PSU Magazine Winter 1992

Thayer Willis is one of the few therapists nationwide dedicated to the troubles of the rich. By Meg DesCamp Thayer Willis MSW '90 e olite people don't talk about it. The few who have a lot of it are loath to revea l how much they have, even to their own children. The re t of soc iety is left wish– ing they had more of it. It's money, and it's the la t taboo, according to Thayer Willis MSW '90. Willis, a Lake Oswego therapist, is determined to bring money out of the closet. Words such as challenge, truth , and responsibility are sprinkled liberal– ly throughout her conve rsation. Yet she admit that she herse lf is uncomfo rt– able talking about money. But talk about it he does. What' more, in an ea rnest and open manner, Willi encourages her client to do so, too. Money's pitfa lls and potentials, its capacity to smooth life's rough edges, and its inability to grant happiness are di cus ed honestly in her modest Moun– tain Park office. Thayer Willis could be a typ ical therapist helping clients learn to live within their means. But he' not: Willis specializes in helping Portland 's rich find ways to li ve peace– fully with their wealth. It's a far cry from the typica l social worker's caree r of counseling those with limited economic, educational, or mental resources-people Willis refers • to as "the more obviously di ad– vantaged." Her clients, she says, are also disadvantaged becau e of their wealth-related problems. Wealth -related problem ?For the average American, it's a contradiction in terms. It's a little diffi cult to drum up much sympathy for people who never fret about the mortgage, the kids' braces , the dead tran miss ion in a six– year-old car. The only wea lth -related problem most people can imag ine is not having any. Willis speaks convincingly of the challenges faced by those who don't have to count the days to the next paycheck. As Thaye r Cheatham, she grew up in one of Portland' wea lthiest families. Her father, the late Ju lius Cheatham, was a fo unding partner of Georgia-Pacific Corp. She had a happy childhood, but famil y money didn't shield her from personal troubles. Those troubles coa lesced in an eating disorder during her early 20 . With the help of therapy, Willis overcame the problem and worked for fi ve years guid– ing other with eating disorders through the process of recovery. "The work was very rewarding, but recovering from an eating disorder is pretty predictable. C lients go through identifiable stages, and after a number PSU 19