Greetings. My name’s Paul Surace, and I had been working as a full-time Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with Kaiser Permanente’s Behavioral Health program in Southern California for just about 15 years until I retired about a year ago. And part of the reason, I retired from full-time practice was so that I could take some time off to refresh, and focus more on specialty areas of therapy practice that I enjoy--- such as Work Stress , Anger Management and relational issues with partners and friends. I also enjoy working in areas of Spirituality and developing greater Self-esteem through focusing on gifts and strengths. And although I enjoy working collaboratively with my patients, I frequently will provide tips and suggestions that might assist them in making different choices in order to achieve specific goals. I also believe I have a sense of humor and more of a "straight-forward" approach to helping others.

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

In my first session-- I really like to ask a lot of questions with the understanding that the patient can Veto any questions that he/she doesn't feel comfortable responding to. This is because I want to keep the patient feeling "emotionally safe" and in their comfort zone. However, I will enjoy asking questions and actively listening in order to get to know the person and discover both their GIFTS and/or STRENGTHS that may eventually help us in problem solving-- and this will help us to create solutions and/or "Treatment Plans" to help solve the problem(s) that brought them into therapy.

Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.

I have a creative mind-- as I have a writing and performing background that has helped me to be very "present" and spontaneous in my conversations and discussions with patients. Better understanding of the problems and the history that served to create the problems-- or "connecting the dots" can be a helpful start in motivating patients to make different choices beyond the ones that helped them to survive difficult upbringings. But just surviving your life is not enough--- the goal for most of us would be to learn how to THRIVE (rather than just survive) your life going forward. And I have a sense of humor and optimism that I feel has been helpful in talking with patients and reminds them to "stay hopeful" even in the face of challenging situations.

Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.

I enjoy working with young adults (from 18) thru their sixties. And professionals that may be feeling a bit overwhelmed and sometimes unconfident about their career status or choices. I find that Cognitive Behavioral therapy that looks at one's thought process is especially helpful in dealing with Depression and Anxiety-- where many times the thinking is distorted (irrational) and not very helpful in changing the situation. I'm especially good at encouraging individuals to become more assertive and teach them how to get their needs met by being more direct and asking in a respectful way to get needs met-- rather than "stuffing" their feelings or having others become "mind-readers" in order to figure out why you're upset---which isn't a healthy or productive way to take care of yourself.

About Paul Surace