GAVIN
BOWES
Online Holistic Counseling and Core Energetics
for individuals and relationships
ABOUT
My name is Gavin Bowes. I’m an online holistic counselor and Certified Core Energetics Practitioner based in Oregon and working with people throughout the US. My pronouns are he/him/his.
I provide safe, caring and effective help for people who are grieving, anxious, depressed, scared, having relationship conflicts, feeling the pain of the world or just wanting to grow as a person. My practice is a judgment-free environment and I welcome you as you are.
If you're someone whose life or relationships don't fit social norms, I'm here to provide affirmative, stigma-free support. I love working with non-monogamy,
relationship anarchy and other non-normative relationships. I'm LGBTQIA+ and gender-affirming, BDSM/Kink aware and welcoming of all neurotypes.
I'm in my own ongoing process of unlearning the norms and biases I've inherited being raised in western culture, including my internalized racism and normative thinking. Recent trainings include Clinical Practice with Individuals in the Kink/BDSM Communities and Destroy Fatphobia.
I believe deeply in counseling and the value of having a strong, compassionate ally to help us face ourselves and our lives. I’m a Certified Core Energetics Practitioner (CCEP) through Northwest Pathwork and Core Energetics in Portland, Oregon and I practice as an alternative, non-licensed counselor under Oregon Regulatory Statute 675.825(4). I love what I do and I consider it an honor to help others through.
APPROACH
My approach to counseling is warm, relational and holistic. My counseling style is relational at heart; I love my clients and I highly value the intimacy and humanity we share as they explore their inner world. The holistic perspective is central to my approach because it's so kind and human, and includes all of who we are. I can welcome my client’s feelings of anxiety, insecurity or hatred because I also see their strength, trust and goodness. Through the holistic lens, we can explore everything, without judgment, in a spirit of curiosity, humility and courage.
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Core Energetics is experiential, life-affirming counseling. Core Energetics is an experiential form of counseling that integrates talk therapy with physical movement, emotional expression and experiential exercises to take the work deeper than the cognitive level. The direction of Core Energetics work is always “toward life”; seeking out the places in us that have become numb, blocked or forgotten and are preventing us from being fully alive. Core Energetics has been part of the family of somatic therapies since 1973, along with Gestalt, Hakomi, Somatic Experiencing and other methods.
How my work is different than psychotherapy: The primary difference between my work and psychotherapy is that psychotherapy is based on a medical model, in which the goal is to diagnose and treat psychological conditions. My work is based on the humanistic model, in which the goal is to transform inner blockages that diminish aliveness and potential. In short, humanistic work is more about becoming something than fixing something. Despite my love for the holistic/humanistic approach, I support all forms of therapy that help people heal and grow. If you'd be better served by a psychotherapist or psychiatrist, please reach out and I'd be happy to refer you to someone.
Addressing financial and social inequity in my practice: Despite its well-known ability to increase quality of life, good counseling has historically been for the privileged. It's typically expensive, creating a default counseling culture in which only certain people have access to quality care. I want counseling to be for everyone and I use a flexible fee system to make my services affordable to as many people as possible. See the "Services" section for more information.
It's also important for me to address social inequity in the world of counseling. I stand with the movement to dismantle inequity in our country and our world, and I affirm the identities and lived experiences of people of color, LGBTQIA+, women, people with disabilities, people without money and all others who are systemically disadvantaged. I'm white, queer, cisgender and able-bodied and I recognize the inherent privileges some of those identities give me. I know some people might not feel comfortable working with me for that reason. If you want a referral to another holistic/experiential counselor, let me know and I'd be happy to connect you with someone.
RELATIONSHIP WORK
I support people in all kinds of relationships. I help couples, friends and people in all kinds of relationships to find more safety, harmony and satisfaction in their connection. There are so many ways to be in relationship and I consider all of them equally valid; I love working with monogamous couples as well as non-monogamy, relationship anarchy, friendships, complicated/situationships, asexual and aromantic relationships, queerplatonic relationships and others. I make a special effort to extend myself to people in non-normative relationships because it can be so hard to find affirming, relevant support when you're loving outside the box. And on a personal note, I can relate. I really get what it's like to love in a way that doesn't fit the social script.
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Centering the human connection: Sometimes in the process of forming an attachment to someone and building a relationship over time, we can lose sight of each other's humanity, of who we are as people. We get so wrapped up in the roles we play that we forget how to love each other as human beings. My approach to relationship work is to first identify the places where humanity and friendship are lacking from the connection. Establishing a “home base” of human connection is the foundation for addressing specific issues in the relationship.
I view relationships (including monogamy) through a relationship anarchy lens. The term “relationship anarchy” was popularized in 2012 by Swedish activist Andie Norgren, who suggested a simple relationship model based on values of mutual respect, authenticity, customized commitments and healthy communication, with an emphasis on allowing each person to be who they really are. Relationship anarchy differs from monogamy and non-monogamy in that it isn't a relational format; it's a set of principles for loving and cherishing each other as human beings while simultaneously honoring each other's autonomy.
Monogamous couples I work with often find the principles of relationship anarchy liberating due to the feeling of mutual cheerleading and support, permission to be their real selves and the lack of pressure for the relationship to look a certain way. Monogamy through a relationship anarchist lens might look like, “There's no right way to do this. We get to design a relationship that works for us, that supports our mutual joy and thriving, even if it's different than a 'normal' relationship.”
SERVICES
All sessions take place online
Consultations:
A free 30-minute phone call to discuss what you want to address in counseling, answer any questions you have and see if we're a good fit as counselor and client. To schedule a consultation, see the “Contact” section below.
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Counseling sessions:
All sessions last 60 minutes and are typically scheduled weekly or every other week. We'll spend the first few sessions establishing our connection and clarifying your goals.
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Fees:
To make my services affordable to as many people as possible, I use an income-based sliding scale.. We'll have a brief chat about your financial resources, apply a sliding scale, and you'll choose what to pay within that range. If you want to know what it would cost to work with me, feel free to reach out and ask. I'm not able to accept insurance, though I do have clients who get reimbursed by their insurer and I'm happy to provide receipts for your sessions.
CONTACT
Be in touch to schedule a consultation or if you have any questions.
I'll reply within 1 business day.
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