Open Access Therapist
Erica Ishmael is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with a Master of Science in Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (MS-Ed) and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology (BSc) with a minor in Sociology from Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
Erica began her career as a Direct Support Professional Counselor in South Dakota, supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who required intensive care. During this time, she became a Person-Centered Thinking Coach and a Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Instructor, gaining valuable experience in Trauma-Informed Care and Dialectical Behavior Therapy.
After moving to Oregon, Erica served as a Crisis Therapist for two years, earning certification as a Mental Health Investigator and completing extensive suicide prevention and awareness training. She later transitioned to a Youth & Family Therapist role, where she provided individual, group, and family therapy, taught parenting classes, and gained expertise in Collaborative Problem Solving. She also achieved her Oregon LPC certification.
Erica briefly served as the Assertive Community Treatment Supervisor before taking on her current role as an Open Access Therapist with Adapt’s Adult Mental Health Program. In this position, she specializes in diagnostics and assessments. As a Supervisor Candidate with the Oregon Board of Certified Counselors, she is working toward becoming an Approved Supervisor.
Erica’s therapeutic philosophy is grounded in a Person-Centered and Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach, emphasizing the belief that individuals are the experts of their own lived experiences. She continuously hones her skills in therapeutic modalities like Internal Family Systems, Parts Work, and Shadow Work, while staying informed on the latest research in ADHD and Autism to maintain her expertise.
In addition to her clinical work, Erica is deeply involved in fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging at Adapt. She chairs the Neurodivergent employee resource group, Working Outside the Box, and contributes to the Accessibility Inclusivity Collaborative ERG, which supports employees with disabilities. Erica collaborates with our Human Resources department to promote a “Culture of Belonging” and delivers training programs to fellow employees.
When a flower doesn’t bloom, you change the environment in which it grows, not the flower.
Alexander Den Heijer
Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.
Albert Einstein