Welcome. My name is Christopher Carlin
Again, I appreciate you finding my website. Certainly, feel free to look through it to see if I might be of help.
About Christopher Carlin, Psy.D.
I'm the owner and sole practitioner of Psylin, Inc.. Originally from Long Island, New York, I grew up in a mixed working class/middle class neighborhood close to the Atlantic Ocean. I've worked as a clinical psychologist for about the last 20-years, mainly in outpatient settings in the Midwest. I have been a solo practitioner for about the last 7-years. I obtained my B.A. from Long Island University (New York) and my doctorate from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology (Chicago, Illinois). Some of my clinical work history includes experience in an adolescent psychiatric hospital and outpatient practices in North and South Chicago, and in Southwest Missouri. I work mainly with adults in my career now--persons in their twenties through their sixties. I am a member of both the American Psychological and Missouri Psychological Associations.
My Therapeutic Orientation
My therapeutic orientation involves an integrative model of psychotherapy including: cognitive-behavioral, existential/humanistic, psychodynamic, and family systems. Existential psychology--i.e., how to live meaningfully--permeates lots of my therapeutic work. Various life experiences outside of my professional education and work have had an impact on how I understand the therapy process as well. Like many people I've had times in my life that were quite stressful and challenging. However, I tend to be resilient and consistent with the tasks and goals before me. Also, I seek out help and supports when I've needed to, including for some years attending my own therapy and self-help groups. These qualities and experiences, I believe, have made me better at appreciating clients' struggles. Also, I believe they have made me better at helping clients develop and/or strengthen similar qualities, when necessary.
Wellness Coaching
In the near future I intend to include a wellness coaching aspect with attention to helping middle-age persons get back to, or start with, a regular exercise regimen to make part of their everyday lives.
Testimonials or Something Better?
Over the years various clients have offered to give testimonials about my work with them. Also, a fair amount have referred friends or acquaintances to my practice. However, for various reasons, including ethical—i.e., a client's confidentiality becomes an issue if he/she writes a testimonial for a therapist—I've decided not to have such endorsements on my website.
Instead, I think there's a better way for a potential client to figure out if he/she will benefit by working with a particular therapist. And that is by interviewing the therapist—during the initial phone consult and then at the start of therapy—and thereafter as a client believes and feels is necessary. By doing so, a person can get a sense, sooner than later, if a therapist is competent, has the ability to support and relate to others well, and shows good ability in working together on a client's issue.
I believe a therapist should be held accountable for how he/she works and thinks. For example, how does he/she conceptualize a client's particular issue? A therapist should be accountable as well in addressing how he/she may be able to help—and that it doesn't take too long before some meaningful changes are evident. I'm of the mindset that a therapist should be relatively self-disclosing; that is, conveying how he/she has dealt with some personal challenges—but only to the extent it can benefit a client and certainly not to the extent it is excessive, self-serving, etc.
A caveat about interviewing a therapist: I take into account some potential or new clients may struggle with doing this; that is, not being able to assert themselves and ask questions. In such cases, then, I believe it is the therapist's responsibility to appreciate this dynamic fairly soon and share pertinent information and/or assist a client in knowing what to ask.
A Google search can provide various questions a potential or new client can ask a therapist. I recommend Alice Miller's web page on this topic. Another good resource is Pete Walker's book, “Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving” and its section on this topic.
Note: I recommend this book to lots of my clients in general; its just one of the best resources I have ever come across to better understand many people's problems and especially then what to do about them.