Charles Couchman, PhD, CGP (he/him)
Licensed Psychologist
ISTDP-Informed Psychotherapy
Austin, Texas & Most U.S. States
(626) 622-2150

In my 25+ years of practice, I have seen again and again how therapy can help people move from fear, disconnection, and stuckness to aliveness, greater self-acceptance, and an increased ability to engage in healthy relationships and take effective action in the world.

 

Ideally, therapy is a place where people can bring their full selves, without shame or judgment. I feel honored to accompany people as they take risks, open up, and make changes during our work together.

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My practice is focused on helping people:

 

Overcome mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety, and self-esteem issues

 

Develop healthier, more fulfilling relationships

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Make lasting change to self-defeating behaviors

 

Come to terms with painful experiences

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Adjust to transitions and major life changes, including separations and loss

 

Increase vitality and sense of meaning in life

 

Live with authenticity, be one’s true self

 

Fight back against internal obstacles such as shame, self-criticism, fears, and inhibitions

 

Develop emotional mindfulness: awareness of and comfort with one’s feelings

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Political & Climate Psychology:

 

I also have a special interest in political, social, and environmental concerns, including the impact of authoritarianism, living under conditions of domination and exploitation, and the climate emergency (often called eco-anxiety or eco-distress). I believe it is important to recognize the external realities that affect us and to be empowered to address these issues in accord with our authentic selves.

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Services:

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I work in-person from my office in Austin, Texas. In addition, as a member of the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT) I am able to provide online video "telehealth" services to most U.S. states and jurisdictions, with the exceptions of Alaska, California, Guam, Iowa, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Montana, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Check here for an updated map of PSYPACT participating jurisdictions.

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I provide individual and group psychotherapy for adults (age 18+).

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I also provide consultation and training for mental health professionals; presentations, experiential workshops, and regenerative services for activists and the general public, public speaking; and media interviews. Topics generally focus on mental health, attending to social, political, and evironmentsl concerns in psychotherapy, the role of emotion in climate and political action, and the ways in which the dominant culture undermines emotions that threaten the status quo. For a list of recent examples, see here.

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I strongly value multiculturalism and diversity. I am an affirming therapist who enjoys working with a wide range of clients.

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Therapeutic Approach:

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My approach is informed by Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP), a form of Experiential Dynamic Therapy (EDT). ISTDP is an active and focused psychodynamic therapy that emphasizes emotional experience. ISTDP has been shown to be an effective form of treatment for many concerns (for overviews, check out Research in ISTDP and The Efficacy of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy). I have also been influenced by relational dynamic and Gestalt approaches to psychotherapy.

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My goal as a therapist is to help people become more comfortable with the full range of their emotions. I try to join my clients in their feelings, doing my best to understand and be present with their experience. I actively challenge the defenses people use to avoid feeling. I often invite my clients to more directly contact their feelings by using a somatic focus, attending to how emotions are experienced in the body. I also make use of the here-and-now and the therapy relationship because feelings are always happening right now, and almost always the most important feelings are about other people.

 

Follow this link for my thoughts on the importance of emotion.

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Background:

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I obtained my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Rochester in New York. I have worked at the University of Southern California and at the St. Edward’s University Health & Counseling Center in Austin, Texas. I have been heavily involved in training, supervision, and mentorship of therapists-in-training, serving as the Director of Training while at St. Edward’s. I have a passion for group therapy, as well. I am a Certified Group Psychotherapist, served as Group Therapy Coordinator at St. Edward’s, and have facilitated numerous general process groups and groups for specific populations, including specifically for other therapists.

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I am regularly involved in professional development and am professionally active. My post-graduate training has focused on ISTDP, group psychotherapy, and climate psychology, and I participate in a weekly ISTDP consultation group. I am a past board member of the Austin Group Psychotherapy Society and a member of the International Experiential Dynamic Therapy Association, the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, Austin Psychoanalytic, and the Climate Psychology Alliance North America, with whom I am registered as a climate-aware therapist.

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