Richard Lantz

My name is Richard Lantz. I am a licensed marriage and family therapist with over 30 years of clinical experience in mental health and substance use treatment. I specialize in cognitive-behavioral and experiential therapy, primarily using Existential, Gestalt, and Reality Therapy approaches. I specialize in working with youth, adults, and seniors, providing individual, couples, and family therapy. My goal is to help people in taking more effective control of their lives. I meet people where they are and endeavor to help them in satisfying their identified goals through increased awareness, mindfulness, empathy, and compassion. This may include process work, providing information, and listening and providing feedback. My professional experience consists of 30 years of post-masters clinical work, including leadership experience in foster care, chemical abuse and addiction, inpatient and outpatient mental health services, crisis intervention, de-escalation, and hospitalization. I am experienced in working with ages three through the elderly. I have worked extensively with youth and families, diverse populations, and life issues, providing services in various settings, including family homes, schools, juvenile detention facilities, jails, outpatient clinics, and inpatient psychiatric facilities. I have effectively provided short and long-term clinical services, crisis intervention, and facilitation of psychiatric hospitalizations. I have also provided clinical supervision and training to licensed and unlicensed therapists in community education and participated in several government task forces focusing on gang affiliation, substance use, truancy, and other forms of delinquency. I treat a wide range of mental health and living issues, including depression, anxiety, bipolar, OCD, stress, autism, substance use, relationships, divorce, grief, trauma, career, parenting, and life transitions.

My approach

My approach is eclectic, diverse, and action-oriented. I use each client’s frame of reference to foster increased connections and understanding. To summarize a few basic concepts, all things are interconnected. To feel better, you have to act better. To feel better, you have to think better. To think better, you have to feel better. To serve better, you have to think better. To think, feel, and act better, you must care for your physical health. To care for your physical health, you must think, feel, and work better. Each has a corresponding effect on the other. However, the aspect of ourselves that we have the most direct control of is what we do, our acting. While we can influence other people, we cannot control other people—a great source of conflict and unhappiness results from our efforts to control others. If you want better relationships, we can only control what we do and how we choose to relate. We are responsible for what we do. Others are responsible for what they do. Accepting this fundamental reality and thinking, feeling, and acting in accordance with it is how we increase our experience of power, freedom, belonging, meaning, and, very importantly, fun.

My focus

I work with teens and adults in all stages of life. I work with clients experiencing a wide range of clinical and life issues, including depression, bipolar, anxiety, panic attacks, stress, OCD, ADHD, grief, and trauma. I work with relationship issues, emotional and behavioral issues, and career and life decisions. I also work with autism and substance use issues.

My communication style

First and foremost, I create an environment where you will feel safe, cared for, and hopeful. My style is honest, open and direct, collegial, and tempered by compassion and empathic understanding. I work within each Client’s frame of reference and communication style, adapting as necessary to what each client best responds to at any given time. I will listen to your concerns and work to motivate you towards meaningful action.

My journey to mental healthcare

I decided to become a therapist during my second semester in college after reading Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. I have dedicated myself ever since to the study and practice of psychology, related fields, and psychotherapy. I am service-oriented and psychology and therapy are the methods by which I chose to serve.

My goals for you

As we move through the standard assessment questions, I ask each Client to specify and elaborate on areas that are most concerning to them and identify both their general and specific goals for therapy and change.

My first session with you

In the first meeting, I listened to the client’s presenting problems and personal goals. I provide feedback on what clients have presented, answer questions, and ask clients directly about their individual goals. I provide initial explanations on my theoretical approach relevant to the information provided, e.g., specific clinical issues, psychological needs, Total Behaviors, and control; I work to create a sense of hope, optimism, and confidence that issues can be resolved, that they can take more effective control of their lives, and their lives can improve.