GAVIN
BOWES
Holistic Counseling and Core Energetics
for individuals and relationships
ABOUT
My name is Gavin Bowes. I’m a holistic counselor and Certified Core Energetics Practitioner in Ashland, Oregon. My pronouns are he/him/his.
Whether you're considering counseling because you're in crisis, coping with emotional pain, feeling stuck or just wanting to explore yourself and your potential, I provide safe, caring and effective help. I offer counseling 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'm LGBTQIA+ and gender-affirming,
polyamory/non-monogamy friendly and BDSM/Kink aware. 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 Therapist (CCEP) through Northwest Pathwork and Core Energetics in Portland, Oregon. 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 highly value warmth and humanity in my relationships with my clients. My approach is holistic, or rooted in the idea of wholeness. I love the holistic perspective because it's so kind and human, and includes all of who we are. I can welcome my client’s anxiety and insecurity because I also see their strength and trust. I can welcome their hatred and rage because I also feel their goodness and warmth. We can explore everything without fearing anything; without judgment. When my clients and I approach their inner conflicts through this holistic lens, the painful parts of the work can then be met with humility and courage, directing them to the best possible outcome.
Core Energetics is effective, experiential, life-affirming counseling. Core Energetics is an experiential form of counseling that integrates physical movement, emotional expression, and meditation into the work, helping the therapeutic effects to reach 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. That being said, there is no "typical" Core Energetics session; the work can be heady and focused, or quiet and intimate, or loud and physical, depending on what's most needed in the moment. Since 1973, Core Energetics has been a mainstay in the somatic or "body-centered" therapy community, along with Gestalt, Hakomi, Somatic Experiencing and other methods that integrate experiential processes with talk therapy. I’m a Certified Core Energetics Practitioner and I practice as an alternative, non-licensed counselor under Oregon Regulatory Statute 675.825(4).
How my work is different than psychotherapy: The primary difference between my work and classical counseling or psychotherapy is that psychotherapy is based on a medical model, in which the goal is to diagnose and treat psycho- logical conditions, and my work is based on the humanistic model, in which the goal is to identify and remove 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 schools of thought and all forms of therapy that help people heal and grow. If you feel you would be better served by a psychiatrist or psychotherapist, or you are struggling with urgent or acute mental health issues, please reach out and I would be happy to refer you to someone.
How I address financial and social inequity in my practice: Despite its proven 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 below for more information.
I also think it's important 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, straight, cisgender and able-bodied and I recognize the inherent privileges those identities give me. I know some people won't feel safe or comfortable working with me for that reason. If it would best serve you to see someone who's LGBTQIA+, a woman, a person of color, etc, let me know and I'll connect you with a therapist that can best meet your needs.
RELATIONSHIP WORK
I offer human-centered relationship counseling. I help couples, friends and people in all kinds of relationships who are struggling to find emotional safety, harmony or satisfaction in their 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 for each other that we forget how to see and love each other as human beings. My approach to relationship work is to first identify the places where love and friendship are lacking from the connection. Establishing this “home base” of human connection then becomes the foundation for addressing any specific issues in the relationship.
I view relationships through a non-normative lens. Normative relationship culture tells us there's a right way to love, that relationships should look and progress a certain way, and that something's wrong if they don't. I don't believe there's a right way to love, or a formula for successful relationship. I believe that all consensual relationships are equally valid, that friendships and non-sexual relationships are just as important as romantic ones, and that the right way for a relationship to progress is in whatever way creates the most love, well-being and aliveness for the people in the relationship.
I support both traditional and non-traditional relationships. I see monogamy, polyamory, friendship, aromantic and asexual relationships, and all other forms of human connection as equally valid. That being said, it can be hard for people in non-traditional relationships to find affirming, judgment-free counseling. I welcome those in non-traditional relationships and I offer safe, stigma-free support for those whose connections don't fit societal norms.
SERVICES
My practice is remote only; all sessions take place online.
Initial Consultations:
Consultations last 30 minutes and are free of charge. We'll talk about what you want to address in counseling, discuss any questions you have and see if we're a good fit as counselor and client. To schedule a consultation, call, text or email me via the "Contact" section below.
Counseling Sessions:
All sessions last 60 minutes and are usually scheduled weekly or every other week. We'll establish a solid foundation and then work steadily toward your goals for healing and growth.
Fees:
To make my services affordable to as many people as possible, I use an income-based sliding scale to determine each client's fee. We'll have a brief chat about your financial resources, apply a sliding scale, and then you'll choose what to pay within the scale. If you want to know what it would cost to work with me, feel free to reach out and ask.
CONTACT
Feel free to be in touch with any questions, to schedule a consultation, or to get referrals to other practitioners in the therapeutic community. I will reply within 1 business day.