About

Dr. Ann Sola

I came into the field of clinical psychology after working for fifteen years as a medical anthropologist. These two fields are closely linked; they are both based on the premise that one way to understand others is through empathy. I changed professions because I wanted to work directly with people in helping them find ways to solve their own problems.

My psychodynamic oriented practice comes out of my philosophy that we need to learn how to help ourselves. From an early age, I was an advocate for this. My first job after college was in the Peace Corps, where I helped disenfranchised women find ways to earn incomes. I then became the director of a facility for chronically mentally ill women through which I helped residents with budgeting their finances. As a medical anthropologist, I learned from marginalized communities (LGBTQ, low-income African Americans, Russian and Latino immigrants, rural communities) how the health department could remove some barriers to public health services by making them more culturally relevant. My research with migrant communities resulted in culturally relevant educational materials in three different languages as well as an entertaining and educational soap opera that was aired on Spanish television.

Today as a psychologist my role continues in the same vein. I work at helping others help themselves. If we know who we are and have a realistic view of what our strengths and weaknesses are, then we have more potential at discovering meaning in our lives. Through therapy and my life experiences I have found that knowing what my own needs are and being able to articulate them, without fear of abandonment or retaliation, helps me to develop as a person and create healthy and long-lasting relationships.

Education and Training

I have a doctorate in clinical psychology from Pacific University and a Masters degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. I obtained my Bachelor’s degree from American University in Washington, D.C.

I am an active member of the Oregon Psychoanalytic Center and I was on the Center’s board from 2016 to 2018.