity, and capacity for joy.

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Who I Work With

My practice has a particular focus on:

• Neurodivergent adults, including individuals navigating autism, ADHD, and other developmental differences

• Parents and caregivers supporting neurodivergent children, teens, and adults

• Individuals caring for aging parents, spouses, or loved ones with ongoing health or support needs

• Caregiver stress, emotional exhaustion, compassion fatigue, and burnout

• Relationship difficulties, family dynamics, and changing roles

• Anxiety, emotional overwhelm, self-worth, and personal boundaries

• Grief, uncertainty, and significant life transitions

• Adults seeking greater self-understanding, emotional well-being, and healthier relationships

 

My Approach

I believe effective therapy begins with a genuine relationship between therapist and client, one grounded in respect, emotional safety, curiosity, and collaboration.

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I do not believe people need another professional simply telling them what they should be doing. Many individuals and caregivers have already spent years managing expectations, navigating difficult circumstances, and trying to meet everyone else's needs.

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Instead, I want to understand your experiences, your relationships, your challenges, your strengths, and what matters most to you.

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My approach is individualized, compassionate, and grounded in the belief that meaningful change becomes possible when people feel heard, understood, and empowered to recognize their own capacity for growth.

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I believe in you.

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My background in marriage and family therapy means I naturally view challenges within the larger systems in which people live. Stress experienced by one individual can ripple through marriages, parent-child relationships, sibling relationships, work, finances, friendships, identity, and physical and emotional well-being. Meaningful change often comes from understanding these connections rather than viewing one person as the problem.

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My therapeutic style is relational, strengths-based, trauma-informed, and practical. Depending on your needs, our work may include strengthening communication and boundaries, navigating caregiver stress and burnout, processing difficult life experiences, improving relationships, rebuilding a sense of self, adjusting to changing family roles, and finding sustainable ways to care for others while honoring your own needs.

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Much of our emotional suffering is rooted in the struggle to reconcile unexpected and painful experiences, both past and present, with our desire for a fulfilling and meaningful life. At times, the ways we previously understood ourselves, our relationships, and the world around us no longer seem to fit. These difficult seasons present both challenges and opportunities to discover new meaning, even amid uncertainty and loss.

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Even in the midst of sorrow, we can learn to recognize moments of peace, reconnect with our strengths, and deepen our capacity for joy. Through the therapeutic relationship, I strive to create a supportive environment that encourages deeper self-awareness, personal growth, and more authentic, satisfying relationships with ourselves and others.

 

​You Deserve Support, Too

 

Individuals and families navigating neurodivergence, caregiving responsibilities, and life’s unexpected challenges often become remarkably skilled at meeting the needs of others.

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Yet an equally important question can go unanswered:

Who Is Supporting You?

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Whether you are supporting a neurodivergent loved one, caring for an aging family member, managing the emotional demands of caregiving, or navigating challenges in your own life, your well-being matters, too.

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You do not have to wait until you are completely overwhelmed to make room for your emotional health, relationships, personal growth, and future.

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At New Leaf Integrative Therapy, I believe that meaningful support begins with recognizing the individual behind every experience, responsibility, and challenge.

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Whether you are seeking greater self-understanding, healthier relationships, relief from emotional exhaustion, or a renewed sense of direction, I would be honored to walk alongside you as you discover a path forward that reflects your needs, values, and hopes for the future.

Contact me to explore whether New Leaf Integrative Therapy might be a good fit for you.

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A Little About Me

I have always been fascinated by the connection between our brains, relationships, experiences, and the stories we develop about ourselves. That curiosity eventually became a career, and more than 15 years later, I remain fascinated by the extraordinary complexity and resilience of people and families.

Outside the therapy room, I enjoy traveling, art, spending time in nature, playing cards, being with family and pets, discovering delicious food, and yammering on about whatever I happen to find interesting.

 

Suggested Resources

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• Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism by Barry M. Prizant, PhD

• Sincerely, Your Autistic Child by the Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network

• Moments of Joy by Camille Joy

• Loss, Trauma, and Resilience: Therapeutic Work with Ambiguous Loss by Pauline Boss, PhD

• Good Fights by Les and Leslie Parrott

• Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs

• The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman, PhD

• Sheet Music by Kevin Leman, PhD

• The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman, PhD

• The 5 Apology Languages by Gary Chapman and Jennifer Thomas

• Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend

• What Are You Afraid Of? by David Jeremiah

• How Pornography Harms by John D. Foubert, PhD

• The Entitlement Cure by John Townsend, PhD

• Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas

• Daring Greatly by Brené Brown, PhD

• The Connected Child by Karyn B. Purvis, David R. Cross, and Wendy Lyons Sunshine

• Already Toast: Caregiving and Burnout in America by Kate Washington

• The 36-Hour Day by Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rabins

• Taking Charge of Adult ADHD by Russell A. Barkley, PhD

• How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis, LPC

• Unmasking Autism by Devon Price, PhD

• Unmasking for Life by Devon Price, PhD​​​​

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