My Practice

Life transitions present many choices, including the choice to take care of yourself and follow your own lead in life. Unfortunately, many factors, both internal and external, can get in your way.

A trained Clinical Psychologist such as Dr. Gale can be invaluable in assisting you to find your voice, listen to it and successfully lead a more authentic existence.

Adjustment Difficulties/Life Transitions/Stage of Life Issues
Dr. Gale’s Client-Centered Therapy technique will quickly provide you with the tools you need to learn the art of objective self-observation. No matter what life throws at you, in your work with Dr. Gale, you will be able to focus on your personal and individualized response to these stressors.

While deepening your self awareness and becoming more aware of what you bring to various situations in your life, you will find yourself transitioning through life's many stages with greater ease and with a greater sense of ownership and direction.

Depression & Anxiety
Depression and Anxiety are based on a closely related, and largely overlapping set of symptoms. They begin as normal reactions to life stressors. If untreated, these symptoms can lead to potentially harmful or life-threatening situations.

Dr. Gale’s psychotherapeutic process rapidly alleviates many of the taxing symptoms associated with depression and anxiety. Through continued partnering and mutual exploration, Dr. Gale will facilitate greater awareness into the causes of your symptoms and will help you explore new thoughts, behaviors and ways of relating that will help reduce those symptoms.

Stress & Anger Management
Dr. Gale has written courses on Stress and Anger Management for mental health professionals. The key to managing any emotion is exploring the underlying feeling, unmet need, frustration, or repeated unhealthy interpersonal pattern of relating.

Dr. Gale views Stress and Anger as valuable symptoms that alert the symptom bearer to the existence of something deeper, more pervasive, that apparently needs to be addressed.

Relationship Issues
Relationships include work colleagues, friends, family, social acquaintances, as well as romantic long-term attachments.

Dr. Gale works with individuals and couples exploring blocks to relational fulfillment, and developing more positive interaction styles. Your relational style derives largely from your sense of self. Through your work with Dr. Gale, you will learn how your self-concept impacts your interpersonal connections. You will then work collaboratively with Dr. Gale to enhance your sense of self, thereby enhancing your relationships.

Men's Issues
Generally speaking, and to varying degrees, men tend to approach life differently than women. Our society encourages men to be “strong,” to “have it figured out,” and to be rather stoic in the face of emotional situations. Depending on how you internalize society’s guidelines, you may at times feel ill-equipped to handle life’s challenges for which these guidelines did not prepare you.

In his work with men, Dr. Gale takes an action-oriented approach, focusing on your strengths, and exploring ways to utilize those strengths to your benefit given life’s challenges. He will help you come to terms with your personal conceptualization of what it is to be a man.

APA poll shows men are particularly affected by the current state of the economy.

Work-Life Balance
Dr. Gale holds a PhD in both Clinical and Industrial-Organizational Psychology. He applies his broad knowledge base to helping his clients sort out the most meaningful and significant aspects of their lives so that they may proceed in a way that aligns with their best interests. Inherent in sorting out this difficult balance is the exploration of and the definition of self.

Dr. Gale will help you find your true self so that once seemingly difficult decisions suddenly appear to require very little decision-making effort.

Bereavement
“Getting over” someone’s death, or any significant loss, for that matter, requires the arduous task of working through the thoughts and feelings that are brought up by the tragic life event. Too many people believe the secret to “getting over” something tragic is to outrun it, or to ignore it. While these techniques seem to allow life to move forward, they unfortunately do not take your suffering into account, nor do they allow you to heal in a positive, growth-related way.

Dr. Gale will provide a safe space for you to visit painful or difficult thoughts and feelings. His therapeutic technique will allow you to properly process your personal response to your loss.

Postpartum Depression and OCD
Postpartum depression and OCD can affect both men and women. Dr. Gale will assist you and/or your partner in dealing with these unwanted and inhibitive mood states so you can obtain full enjoyment in your growing family.

Dr. Gale also treats both men and women dealing with reproductive issues associated with In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF), miscarriages, infertility and adoption. While pharmaceuticals are often prescribed to temporarily reduce the symptoms associated with such issues, psychotherapy will help you resolve the source of your angst.

Professional Affiliations

American Psychological Association
California Psychological Association
San Diego Psychological Association

  • Newsletter Editor: The San Diego Psychologist
  • Winner: CPA's 2008 Outstanding Newsletter of the Year Award
  • Men’s Issues Committee Member
  • Supervision Committee Member
Learn more about Dr. Gale's Practice.