Our Practice

Welcome to Portal Point Counseling in Grand Rapids,

Michigan. Our mission is to support the West

Michigan Community, empower each client while

always remembering each person and situation is

unique.

Life is complicated. Life’s complications know no economic, age, sex, religious or racial boundary. If you are currently working to navigate through a difficult time it would be our privilege to work alongside you to set goals and realize and regain your strengths to develop a long-term plan for success.

In our practice, we offer person centered therapy. We are committed to hearing you and working with you in a confidential, safe, nonjudgmental environment. It is our privilege to work with those working through anxiety, depression, affair recovery, relationship problems, substance abuse, grief, infertility, miscarriage, post-partum depression, codependency, college issues, abuse issues, bereavement, coping, caregiver stress, and those facing chronic or terminal medical conditions.

No two people are alike. No two situations or experiences are alike. We all react, cope, and learn from life experiences differently. We work alongside patients to make a plan for success that is personalized for long-term success whatever your struggle is.

Our Name - Short Story

Portal

Por.tal /ˈpôrdl/ noun

· A doorway, gate, or entrance, especially a large and elaborate one.

Point

/point/ noun

· a particular moment in time or stage in a process.

· the critical or decisive moment.

· the verge or brink of (doing or being something).

· a stage or level at which a change of state occurs.

One of our main inspirations for our name is Grand Portal Point in the northern part of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. If you have ever been you know the magic, if not we encourage to make the journey.

Grand Portal Point - Picture Rocks National Forest

· The inspiration behind our name and journey.

Taking the first step to seek counseling can be intimidating. Often we do not know exactly what it will look like…What we will discover about ourselves… about those in our lives… how difficult it will be… What is on the other side of the door? A portal is a doorway, a gate, or an entrance. Taking the steps to self-discovery, for self-reflection, for awareness, for our own empowerment can be the point we chose what doorway we all need to walkthrough. What lies on the other side of this door is self-reflection, realization of our strengths, and coping skills.

Rachel VanBuskirk, LMSW

"If we are all honest with each other we can agree it is no simple task to be the best version of ourselves that we can be. I challenge myself with this daily and IT. IS. WORK. There are times when everyone needs to strengthen his or her coping skills, see the situation from another point of view, or simply say it aloud. There are also times when the work that needs to be done is very serious. And deep. And Difficult."

-Rachel