Meet Our Team - Holly Santos
Holly Santos, LMHCA
Position at the Hallowell Todaro ADHD Center:
Therapist
How long have you been working at Hallowell Todaro ADHD?
Since March 2020
Where did you grow up?
Corvallis, Oregon
What are your favorite books / TV shows / movies?
Movie: About Time (2013, with Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson)
Book: How to be a Good Creature by Sy Montgomery and Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
What’s your favorite sport and/or sports team?
To watch: Biking, tennis, football, soccer
To play: Kayaking, racquetball, biking, sailing
Complete the following sentences:
When I’m not at work, you can find me...
playing with animals or art, or in/around/on the water.
When I want to de-stress, I...
go to the beach, call a friend, make art, listen to music, or play with a dog.
My favorite time of year is...
they are all wonderful in their own way.
My favorite thing to cook is...
peanut sauce…which I put on everything.
The best gift I ever received was…
I can’t begin to pick the best one!
If I could travel anywhere in the world, I’d go to...
the lagoons of Baja California where the Gray Whales give birth to and nurse their young each year.
What led you to pursue a career helping others?
I spent 15 years in the research world studying bio-psycho-social issues and, ultimately, wanted to work directly with people instead of studying them. Both are necessary and valuable, but for me working directly with people is much more fulfilling.
What education, skills, and expertise do you bring to your role?
Before going to graduate school for a Master’s in Clinical Psychology, I worked with wounded soldiers and horses for a period. It was during this work that I became particularly inspired by how we heal and feel safe in the world. Not only do we heal in relationship to other people (this can be the role of the therapist), but we can experience profound healing through our connections to other species and the natural world. The opportunities for growth and healing are all around us. In my work as a therapist I believe in helping people find these avenues of growth, their natural brilliance, balance and wellness, and supplying them with tools to maintain these and thrive.
I’ve been trained in a number of therapeutic modalities including, but not limited to, Interpersonal Neurobiology, Internal Family Systems, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, and Lifespan Integration. My specialties are working with grief, ADD/ADHD, trauma, anxiety and depression, chronic pain and adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
Who/what inspires you?
I am inspired by the resilience I see in my clients and around me daily. This capacity for resilience feels especially important while we learn to both survive and grieve who/what has been lost during this pre-vaccine struggle with the coronavirus.
What’s your personal philosophy/approach toward the work you do?
My therapeutic approach is compassionate, respectful and strengths-based. I believe in every individual’s intrinsic worth and their capacity for creating a life they love.
What is one small thing people can do to improve their lives and increase their happiness?
Find a way to include nature in your daily life, whether that’s walking, gardening, interacting with a pet, sitting in the sun for a few minutes, listening to bird song from your window, or admiring a tree.
We provide coaching and therapy to help people manage a variety of cognitive and emotional conditions.