Amber Kanallakan, LMFT
(She/Her)
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Children ages 3-10
Tweens and Teens
Parent/Caregiver Support and Coaching
Foster Care/Adoption
Attachment Building
ADHD
Anxiety
Trauma
Interpersonal Neurobiology
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Amber currently has limited availability.
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Initial Biopsychosical Assessment (60 minutes): $200
Play Therapy (45-50 minutes): $180
Individual Therapy (50 minutes): $180
Parent Support Sessions: 50 minutes at $180, or 30 minutes at $90
Amber is an out-of-network provider and does not bill insurance. Superbills available upon request.
About Amber
Hi and welcome!
My name is Amber, and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the Director of Operations here at The Real Work. I specialize in play therapy, using a child’s natural language of play to help them express big feelings, make meaning of the world around them, and feel truly seen and safe as they navigate life’s challenges. As a certified AutPlay provider, I bring an informed and neuroaffirming approach to working with neurodivergent children and their families.
In addition to play therapy, I offer individual therapy for tweens and teens using a person-centered, strengths-based approach. As a parent of three teens, I am passionate about supporting young people as they navigate the complexities of finding belonging and building meaningful, safe connections in a rapidly changing world. I honor each client’s lived experience and remain curious about the unique needs of their developing nervous system.
As a systems-trained therapist, I believe that parents, caregivers, and community are essential parts of the healing and growth process. I offer compassionate and collaborative care to help clients and those supporting them feel more connected and resourced, especially during life’s more stressful seasons.
Along with my work in direct client care, I’m an adjunct professor at George Fox University’s Graduate School of Counseling, where I teach Interpersonal Neurobiology, Psychopharmacology, Personality and Counseling Theory, and am currently developing a new course on Neurodivergence, which will launch at the university in spring 2027.
I also offer professional partnerships and consultation services to local schools and organizations throughout the state of Oregon. Through customized workshops, in-services, and topic-specific resources, I collaborate with educators and clinicians in responding to the many layers of need experienced by children, teens, and families in our community.
When I’m not working, you can usually find me treasure hunting in a local thrift or vintage shop, tending to a massive collection of houseplants, or heading to the coast with my family for a day of boogieboarding and surfing.
I’m so glad you’re here.
Working with Amber may focus on:
Providing space for your child to process, grow, and heal through play therapy, sandtray, bibliotherapy, and expressive art elements.
Providing space for your tween/teen to process, grow, and heal through strength-based and solution-focused interventions that support increased feelings of self-worth, hopefulness, and improved relationship with self and others.
Adding tools to your toolbox to support you as parent/caregiver through building feelings of empowerment and curiosity, decreasing feelings of helplessness and overwhelm, improving attachment and relationship patterns, and providing psychoeducation around interpersonal neurobiology and human development.
Therapy with Amber is…
…a team effort!
I am committed to building therapeutic trust through collaborative curiosity, and by honoring each client’s unique experiences and neurodevelopmental stages.
Parents and caregivers are some of the most powerful agents of change in a child’s life. My work with kids and teens includes partnering with parents to strengthen connection through a deeper understanding of how their child communicates their needs as they navigate the world. Together, we cultivate curiosity about what behaviors may be communicating and explore ways to support everyone’s differing needs while deepening connection and increasing a sense of delight between children and the adults who care for them.
Let’s work together!
Being human can be really hard sometimes, no matter our age or stage of life.
Therapy offers a space for being heard and understood in ways that can support greater insight into the thoughts, feelings, and nervous system responses leading to challenging behaviors and strained relationships. By expanding about the internal resources already in the room, and getting curious about the resources yet to be discovered, clients and I work together to shine a light on the next best step in moving towards building a greater sense of hopefulness and belonging.
You don’t have to walk through the hard times alone. Let’s connect soon.
-Amber Kanallakan, MA, LMFT
Amber’s Education and Professional Training
Education
APT Leadership Academy Graduate, 2023
AutPlay Certified, 2022
Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from George Fox University, Portland
Bachelor of Science in Child Development from California State University, Fresno
Professional Affiliations
Oregon Association for Play Therapy (ORAPT)
Association for Play Therapy (APT)
American Association for Marital and Family Therapy (AAMFT)