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USA, Oregon
OREGON
BEAVERTON
Heather Greene, LCSW
Therapy Wellness Practice
12555 SW 1st St
Beaverton, OR 97005
(Office in Beaverton is wheelchair-accessible.)
and
Tryon Life Community Farm
11640 SW Boones Ferry Rd
Portland, OR 97219
http://www.hearthtendingwellnesscenter.com/
503-432-6247
Self-referred.
I have a genuine commitment to honoring each person as they are.
I work, in my practice, to co-create a safe and trusting space
to explore and encourage personal growth and healing in whatever
way is most meaningful to the person seeking support. I work
from a HAES framework and am dedicated to having healing work
being meaningful, accessible and self-honoring.
I also offer clinical-supervision for LCSW candidates from a
justice-centered framework.
http://www.justicecenteredsocialwork.com/
Margaret Vandenbark, family practice
Beaverton Kaiser
Beaverton, OR
643-7565
EUGENE
Jesica Dolin, CPM, LDM (Licensed Midwife)
See entry under PortlandPORTLAND
Andrew Ahmann, MD, diabetologist
Oregon Health Science University
Portland, Oregon
503 494-3273
A diabetologist is an endocrinologist who specializes in
diabetes. Dr Ahmann is a researcher who lectures on diabetes all
over the world. Not only has he never bugged me about my weight,
I've heard him say that he's not all that impressed with weight
loss as a treatment for diabetes, and that only about 11% of
diabetics can control their illness with diet and exercise
changes alone. Last week he asked me for subscription
information to the fat-accepting diabetes email list, as well as
any other fat-acceptance lists I'm on. I think he's a good
doctor, has a dry sense of humor, and listens to my perceptions
of my own body. -- Mara Nesbitt-Aldrich (nesbitt at hevanet dot
com)
Dr. Ashton, Chiropractor
http://www.agchiro.com/
5939 SE Belmont St Ste A
Portland, OR 97215
(503) 774-2240
I went to a chiropractor for the first time ever last week for
some out of control lower back pain. She diagnosed and treated
my pain effectively and thoroughly (she was fully able to
maneuver my very large body with no problems at all), and was
absolutely the most fat friendly practitioner I have ever met
with. On my new patient forms I had included my usual note about
how I want my whole body to be treated and respected, regardless
of my weight, etc. and she made a point to tell me how wonderful
it was that I wrote that and how fully she agreed with it. She
talked about how all bodies are healthy, and how they deserve
respect and accurate treatment, and I should never let anyone
tell me otherwise in regards to my weight. She also had a NAAFA
member come out when they furnished the office to make sure it
would be welcoming to people of all sizes. I wish there were
more health practitioners like this. I have been to doctors,
nurses, and other people in the field with varying levels of fat
friendliness, but this really upped my standards on what I
should consider an acceptable level of support. I WISH she
offered primary care. -- JB
Patra Behary, general practitioner
Kaiser Permanente East Interstate office
Portland, OR
When I entered the examination room, there was a sign that said
that this room is a space that people's personal choices about
their bodies were respected. I found that to be true. She did
not say anything about my weight, even when she was referring me
to a sleep study. Weight loss was only mentioned as one of the
ways to deal with sleep apnea, but she never indicated that I
was to do that. Overall, I found her pleasant and felt like she
actually listened to what I was saying. -- Jamica
Jesica Dolin, CPM, LDM (Licensed Midwife)
Providing home appointments and delivery from Portland to
Eugene; as well as births at Andaluz Birth Center in Tualatin,
OR.
503-702-5392
jesicadolin@yahoo.com
Self-referred.
I apply many principals of size-friendly care to all women in my
practice. For example, I tell each client the advantages and
disadvantages of weighing at each prenatal, and give each the
opportunity to decline routine weigh-in's. The important things
are the size and health of the baby, and the health of the mom;
not the number on the scale. Body image issues affect most
women, and just as many thin women have declined to be weighed
for psycological reasons. Size-friendly care is simply
respectful care, which is every woman's right, regardless of
size. VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) welcome.
Deborah Duran-Snell, Certified Nurse-Midwife
Westside Women's Care
9155 S.W. Barnes Rd., Suite 340
(Office Building of St. Vincent's Hospital)
Portland, OR 97225
(503) 297-3775
FAX: (503) 297-0353
An excellent midwife who is also a person of size herself.
Provides size-friendly care and is gentle and laid-back in
personality. She has had 1 C-section, and 3 vaginal births after
cesarean herself, so she is empathetic to a variety of client
concerns. There are 4 midwives in the practice and they are
associated with a number of backup OBs. If complications occur,
they co-manage the case with an OB, so you retain continuity of
care. The backup OBs are not as size-friendly, but the midwives
can and do intervene. They also tend to be very
non-interventionist in managing things like gestational
diabetes, so a mild case would not automatically incur many of
the interventions common to OBs. I highly recommend this care
provider.
Carl Erickson
503 233-5273
S.E. Milwaukie Ave.
Portland OR
I've been seeing Dr. Erickson for about 6 years now. I chose him
after I made a series of phone interviews with other doctors in
my health plan. I asked: "Do you think it's possible to be both
fat and healthy?" Dr. Erickson said "Of course!" He put in two
armless chairs in his waiting room, his staff knows not to ask
me to weigh, and he really listens to me. I'm a health
professional, so I have my own opinions about my body and what's
going wrong, and he respects that. I do have to push him
sometimes to recommend a test or a procedure. I think this is
mostly due to pressure from the insurance companies to limit
their expenditures. All in all, I think a lot of him. -- Mara
Nesbitt-Aldrich
Laura Erickson (CPM, LM) and Laurie Perron-Mednick (CPM)
Alma Midwifery
1608 SE Ankeny St Portland, OR 97214
503-233-3001
They are fat-friendly providers. They attended my daughter's
birth at home and I am happy to be seeing them again for a
second pregnancy. They are not even fazed by my size, as they
emphasize health and good habits over the number on the scale.
They are far more concerned that I am eating plenty of good
foods to stay healthy than they are with my size or weight gain.
Weigh-ins are optional, I did them last time but this time I am
opting out. I discussed with them why keeping a written food
diary was psychologically not ideal for me, and they happily
agreed to simply having casual in-office discussions about
nutrition instead. The emphasis is always on what foods would be
good for you to eat, not scolding about what you should not eat.
They respect each client's autonomy and will not pressure you
into screening tests just because--though if one may be needed,
they won't hesitate to explain why they think it's a good idea.
Lots of helpful advice, no guilt, no pressure. In general I feel
respected and safe in their office.
Heather Greene, LCSW
Therapy Wellness Practice
12555 SW 1st St
Beaverton, OR 97005
(Office in Beaverton is wheelchair-accessible.)
and
Tryon Life Community Farm
11640 SW Boones Ferry Rd
Portland, OR 97219
http://www.hearthtendingwellnesscenter.com/
503-432-6247
Self-referred.
I have a genuine commitment to honoring each person as they are.
I work, in my practice, to co-create a safe and trusting space
to explore and encourage personal growth and healing in whatever
way is most meaningful to the person seeking support. I work
from a HAES framework and am dedicated to having healing work
being meaningful, accessible and self-honoring.
I also offer clinical-supervision for LCSW candidates from a
justice-centered framework.
http://www.justicecenteredsocialwork.com/
Ellen Iwasaki, Nurse Practitioner
OHSU Gabriel Park Clinic
SW 45th and Vermont
503 494-9992
Ellen is my primary care physician. I've been seeing her for
about 4 years now. I came into her office with my version of and
Ellen read it through. She laughed at the appropriate places,
and when she came to the end of it, where it says something like
"I hope you can work with me in keeping me healthy, given this
is the way I want to be treated", she agreed. She's been
supportive of me at the size I am, and is very impressed with
the care I take with my own health, especially my diabetes. I
use pain medication, and over the years she's come to trust my
judgement on taking the right kinds and doseages, without making
me justify why I need more. In fact, she tells me I'm a little
too hard on myself. If I had one complaint about her, it would
be that she could be a better diagnostician. She missed a
bulging disc in my husband's back till it ruptured (she thought
it was arthritis of the hip, but to be fair, she wasn't the only
doctor that missed it), and she delayed diagnosing my diabetes
till after I had a complication, peripheral neuropathy, for a
year and a half, following the official guidelines for
diagnosis. If you're the type of person who is willing to do
research on your own, present it to her for her consideration
and knowledge, and to tell her how you, as a fat person, want to
be treated, she's a good person to have on your side. - Mara
Nesbitt-Aldrich
Lisa Loewenthal, MSW, CSWA, Psychotherapist
2100 NE Broadway, Suite 225
Portland, OR 97232
503.896.4499
therapyportland@gmail.com
Self-referred.
My therapy approach is strength-based and positive. I believe
that everyone deserves a supportive therapist, in a comfortable
environment. I work collaboratively with clients and use tools
from various therapeutic models, all of which focus on client
strengths while addressing identified challenges. I am also HAES
knowledgeable and I firmly believe that everybody has inherent
value.
Theodore (Ted) Mackett
10000 SE Main, #408
Portland, OR
503-256-1575
He mainly works at Portland Adventist Hospital, which seems to
be a very nice, smaller hospital. Everybody has been very
friendly and helpful. When I got an EKG, the gown even fit with
room to spare! I think he also works out of Providence
Hospital.
Michael McDonald, ENT
Portland, OR
I was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea. I would to recommend
him to anybody, without hesitation. He's very warm, very funny,
comfortable, non-judgemental, and according to the sleep lab
technician, a very good doctor. I had my sleep study at Portland
Adventist hospital, and it was great. (I had surgery there this
summer, and I have very positive feelings about the staff. The
nurses were wonderful.) The technician went out of his way to
make sure I was comfortable, and answered all my questions. I
could tell that great attempts had been made to make the room
comfortable, so it didn't seem quite so "hospitalish". My only
complaint is that the whole process was rather slow, but I'm not
sure if it was the fault of the doctor, or my insurance. (Or
maybe both). -- Mary, MHDyer@aol.com
Susan Moray, LDM, CPM
N.W. Community Midwives - homebirth midwifery services
Portland, Oregon
503-230-9559
smoray@qwest.netwww.nwmidwives.com
Self-referred.
Our midwives see women as individuals regardless of age, size or
socio-economic background. We provide individualized prenatal
care to optimize a healthy pregnancy for each woman and her
baby.
Gretchen Newmark, MA, RD, dietician
2525 NE 44th Avenue
Portland, OR 97213
503-249-8064
gnewmark@spiritone.com
Self-referred.
I am a dietitian in private practice. I've specialised in
disordered eating for over 20 years. I don't see myself so much
as "fat friendly" as "friendly." I consider people my friends
until proven otherwise, and generally have respect and
compassion for all of us--regardless of gender, size, age,
religion, or even species. I do what I can to help people see
their own strengths and beauty and to express it, and to hear
their own voice saying their own truth.
Jill M. Shaw, D.O., gynecology
Adventist Health System
Portland, OR
She is very personable and was very comforting when I was
diagnosed with endometrial cancer. She realizes that people come
in all sizes and that fat doesn't equal unhealthy. Her waiting
room offers an assortment of types of seating.
Gerri Ravyn Stanfield, Acupuncture/Chinese Medicine
Common Ground Wellness Center, Flanders House
2926 NE Flanders
Portland, OR 97232
http://www.forestspringacupuncture.com/
503-754-8802
I saw Ravyn for body work and digestion support. She works from
a very respectful, body-honoring framework that was welcoming,
non-judgmental and fully supportive.
SALEM
Deborah Johnson, Obstetrics and Gynecology
1275 Edgewater St NW
Salem, OR 97304
(503) 585-9695
Dr. Johnson was recommended to me by another large patient of
hers who said Dr. Johnson was large herself, employed a large
medical assistant and was very understanding of women's issues
with their own weight in regard to receiving health care. The
office had plenty of fat-friendly seating, including comfortable
benches. The scale was able to measure my weight, and went up to
400+ lbs. The woman who weighed me was very large herself and
said she understood "from one big girl to another" why I didn't
like looking at my own weight. The gowns were VERY large,
probably the only time I felt like the gown more than adequately
covered me, and there was plenty of room to spare. Dr. Johnson
did not comment on my weight at all. She talked with me about it
when I brought up the topic and said that she really understands
how it feels and was happy to help support me with any healthy
changes I would like to try and make. She also said she does not
think a lot of doctors really understand obesity and the issues
that surround it. I felt like she was extremely respectful and
she did not seem to think that weight was a complete indicator
of health, ability or happiness. This was by far the best doctor
experience I have ever had.
TUALATIN
Jesica Dolin, CPM, LDM (Licensed Midwife)
Providing home appointments and delivery from Portland to
Eugene; as well as births at Andaluz Birth Center in Tualatin,
OR.
503-702-5392
jesicadolin@yahoo.com
Self-referred.
I apply many principals of size-friendly care to all women in my
practice. For example, I tell each client the advantages and
disadvantages of weighing at each prenatal, and give each the
opportunity to decline routine weigh-in's. The important things
are the size and health of the baby, and the health of the mom;
not the number on the scale. Body image issues affect most
women, and just as many thin women have declined to be weighed
for psycological reasons. Size-friendly care is simply
respectful care, which is every woman's right, regardless of
size.