Stuart Malkin, Portland Therapist
Before becoming a therapist, I spent over two decades in the software industry. I was doing well in the ways people usually measure success, but I often felt disconnected from myself and from the life I wanted to be living. As someone who values authenticity deeply, that disconnect was hard to ignore.
When I began my own counseling in 2006, I saw more clearly where I had drifted from my values. I wanted to rebuild a life that felt real. What I found was that insight alone wasn’t enough. Something shifted when the work moved into the body. That experience reshaped me personally and professionally, and eventually drew me toward mindful, somatic approaches and into this work. It guides the way I support others looking for more purpose, honesty, and connection.
That same commitment to living authentically shapes how I show up outside the office as well. I am part of a blended, neurodiverse family. I live with my spouse, one of my kids still at home, and two extremely affectionate pets, a cat who thinks he is a dog and a dog who thinks she is my shadow. In my free time you will usually find me in nature or geeking out with fantasy role-playing games.
Approach, Education and Training
My approach is mindful, somatic, experiential, and relational. I draw from Hakomi, attachment work, and Lifespan Integration (Level 3). With couples, I draw on the Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy (PACT Level 1), Gottman (Level 1), and Compassionate Communication to support communication, connection, and intimacy.
I launched Clear Heart Counseling in 2017 after completing my master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling at Portland State University. Before full-time practice, I completed a two-year comprehensive training program in Hakomi, followed by a year-long internship in Hakomi and trauma-informed therapy. In 2015 I assisted in teaching the comprehensive program, deepening the work hands-on.
Additional training includes Primary Attachment therapy, the Hakomi certification process currently in progress, and the Certified Therapeutic Game Master training, bringing a structured, clinically grounded approach to Role-Playing Game Therapy.
If you are ready to talk, let’s meet. You can schedule a free consultation with me or visit my contact page.