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My name is Douglas Livingston-Quinn, and I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California. I have master's degrees in divinity and counseling psychology, as well as a doctorate in clinical psychology. I am also a trained EMDR therapist. I have been a brother and then a priest in the Catholic Church; I have worked as a foster family social worker; I have been a school counselor working with ADHD kids, and a county mental health therapist working with homeless and mentally ill adults; I have been the director of a program for high-functioning autistic-spectrum young adults; and I have been a trauma therapist working with those struggling to overcome past and recent traumatic experiences.
My approach
I employ a combination of therapeutic approaches including interpersonal, client-centered, behavioral, cognitive, solution-focused, and motivational modalities, as well as elements of EMDR where it seems useful.
My focus
My background and experience have given me insight and comfort in working with adults and young adults. I have an extensive background working with clients with ADD/ADHD, anxiety disorders, autistic-spectrum disorders, depression, loss and grief, sexual abuse, and trauma/PTSD.
My communication style
As a Catholic brother and priest, I walked with people as they moved through many transitions in their lives – births and deaths, weddings and divorces, celebrations and tragedies. As a marriage and family therapist, I have accompanied people through grief and loss, stress and anxiety, dealing with the past and facing what the future might hold. As a trained EMDR therapist, I have traveled the road of past abuses and recent traumas with my clients and helped them master the events that have prevented them from being who they were meant to become. My role is to provide respect, honesty, feedback, and direction as I join you along the road and accompany you until you’re ready to move on and leave me behind.
My goals for you
Beginning from our very first session, I always provide feedback on what I think the best use of our time together would be, based on what has been shared with me by the client. Clients are encouraged to share their thoughts, and together we develop an over-arching plan that allows for flexibility session-to-session, while always keeping an eye on where the client wants to be.
My first session with you
A first session will usually consist of a brief overview of the process and an explanation of the legal guidelines that govern our time together. After that, I like to take the time to introduce myself and tell a little bit about myself, and then I ask the client to do the same, so we get to know each other a bit. That usually leads naturally to what the client is bringing to therapy and what they hope to achieve by meeting with a therapist. We end by discussing what the clients' goals look like, and how we will know if we're achieving them together.
