About A Better Way Counseling Center

A Better Way Counseling Center is an Oregon State Certified Mental Health Center and was established in 1997. The State Certification means we must meet rigorous quality control standards determined by the State of Oregon. The Center was founded by David Leventer, LPC, LMFT, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor. He has been counseling families, couples and individuals for over fifteen years and has worked in a variety of settings including hospitals, family agencies, and counseling centers such as the Women's Counseling Center and the Men's Resource Center. He designed the eating disorder treatment and the family counseling program at the Center specifically to meet the needs of the Portland community.

Other providers at the Center include Valeria Lewandoski, LCSW, clinical supervisor, Alexis Wong, MS and Blair Allen, MA.

Alexis Wong graduated from the University of North Texas in 2017 with a Masters of Science degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She has worked with people from many backgrounds, including adolescents through elder adults. She specializes in eating disorder treatment, group therapy and working with athletes. She is also bi-lingual and bi-cultural in English and Spanish.  Her experience has included working extensively with people experiencing depression and anxiety, trauma, psychosis, and addictions, in addition to the specialties mentioned above. She uses both a humanistic as well as a Cognitive-Behavioral approach to psychotherapy. She understands and applies the research showing that the relationship between the therapist and the client is key and that positive changes can only occur with a solid therapeutic relationship. Alexis is currently a Nationally Certified Counselor and a Licensed Professional Counselor- Intern and is working towards full licensure. She is supervised by David Leventer, LPC, LMFT.

Blair Allen graduated from Southwestern College with a Master’s Degree in Art Therapy and Counseling. She is a Registered LPC Intern in Oregon. She also completed an additional 100 hours of training in Grief, Loss and Trauma from the New Earth Institute during her graduate program. She has worked in outpatient settings, hospitals, nursing homes, and has run therapeutic art groups in a number of unique settings. Blair is passionate about working relationally with individuals, families, and groups. Her approach to therapy is based on respect, compassion and collaboration; It includes but is not limited to the use of art therapy, mindfulness, collaborative problem solving, cognitive behavioral therapies, and grief, loss and trauma work within the framework of person-centered and psychodynamic theories of counseling. She works creatively and flexibly to find the best approach for each individual client and their own set of needs and concerns. She is supervised by David Leventer, LPC, LMFT.

Valeria Lewandoski is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has been the Center's clinical supervisor since 1997. She was also the director of the Grotto Counseling Center, and has worked with adults, children and families for over 25 years.

They bring expertise to A Better Way Counseling Center in providing individual psychotherapy, couples therapy, family therapy, group counseling and counseling about career concerns.

A Better Way Counseling Center is also proud to be a leader in the field of continuing education of therapists.  We offer home study and live events for professionals to further their education in the treatment of eating disorders.

Our staff is also available to provide training and inservices to other professionals in the areas of eating disorders, family therapy, recovery from chemical dependency, anger management and violence intervention counseling.

If you would like more information about our inservices, our continuing education offerings, or our national certifications, please contact us by clicking the blue “Contact us” link below.

Contact us for further information about our programs. We would also be happy to send you one or both of our free pamphlets: one describing the steps to recovery from eating disorders, the other on the way to have a happier, healthy family.

A Better Way Counseling Center
818 NW 17th Avenue, Suite 3
Portland, Oregon 97209
(503) 226-9061