About Calder House

A small practice on Fore Street.

A small practice on Fore Street.

Four therapists, three quiet rooms and a kettle that is always on. We started Calder House so therapy in Portland could feel less like a waiting list and more like a place.

Four therapists, three quiet rooms and a kettle that is always on. We started Calder House so therapy in Portland could feel less like a waiting list and more like a place.

The sun rising over a misty field behind tall grass

Our story

Started in 2019 with one room and a kettle.

Iris Calder opened the first room at 118 Fore Street after twelve years in community mental health. She wanted a practice where people could see what therapy costs, who they would talk to and when, before ever picking up the phone.

Maya joined in 2021, Daniel in 2022 and Noor in 2024. Today we see around ninety people a week, in the room and online, and we still answer the phone ourselves.

The name comes from the house Iris grew up in: a place where you could arrive tired and leave a little lighter.

2019

Opened on Fore Street

4

Licensed therapists

3

Rooms, and secure video

1 week

From first call to first session

What we believe

Four promises we keep.

They shape how we answer the phone, how we set fees and how we work in the room.

They shape how we answer the phone, how we set fees and how we work in the room.

Fit comes first

The relationship with your therapist matters more than any method. If it isn’t right, we’ll help you switch.

Plain language

No jargon on the website or in the room. You should always know what we’re doing and why.

Fees you can see

Prices, the sliding scale and our cancellation policy are all on the Fees page. No surprises.

Evenings matter

Every therapist keeps evening hours, because the people who need them most are often at work all day.

The rooms

Three rooms that feel like a living room.

Soft lamps, proper chairs and windows that open. Prefer not to travel? Every therapist also meets over secure video.

Soft lamps, proper chairs and windows that open. Prefer not to travel? Every therapist also meets over secure video.

A mustard armchair by a floor lamp in late light

Room 1 · evenings until 8 pm

A wingback chair facing tall windows and trees

Room 2 · garden side

A window with a climbing plant above a leather chair

Room 3 · the quiet one

Address

118 Fore Street, Suite 2, Portland

Entrance

Ground floor, step-free

Privacy

Sound machines at every door

Getting here

Two blocks from the Old Port

Iris Calder sitting in an armchair in her therapy room

A note from Iris

“I wanted a place where you could find out who you’d see and what it costs before you ever pick up the phone. Most of what we do grows from that.”

Iris Calder, LCSW · Founder

Read Iris’s profile →

Come and see if it fits.

A free 15-minute call, no forms, no commitment. We’ll suggest a therapist and a first time that works.

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