Neeka Safdari, CSWA

They/Them | Clinical Social Worker Associate

I believe therapy works best when it's honest, collaborative, and genuine. I create space for humor, openness, and creativity alongside the harder work, because I think that combination is where real growth actually happens.

Born and raised in Oregon, I stay closely connected with the local Southwest Asian and North African community and bring genuine humility and lived experience to every relationship I build. I especially love working with youth (14+) and adults who identify as queer, trans, neurodivergent, BIPOC, or (im)migrant, and I am ENM-affirming and committed to care that is culturally responsive, equitable, and genuinely affirming of your whole self.

I received a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan and currently am a licensed Clinical Social Work Associate (CSWA) with the Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers. I am are currently supervised by Marisela Van Sickle, LCSW.

Currently Accepting New Clients In-Person & Online

Contact them directly at Neeka@linkpdx.org

Let’s Work Together

How I Got Here

I spent the first five years of my career working in intensive behavioral, school-based, and community-based settings. That work taught me something I couldn't unlearn… Mental health care too often shows up after the fact. After the crisis. After the breaking point. After someone has already been carrying something alone for way too long. That realization is what brought me here. I wanted to be part of something more preventive, more relational, and more rooted in the belief that people deserve support before things fall apart, not just after.

I also came to this work carrying my own experience of searching for the right therapist and not being able to find one. I know what that feels like. The mismatch, the quiet disappointment, the exhausting work of trying to figure out whether someone can really understand your story before you've even begun to tell it. That experience sits with me in every session. It's part of why I take fit seriously, why I hold representation as a real and meaningful issue rather than an abstract one, and why I care so genuinely about making quality mental health care more accessible and more equitable for the people who have historically been underserved by it.

  • I believe that good therapy starts with a real relationship. Not a technique, not a framework, not a treatment plan, but a genuine, trusting, human connection that creates enough safety for you to challenge yourself, discover things about yourself, and grow in ways that actually stick. Everything else grows from that foundation.

    While I tend to work from a more general humanistic approach, some of the modalities I use most often with clients in session include:

    • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

    • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

    • Mindfulness

    • Play Therapy

    • Psychodynamic Therapy

    • Strengths-Based Therapy

    • Emotionally-Focused Therapy

  • While I work with a variety of clinical concerns, some that I’m most passionate about include:

    • ADHD

    • Alternative Relationship Structures

    • Anxiety

    • Autism

    • Chronic Illness & Pain

    • Depression

    • Family Issues

    • Grief and Loss

    • Identity

    • OCD

    • People Pleasing

    • Perfectionism

    • Relationship Issues

    • Self-Esteem

    • Sex & Sexuality

    • Trauma

  • I work with a wide variety of clients across different ages, identities, and life experiences, including:

    • BIPOC

    • Caregivers

    • Children of Immigrants

    • College Students

    • Individuals with Disabilities

    • Immigrants & Children of Immigrants

    • LGBTQIA+

    • Parents/Parents-to-Be

    • Youth & Teens

  • I hold a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan and am a Clinical Social Work Associate (CSWA) with the Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers, currently supervised by Marisela Van Sickle, LCSW.

Let’s Work Together!

If you find yourself connecting with what I’ve shared, I encourage fill out our online interest form and our admin team will reach out personally to learn more about what you're looking for and help match you with the right therapist. You also welcome to reach out to me directly at Neeka@linkpdx.org with any questions you may have about me or how I work.

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