ANDREW PURCHIN, LCSW
Psychotherapy and EMDR
Get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable and open a world of possibility...
My mission is to help you accept and tolerate any uncomfortable sensations in your body that come up when you feel mad, sad, scared, anxious, confused, happy, joyful, elated, excited and whatever else you may be feeling.
I want you to be less afraid of yourself and others.
I want you to take risks, to love more and to be in your power.
Get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable and open a world of possibility...
•Increased self confidence
•A clearer sense of purpose
•The ability to be calm in the face of challenge
•Improved communication skills
•Closer relationships and friendships.
•Increased resilience and overall well being.
I offer a full range of psychotherapy services for individuals, couples, and families including speciality trauma recovery services and performance enhancement with EMDR.
© 2009 Andrew Purchin, LCSW lcs17435
Hi, I'm Andrew Purchin. I’ve been practicing psychotherapy for 20 years. My private practice is in Santa Cruz, California where I work with a variety of people in individual, couple, family, or group settings.
I am honored to be a therapist. I find that people trust me with stories and experiences that they barely can acknowledge to themselves. It is a beautiful thing to witness the unfolding of a life, to hear what was once impossible to say. I love to be with people in a place of honesty, no matter how painful.
It is a joy for me to witness all growth, large and small. Many of the people who come to work with me end up knowing more of themselves, recovering from trauma, reducing stress, working through grief and improving their relationships. They get clear about what they want and don’t want, becoming more assertive, learning to manage their anger, let go of controlling behaviors, and so much more.
It is no secret that I am an artist as well. I paint landscapes, dancers, portraits and events. People remark on the level of sensitivity I have, my ability to empathize and how I’m able to help them shift perspectives and see things from differing points of views. If I get a chance to work with you in therapy, I’ll use all of my creative resources to help you create the changes you want.
See my Resume to learn about my education and employment history.
I offer a free 30 minute consultation. Call or email me to find out how I might work with you.
831.460.0241
andrew@uncomfortableisgood.com
© 2009 Andrew Purchin, LCSW lcs17435
(Photo by Patricia Skowrup 2009)
——-
I like to create a nurturing environment, a nest where you can transform whatever keeps you from living the life you want to live. I try to be as efficient as possible.
Thus, I create a unique treatment approach to match each person's needs. I am careful to not make assumptions and instead I attempt to understand each person's meanings on deeper and deeper levels. Whenever possible I am experiential in my approach so that clients can have corrective emotional experiences. I can utilize a range of techniques including: Supportive and Directive Talk therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, Couples Therapy, Coherence Therapy, Play Therapy, NLP, Expressive Arts Therapy and EMDR.
As I listen to and experience the stories of my clients, I work to seek out their resources. I look for examples of how individuals have achieved mastery over tough tasks. Anybody who has learned how to walk, talk, drive... has mastered what can seem like impossible tasks. I find that clients often have experienced exceptions to the symptoms that they bring into therapy. I work with clients to discover these exceptions and to reinforce their personal power and mastery.
Do you want to perform better, in sports, in public speaking, in other aspects of your life? I can help you with performance enhancement protocols. After you reprocess and desensitize past challenges with performance. I work with you to create a future template in which you are clear of all emotional obstacles and are completely in touch with positive rational beliefs about yourself. From there you perform in the outside world and we work together to fine tune your performance even more.
Efficiency is important to me. In general I work with people once a week for 50 -90 minutes. Sometimes it does take 90 minutes to complete a transformative process like EMDR. Some people can take longer breaks between sessions and make efficient progress on their goals. Some people come in and complete their goals in a couple of sessions and others engage in long term therapy use the therapeutic relationship with me to change maladaptive patterns.
This is a snapshot of what I do. To learn more you can phone me at 831 460-0241, or you can email me at andrew@uncomfortableisgood.com
————————-
I invite you to:
Can this moment, this inhale, this exhale be enough?
Take a breath and notice what is...
Breathe into the is of this moment..
———
Who can benefit?
Do you want to transform your life?
Are you afraid?
Do your fears keep you back?
Do you find yourself depressed? Overwhelmed by sadness and loss?
Are you grieving?
Are you stressed out?
Do you struggle with addiction?
Do you have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?
Are you going through a major life transition?
Do you want to perform better?
Do you wish to be more spiritually connected?
Are you uncomfortable in your skin?
Do you find yourself losing your cool with your spouse, your kids, your coworkers?
Do you want a better relationship?
Are you afraid to go to the dentist?
Are you a man, a woman, androgynous?
Are you a teenager?
Are you a parent? Are you a child?
Are you a student?
Are you going through a mid-life crisis?
Are you unsure about where you fit in?
Are you Gay Lesbian Bisexual Questioning?
Are you Confused?
Are you Content?
I can work with you individually or with your partner or your family members or in a Get Unstuck Group. Call me at 831 460-0241 or e-mail me at andrew@uncomfortableisgood.com and we can set up a free 30 minute consultation to see how I can meet your needs.
——————-
If a miracle happened in the middle of the night and tomorrow you woke up and found yourself feeling better and behaving in new more satisfying and adaptive ways:
What would you be doing? What would your posture be like? What would you see, smell, taste, hear and feel? If you were watching a movie of your self tomorrow, what would this person look like and sound like? Step into this future you. If there is discomfort, welcome it.
In my practice, we collaborate together to help you rewire your brain. I bring compassionate, clear listening and a wide array of tools. You bring your life experience, good intentions and your desire to grow.
________________________
Thanks for taking the time to get to know me and my work.
If you are seeking counseling services please feel free to contact me by phone or email so we can set up an appointment time. All calls and emails are confidential and will be responded to promptly.
(For emails, please include the word "counseling" in the subject line to help ensure your message is not screened out.)
Know that I do accept insurance and I am a provider on many insurance panels. I also accept credit cards.
If you want to talk with me before scheduling a counseling session, I am happy to offer you a free 30-minute consultation. Together, we can discuss your counseling goals and concerns and how I might help you.
I look forward to speaking with you!
Andrew
831 460-0241
andrew@uncomfortableisgood.com
——————
Couples Counseling
Are you struggling in your relationship?
Do you find yourself resentful, angry, blaming, controlling or withdrawn in your relationship?
Do you understand and appreciate your partner? Does he/she understand and appreciate you?
Have there been affairs?
Are you unhappy with your sex life?
When I work with a couple it is my role to firstly support the couple. I am conscientious about not taking sides. I tend to be more directive when I am counseling a couple. I do give homework as needed.
I am biased as all counselors are. Here are some principles of mine.
The most important skill for each partner is to be able to take care of themselves.
Yes, I want you to be comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. It is not your partner’s job to make you comfortable or happy. That is your job and I want to help you be kinder and kinder to yourself.
Conversely it is not your job to make your partner happy or comfortable. You are responsible for your own mental health. There is a boundary that ends at the outside surface of your skin. It can inhibit your partner’s growth to rescue them from their own uncomfortableness. I want to be there for you as you learn to take better care of yourself and give freely to your partner.
Unconditional Love:
It is not helpful to expect unconditional love from your partner. It is nice when that happens. It is up to you to learn to provide unconditional love for yourself. And from that place of inner happiness you can give to your partner.
Each partner gives 100% of what they have to the relationship. Relationships are not 50-50%.
Every couple is an Odd Couple.
There are differences between partners. Some couples have more extreme differences. We are all born with unique temperaments. This is the hard drive, that which cannot be changed. However, new resources can be learned. Perhaps you are slow and your partner is fast, perhaps one is introverted and the other extroverted. The key is to learn to appreciate your partner for who she/he is.
—————-
EMDR
"EMDR is proving to be the silicon chip of psychotherapy; it allows people to process incredible amounts of material in a shockingly short time."
- Michael Elkin,Ph.D.
Director, Center for Collaborative Solutions
EMDR is short for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is powerful multi-modal psychotherapy process which is used to treat trauma and phobias.
Some liken the experience of EMDR to be like going through a dark tunnel with your foot on the accelerator. We go for the most painful moments and desensitize and reprocess them so that you are completely clear of distress.
When emotionally disturbing events have occurred in your life, the brain is often unable to process the experience as it normally would. Instead, the negative thoughts and feelings of the traumatic event can get "trapped" in the nervous system, with all of the accompanying sights, sounds, thoughts, and feelings. EMDR utilizes bilateral stimulation - either through eye movements or other forms of gentle, rhythmic stimulation - sound and tapping, which activates both sides of the brain, allowing for a release of painful emotional experiences from your nervous system.
When we first meet, I will take a history and assess to see if EMDR will be an appropriate treatment for you right now. People do need to have a certain amount of stability in their life to be able to benefit from EMDR. I will work with you on resource development if you are not ready to do EMDR right away.
As part of that assessment, we will locate specific targets from your life which have been traumatic for you. For some, it is a major events, such as violence, car accidents and war experiences. For others, it may be what are considered small traumas, the critical facial expression of a care-giver or getting lost somewhere as a child. I define trauma as anything that has been disturbing for you, large or small.
I ask, “How disturbing each trauma is when you think of it right now? Tell me on a scale of 0-10 with 10 being the most disturbing.” This way we get a clear baseline of the traumatic experiences in your life. I want everyone to be clear of all of the negative effects from past hurts. And if you want the same thing, I’ll do every thing in my power to help you.
Studies consistently indicate that EMDR therapy is very effective in helping you process emotionally painful and traumatic experiences. In fact, extensive scientific research has shown that EMDR is the most effective and rapid method for healing PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
Ross Cohen, LPC A counselor in Portland Oregon says this on his website:
Research studies and clinical evidence indicate a high degree of effectiveness with other conditions as well, including anxiety and depression, fears and phobias, addictions and panic attacks, physical and sexual abuse, accidents and injuries, grief and loss, sleeplessness and excessive worries, childhood trauma and low self-esteem, as well as relationship problems. EMDR is very effective for overcoming dental fear, anxiety, and phobia.
A study comparing the effectiveness of Prozac vs. EMDR showed that EMDR was more successful than Prozac in achieving substantial and sustained reductions in depression and Post-traumatic stress disorder (an anxiety disorder).
- The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, January 2007
EMDR therapy is not only very effective, but efficient as well. Processing even the most difficult memories can be achieved in a fraction of the time it would have taken with traditional talk therapy. EMDR is very effective for enhancing skills and resources, such as confidence, relaxation, focus, and motivation. EMDR is also widely used to help people improve certain aspects of their life (known as "performance optimization"), such as public speaking; various types of competition; or academic, athletic, work, and stage performance.
"The speed at which change occurs during EMDR contradicts the traditional notion of time as essential for psychological healing."
- Bessel A. van der Kolk, MD
Professor of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine
ANDREW PURCHIN, LCSW
Psychotherapy and EMDR
For Adults, Adolescents and Children
Get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable and open a world of possibility...
Andrew N. Purchin, LCSW
550 Water Street C-2
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 460-0241
Counseling Experience
3/96 - Present PRIVATE PRACTICE
Santa Cruz, CA
Counseling with specialties in depression, anxiety, grief/loss, chronic/terminal illness, HIV, abuse trauma. Services are for individuals, families and groups of all ages.
7/01- 8/04 CLINICAL SUPERVISOR
Community Solutions, Morgan Hill, CA
Part time contract position. Provides individual and group clinical supervision to interns.
8/99-7/01 INTERN COORDINATOR
Community Solutions, Morgan Hill, CA
Responsible for organizing intern program. Provides individual and group clinical supervision to interns.
7/92 - 8/99 Mental Health Counselor.
Community Solutions/The Bridge Counseling Center, Inc., Morgan Hill, CA
Responsible for conducting individual, group, family therapy for young people and their families at office and school sites. Provided clinical supervision for MFT interns and MSW interns.
12/94 – 10/03 Support Group Co-facilitator.
Proud Voices, Santa Cruz, CA.
Co-facilitator of a weekly drop-in support group for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth.
1/00 – 6/03 Peer Counselor Facilitator
Mental Health Client Action Network, Santa Cruz, CA.
Facilitator for mental health clients who provide peer counseling.
9/90 - 6/92 Substance Abuse Prevention Counselor, Prevention Educator.
Pyramid Alternatives, Pacifica CA.
Responsible for conducting individual, group and family therapy at both clinic and school sites. Also gave alcohol and drug prevention presentations for grades K-12.
8/89 - 6/90 Institute for the Arts of Living, San Francisco CA.
A social work internship at an adolescent day treatment center. Responsible for conducting individual, group and family therapy and case management for emotionally disturbed adolescents.
10/88 - 6/89 Children's Hospital of San Francisco, Social Services Department.
A social work internship in the hospital's neuromuscular clinic involving counseling and casework with individuals and families.
Related Experience
3/90 - Present Workshop producer and facilitator.
Art for the Social Service Practitioner: An Experiential Retreat into the Right Brain. This is a workshop where social service practitioners use art as a tool in burnout prevention, problem solving and conflict resolution
1/89 - 8/90 San Francisco Community College, High Tech Center for the Disabled. Instructional aide for adults with learning disabilities, acquired brain injury, hearing and/or sight impairments and other physical challenges. Taught students standard and specialized computer software.
Education
1990 Masters Degree in Social Work
San Francisco State University
1985-86 18 semester units in Early Childhood Education
Cabrillo College, Aptos, CA
1985 Bachelor of Arts in individual major, “The Arts and Social Action,” through the Boards of Study in Fine Arts and Community Studies.
University of California, Santa Cruz.
Extended Education (abridged)
1998EMDR Level 1
5/98 - 9/99Training in Depth Oriented Brief Therapy with Bruce Ecker
1999EMDR Level 2
1/99HIV/AIDS Training
1/00Psychosocial issues with HIV/AIDS
6/00CAMFT Certified Supervision Training JFK University (24 hours)
1/01EMDR for Treatment of Panic Disorder and OCD
5/01Healing Trauma & Attachment w/Children and Parents
11/01Self Psychology Conference
6/02EMDR International Association Conference
3/15/02Clinical Supervision Training- CA- NASW
9/03EMDR International Association Conference
2/04Clinical Supervision Training- JFK University
3/05Legal and Ethical Training
11/06Healing The Wounded Heart, NLP Destination Coaching
7/08EMDR and Couples Therapy, Barry Litt
12/08Brief Therapy: Lasting Solutions Ericksonian Hypnotherapy
2/09Duel Relationships: The Ethical Way