Will Joel Friedman, Ph.D., Psychologist, A Prof. C

My practice is about inhabiting this present moment, witnessing and "buying out" of the ego-mind's unworkable patterns, desensitizing root emotional charges, and gaining effective tools to thrive in the world. My vision for our work is for clients to unlearn their learned limitations and have an emotionally satisfying and completing experience with their challenges. Free the ego, and you are free.

Presence-centered therapy is a conscious attuning to the richness of this present moment (sometimes called mindfulness or wakefulness) along with witnessing, that is, observing what the mind is up to from outside of it. * Presence is all embracing, generously welcoming everything and everyone. Heartfelt gratitude and natural generosity beaming unconditional Love may well be the clearest indicators of aware Presence. * When you bring a purity of pro-life intention coupled with a whole-bodied attention, this naturally expresses itself in a rich, resonant and welcoming Presence, like a timeless infinite embrace of the entire world moment by moment.

Types of clients: Adults, Adolescents, Older children (age 9 and older), Couples and Families. Therapeutic approaches: * Cognitive, including reframing, practical distinctions and skill-building * Several inquiry approaches, including belief deconstruction * Several mind-body approaches, including EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) * Behavioral (CBT) * Family systems * Psychodynamic * Imagery/Hypnosis * Narrative Specialties addressed in therapy: * All forms of anxiety, including generalized anxiety, social anxiety, PTSD, panic disorder, performance anxiety (e.g., test-taking, public speaking, athletes, actors and musicians) agoraphobia and extreme unrealistic fears or phobias * All forms of experiencing significant stress that often expresses as lowered immune functioning, poor self-care, sleep disturbances, lack of energy and interest, an inability to concentrate or make decisions as well as in physical maladies (including hypertension, stomach issues, stress-related headaches, skin disturbances, and elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol), including work-related stress, financial stress and relationship/family stress

All forms of relationship issues, including marital/couple challenges, mediation for divorcing couples, parent-adolescent issues, blended families, co-parenting and unworkable family dynamics (sibling rivalry, ineffective and mixed messages in communication, limit-setting and consequences) * All forms of incomplete traumas, especially the re-enacting of unworkable survival decisions * All forms of co-dependency, inability or don't know how to assertively stand up for oneself and set good limits * All forms of unworkable perfectionism that gets in the way of work productivity and flowing/satisfying relationships

Dr. Friedman's Approach - My practice is about inhabiting this present moment, witnessing and "buying out" of the ego-mind's unworkable patterns, desensitizing root emotional charges, and gaining effective tools to thrive in the world. My vision for our work is for clients to unlearn their learned limitations and have an emotionally satisfying and completing experience with their challenges. Free the ego, and you are free. "And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." —Friedrich Nietzsche The vision I bring to our work is a fundamental optimism in our capacity as human beings to adaptively change, grow and evolve.

Our plasticity of attitude and behavior can allow us to be successful and thrive in the empirical world as well as inhabit, express and embody our authentic liberated self. In essence our work rests on three core orientations, like a three-legged stool. * The first leg is more and more simply "being present" in this moment (presence) coupled with witnessing one's mind or ego. These two tools/abilities are pivotally important in freeing oneself from incessant thoughts, beliefs, self-defeating behavior patterns, stories and roles. * The second leg of our work is learning and honing a targeted set of tools, skills, abilities, distinctions and strategies to effectively address uncomfortable symptoms, live more functionally, peacefully and joyously through daily activities and truly thrive in the world. * The third leg is the use of mind-body approaches to help move all the way though and release the emotional "charge" on unworkable patterns, mistaken beliefs and defeating survival decisions.