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Our Professionals
Our goal is to meet the needs of our local community as well as to contribute to our broader professional communities. Portland, Oregon is a unique city – outstanding in its community building efforts. We aim to work with our remarkable hospital providers in Portland, and through strong consultation relationships, offer psychological services where needed. Furthermore, we are integrated in a community within a community in the South Waterfront and evaluate the needs and requests of this community as well. On a broader scale, we work nationally through various activities to further our specialized fields.
Our Psychologists & Trainees
Our psychologists, psychologist residents, and practicum students in psychology doctoral programs specialize in psychotherapy, research, teaching and supervising. In clinical practice we assist clients as they develop strategies for coping with new or chronic health conditions, physical or cognitive rehabilitation, and/or degenerative disease, terminal illness, dying, and adjustment to loss. Our professional work considers individuals’ and families’ deeply meaningful and existential experiences about life and death. At times the goals of treatment might include addressing elevated or new symptoms of anxiety, depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), sleep difficulty, and/or chronic pain, while at other times treatment will focus on helping clients and loved ones to make sense of all that has happened or is happening. We work collaboratively with other medical and health care providers in order to best treat the whole person. Our practice emphasizes the highest standards of privacy, respect, and dignity for all of the clients whom we serve.
Louise E. Marasco, Ph.D.
Dr. Marasco, licensed clinical psychologist, founded Transitions Professional Center. She completed her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Palo Alto University in California and completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Miami VA Healthcare System in Florida with specialized training in geropsychology. Following internship, she completed a palliative care post-doctoral Fellowship at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System with training emphasis in inpatient hospice care, extended care, palliative care and palliative care consult service. All programs were APA-accredited, meeting the highest standards and guidelines for psychology training programs in the US.
Dr. Marasco’s areas of specialties include work with adults and older adults facing impending loss, who are actively dying, and who are bereaved. Areas of training experience include evaluation and treatment of clients with spinal cord injury, pre- and post-heart transplant, PTSD, and severely mentally ill. Her academic and clinical training includes an emphasis in neuropsychological assessment in adults with various etiologies, including traumatic brain injury, dementia, stroke and other vascular disorders. Much of her clinical training was established with inpatient and outpatient veterans and their families, and experience in a county inpatient psychiatric facility. Louise’s research focus has also revolved around loss, including loss of a perinatal baby.
Dr. Marasco’s career in palliative care, end-of-life care and bereavement initially grew out of interest in cultural and religious differences in customs and beliefs around death and dying. During her studies of Buddhism, she simultaneously worked as a home hospice volunteer for several years. This work led her to commit to formal doctoral training in clinical psychology.
The experience of loss may relate to loss of function, physical abilities and cognitive capacity, or life itself. Dr. Marasco’s patients are often newly diagnosed with terminal illness, enduring curative or palliative cancer treatment, and often have complicated medical and mental health histories.
The vision behind Transitions Professional Center was inspired by Dr. Marasco who recognized the need to establish a stronger presence of psychology in end-of-life services.
Arianna Aldridge Gerry, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Dr. Gerry is a licensed clinical psychologist working at Transitions Professional Center, providing individual therapy for adults. Dr. Gerry earned her Ph.D. with an emphasis in Behavioral Medicine from the SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology in 2011. She earned her M.P.H. in 2010 with specialization in Health Promotion. Dr. Gerry completed her clinical internship at the Palo Alto VAHCS in 2011, with specialization in Behavioral Medicine (e.g., Hematology/Oncology, Primary Care, Medically-Involved individuals). She completed her NIH funded T-32 postdoctoral fellowship from Stanford University School of Medicine in 2014 where she specialized in psycho-oncology and sleep disorders. Dr. Gerry served on faculty as a clinical instructor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University from 2014-2015.
Dr. Gerry is an expert in behavioral medicine and psycho-oncology research and practice. Her research focuses on the role of sleep dysfunction, stress, and coping in chronic illness. She is interested in examining how psychosocial stress and sleep disturbance effect endocrine and immune function with significant impact on quality of life and cancer survival. She has 26 peer-reviewed manuscripts, numerous professional presentations, and two Conquer Cancer Foundation merit awards from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (2012, 2013) related to her research.
Dr. Gerry specializes in working with medically-involved individuals coping with acute, chronic, and terminal illnesses, sleep disorders, chronic pain, and bereavement. She also works with individuals interested in improving their health behaviors to maximize quality of life. Dr. Gerry’s clinical practice therapeutic modalities include: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), CBT for Insomnia (CBT-I), CBT for Chronic Pain, and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Dr. Gerry currently works in private practice at Transitions Professional Center and continues to serve as a research and statistical consultant to various institutions.
Timothy Wright, Psy.D.
Timothy Wright, Psy.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist working at Transitions Professional Center as an independent contractor providing individual and group therapy for adults. He also works as a clinical psychologist with NorthWest Pain Clinic, at VA Portland Healthcare System.
Dr. Wright completed his doctoral degree in clinical psychology at La Salle University, and completed his pre-doctoral internship at VA Maine Healthcare System, with specialty training in behavioral medicine and PTSD. He went on to complete a post-doctoral fellowship in palliative care psychology at VA Portland Healthcare System, with specific training emphasis on end of life care, bereavement/grief, chronic pain, insomnia, and living with chronic illness.
His training and clinical experience is primarily with medically-involved individuals struggling with adjustment, mood, anxiety and grief difficulties across settings, from tertiary-care hospitals, to extended care facilities, outpatient primary care, and specialty clinics such as oncology, hemo-dialysis, and HIV. His therapeutic philosophy is to apply empirically-based principles of treatment, from a contextual cognitive behavioral therapy perspective. He has specialty training in traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy DBT) and a breadth of mindfulness-based interventions, e.g. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). His clinical research has focused on the mechanisms of mindfulness-based interventions, and how this applies to healthy behavior change.
Molly Payne, BA
Molly Payne is a Mental Health Counseling Intern from the Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling. Molly has been in the mental health field for over five years supporting adolescents, families and adults. She uses a gestalt and somatic psychotherapy approach with cognitive behavioral and mindfulness interventions. Clients who work with Molly gain deeper awareness of their presenting issues while learning new coping mechanisms. This increase in ability to manage challenges provides an ease amidst the tension of both mental and physical pain.
With her Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies, Molly is aware of the cultural implications on mental health and believes in the importance of integrating culture into the therapeutic experience when it’s a part of the client’s process.
Molly is a member of the NW Association of Death Education & Bereavement Support. In her graduate studies, she has also received training in both end-of-life care and grief and loss therapy for individuals and their caregivers.
Molly has worked with diverse populations who experience depression, grief, anxiety, trauma, and cultural and systemic oppression. One of her greatest strengths is joining with her clients in their emotional and physical pain while providing a space that fosters connection to the self and others. This connection along with mindfulness-based interventions expands one’s capacity to experience moments of peace through times of adversity.
Supervisor: Louise E. Marasco, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Administrative Staff
Emily Vierck ~ Billing and Administrative Services/Consultant
Emily Vierck joined Transitions Professional Center in April, 2014. She graduated from Western Business College in 1998 with a diploma in Medical Assisting. She has worked for 20 years as both a clinical and administrative medical assistant. After 5.5 years with Transitions, 3 of which have been as Office Manager, Emily has relocated to California and will now be working remotely. She is still available for questions or concerns and can be reached by email at evierck@transitionspc.com
Emily is very pleased to be part of such a great team that provides such an important service to our community. Please feel free to contact her with any questions you may have.