Justin Barker Psy.D.

When I used to work on the suicide prevention hotline, I once had a colleague describe depression like this: when depressed, you feel like you're sitting on a bench alone, and the bench is festering. With depressed clients, I want to sit on the bench with you. We can sit on the bench together and we can talk about life's sorrows and tragedies. I believe depression has meaning, and I have worked with many clients that develop a significant understanding of what their depression is really about.

I have extensive experience working with general anxiety/worry, social anxiety, and panic. Almost all of my anxious clients begin therapy saying something like, "I don't know why I feel SO anxious all of the time." By the time therapy is over, my commitment to you is that you will have an understanding of your anxiety. With understanding, change becomes possible. Change may involve fostering new relationships; changing majors or careers; or beginning a meditation practice. We can figure it out.

Having trained at a psychoanalytic institute in New York, I am well-versed in a variety of psychodynamic approaches. To me, psychodynamic therapy means placing an emphasis on the unconscious mind. For example, I work with many clients that feel like they repeat the same relationship dynamics again and again, but don't know why. We often times create a narrative about what unconscious expectations or experiences may be fueling the same relationships happening.

I have extensive experience providing CBT with a wide range of mental health issues and clients of diverse backgrounds. I regularly integrate behavioral interventions into my practice. While I believe that deep understanding is often helpful in therapy, I also believe that concrete behavior changes (like an exercise program, or becoming more assertive with friends or a partner) can lead to significant healing. We can talk about many "life hacks" that can improve your well-being.

We all develop relational scripts that involve expectations about how relationships work. With all clients, I use attachment theory to guide therapy. Based on our relational scripts, we have different needs and wants. For example, if you had a helicopter parent, I'm going to approach therapy with an appreciation for the space you might need to not feel overwhelmed. Conversely, if you had an absent parent, I'll be thinking about how our therapy relationship can feel very present.

While every person is different, the majority of people with OCD will relate to some of the following qualities: (1) Having a strong sense of “shoulds.” For example, “I should call my parents today" (2) Being very focused on “productivity” however one defines productivity. (3) Desiring control. (4) Having a hard time being emotionally vulnerable. I have helped numerous people gain insight into why these qualities exist and make deep changes as a result.

My fundamental belief is that your depression has meaning. While it may feel “random” at times, we can explore and discover what contributes to your depression. For example, I have had many clients that felt really hopeless about their social lives improving. When a negative social interaction happened, it led to clients feeling worthless and unloveable. We were then able to explore what kinds of interactions contributed to this feeling and also to examine when the feeling began.