Hi! My name is Dr. Asher Trahan and I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. I received my Doctor of Psychology degree at the California School of Professional Psychology. I specialize in working with adult and geriatric patients, suffering from a variety of mental health issues ranging from anxiety, depression, PTSD, personal issues, grief and loss as well as life transitions. My approach to psychotherapy comes from an attachment-focused and person-centered perspective while considering life's stressors and mental health issues. This allows me to treat each person based on uniquely what makes them who they are and work through each of their specific issues.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
The first few sessions will primarily involve establishing rapport, gathering information, identifying therapy goals, assessing attachment style, conducting a psychological routine stress analysis, and collaboratively deciding which approach to therapy would be best suited to help patients with their specific issues.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I have been trained in various types of psychotherapeutic treatments which has allowed me to create tailor made treatments for each patient based on their specific issues rather than trying to fit them into a specific type of psychotherapy. I approach each individual patient through an attachment focused approach to get a better understanding of not only what issues they're facing but how they relate to them and what coping mechanisms they may already have in place to build upon while keeping in mind their unique intercultural, psychosocial, psychological, and personal preferences.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
I have extensive experience working with adult and geriatric patients dealing with a myriad of psychosocial and psychological issues ranging from anxiety, depression, PTSD, grief and loss, interpersonal issues, and difficult life transitions. Patients who would benefit the most from working with me would be patients who are seeking an interpersonal connection with a therapist to see them through their issues, giving them an experience of genuine connection along with a new adaptive outlook on their lives post-therapy.
About Asher Trahan
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Attachment-based
Attachment based Interpersonal therapy (IPT) is a short-term treatment, typically lasting 12-16 sessions. It’s divided into three phases: the beginning (1-3 sessions) which will focus on gathering information to make a diagnosis, assessing attachment style, identifying interpersonal problem areas and factors through collaborative interpersonal inventory (the focus of the initial phase), and Co-creating interpersonal formulation (detailed treatment plan). All of which is intended to tailor make a treatment to address patient’s specific issues. The middle (4-10 sessions), involves addressing all aspects of interpersonal formulation as well as focusing on any (here and now) presented issues from the formulation and other psychological issues affecting the patient through a combination of I PT and other therapeutic techniques. The final (11-16 sessions), involves reassessing interpersonal formulation to ensure previously resolved aspects continue, preparing the patient for termination of individual therapy by helping them better adjust to post therapy life, and providing coping mechanisms if and when psychosocial stressors reemerge. Each session will involve an initial measure of your current weeks stressors to include anxiety and depression symptoms. This treatment is best suited for patients who are experiencing psychosocial distress and anxious and depressive symptoms as a result of grieving the loss of a loved one (complicated bereavement), facing a conflict with someone important (role dispute), or navigating a big life change (role transition) and or interpersonal deficits (lacking of meaningful current life events and relationships).
Cognitive Processing (CPT)
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a short term treatment, typically lasting 12 to 14 sessions, intended to treat PTSD symptoms resulting from traumatic events like abuse, combat, sexual assault, rape, unexpected traumatic loss, and natural disasters. Delivered over 12 sessions, CPT helps individuals challenge and reshape unhelpful trauma-related beliefs, fostering a new understanding of the traumatic experience and mitigating its negative impact on daily life. The process begins with psychoeducation about PTSD, emotions, and the connection between thoughts and feelings. Patients identify automatic thoughts linked to their symptoms and write an impact statement examining how the trauma affected their beliefs about themselves, others, and the world. Next, the patient formally processes the trauma by (optionally) writing a detailed account of their most distressing experience, then reading it in therapy. This helps counter avoidance behaviors. Therapists use strategies like Socratic questioning to challenge maladaptive thoughts, such as self-blame, and help foster alternative more adaptive thinking patterns. Ultimately, patients build skills to evaluate and modify trauma-related beliefs independently, focusing on areas like safety, trust, power, control, self-esteem, and intimacy. These skills, reinforced by out-of-session practice, aim to enhance overall functioning and quality of life.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Emotionally Focused Therapy (Unified Protocol) is a structured therapy approach aimed at helping people manage intense emotions that might feel overwhelming or challenging to cope with. It's designed to address a range of issues like stress, excessive worry, social anxiety, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive tendencies, phobias, health-related anxiety, anger, and depression. Each session involves learning and practice techniques to better understand and regulate your emotions. Between sessions, you'll have homework assignments to practice these skills in your day-to-day life. This helps reinforce what you've learned and ensures you're applying it in meaningful ways. Emotionally Focused Therapy is most effective when you're able to commit to both the weekly sessions and the homework. It's a collaborative process where we will work alongside each other to build tools that improve your emotional well-being.