Ray Shellmire is the founder of Shellmire Unlimited, P.C., offering individuals, families, small groups, and organizations counseling services for personal development, wellness, domestic violence, depression, anxiety, the harmful effects of racial oppression, discrimination and inequality, and other bio-psycho-social issues. They also offer massage therapy. Mr. Shellmire began his practice in 1991 because previous employment revealed that clients were only interested in him and how he fulfilled their needs for counsel and support services. Leasing space at Oregon Association for Minority Entrepreneurs (OAME), he provided a therapeutic environment for clients.  A year later, his practice grew, so he trained other clinicians to do cultural specific training, and by the year 2000, he had an entire wing at OAME.  In 2012, he moved and expanded to Vanport Plaza, Vancouver WA., Gresham and to Mid-K Plaza in 2014.

Ray states, “Our treatment philosophy is based on the ancient African-centered concepts of optimal health. The ancient Africans saw health as multi-dimensional consisting of intellectual health, emotional health, physical health, spiritual health, and socio-economic health.”

Shellmire Unlimited, P.C.’s mental health and wellness services are trauma informed. Clinicians are trained to understand the impact of inter-generational, historical, and current trauma. Though they prioritize the African Americans, Africans, underserved, and disadvantaged communities, the agency serves the general public as well. Seeing its mission as optimal health for everyone and everything, Ray says, “The knowledge of optimal health can be used for and apply to all humans.” Shellmire Unlimited, P.C.’s goal is to share the conceptual framework for optimal health with the aim of helping Africans/African Americans throughout Portland-Metro and SW Washington to get on the path to obtain optimal health. Sharing knowledge that transforms lives, helps people make positive and permanent change, and builds community to get healthier and better results in their lives. Ray says, “We do this with children, adolescents, and adults, and our model is that people have boundless potential, so we want to help people to develop knowledge, skills, and tools to put them on their path to elevating themselves to their greatest potential.”

Ray wants to make it chic for African Americans to receive services from an African American owned and operated organization, and states, “I want to be a research and training facility to provide the next generation of clinicians who want to provide services to African Americans/Africans, and for best practices to providing those counseling and support services. We have and want diversity in our clinics because we know we cannot work with everyone. We want all African Americans/Africans to have high quality support services, so we train those who have the heart and spirit to work with our people in order to ensure that quality is being administered no matter the ethnicity of the clinician. Doing this can eliminate the trauma experience that African Americans/Africans experience when they go seek services from people who don’t look like them or know the impact of intergenerational and historical events on their lives today. We know that when they see someone who looks like them and has the historical framework as well, the quality of the services are exponentially improved due to the ease of being able to identify more with clinicians.”

The community can provide them support by seeking their services with the intention to get well; sharing economically by making a donation and earmark that you want to help others get well; participating in our events/activities such as Bike and Bite, Tai Chi classes, What Black Men Think; or work as a volunteer and share resources.

They accept most insurance. Their ADA accessible locations  are at 5257 NE MLK Jr. Blvd., #202E, or 3311 NE MLK Jr. Blvd, #104.

Donate or learn more at www.ShellmireUnlimited.com.

By Shireen Hasan