Training and Experience
Stephan Tobin, Ph.D.
I practiced as a clinical psychologist in California for over 40 years,. I am now licensed only in Oregon, with offices in Northeast Portland and West Linn. I'm an integrative therapist with broad and deep experience. I actively use an extensive knowledge of numerous types of psychotherapy depending on the client's needs.
My early training at the University of Michigan was in psychodynamic therapy. Later on, I trained with Fritz Perls, MD, the founder of Gestalt Therapy in the 1960's, and was then certified as a Gestalt Therapist by Perls and James Simkin, Ph.D. I later went on to become Co-Founder and President of the Gestalt Therapy Institute of Los Angeles.
At the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), I served as Assistant Professor of Medical Psychology at the Neuropsychiatric Institute and Associate Professor (NPI) in the Dept. of Psychology at UCLA. I taught individual and group therapy to psychology graduate students and psychiatrist residents. I also established a private practice, co-founded the Topanga Center for Human Development, and set up and ran a church-sponsored mental health clinic at St. Michaels and All Angeles Episcopal Church in Sherman Oaks CA.
I later on left the NPI, but was still involved in the Psychology Department at UCLA and did many workshops on various areas of psychology and psychotherapy at UCLA Extension. During my time in Los Angeles, I taught classes in psychoanalytic Self Psychology at Cal State Northridge, California School of Professional Psychology (Los Angeles), at Antioch University and Ryokan College.
Rather than being wedded to a particular school, I enjoy helping therapists in supervision and consultation grow according to their own unique skills, talents and -- most importantly -- their unique personalities. I trained therapists in the fundamentals of Gestalt Therapy and psychoanalytic Self Psychology throughout the United States, Canada and Europe, and have presented talks and workshops at numerous professional conferences, including the Association of Humanistic Psychology; the Gestalt Conference; the American Psychological Association, the American Association of Psychotherapists and the Annual EMDR International Association Conference.
I've focused substantial time on training, supervising, and consulting with therapists, both beginners and veterans. I also have conducted classes for doctoral students at Saybrook Graduate Institute Research Center, at Ryokan College and here in the Portland area.
I have served on the editorial board of the Journal of Humanistic Psychology. I have published articles on Gestalt Therapy, psychoanalytic Self Psychology, on the integration of existential-humanistic psychology with psychoanalysis, and on the integration of EMDR with more traditional therapies.
My areas of expertise include psychodynamic therapies (Self Psychology, Intersubjectivity and Object Relations), existential-humanistic therapies (Gestalt Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy), couples' therapy and EMDR. I also have experience with Cognitive-Behavior therapy, Ego State Therapy and neo-Reichian therapies.
My private clinical practice concentrates on intensive individual therapy with people who suffer from severe anxiety and depression. I work with couples who wish to improve their communication skills so as to develop more satisfying relationships, and with adult families in conflict. I also work on a short-term basis with people who come to address specific issues such as retirement, trauma, phobias, panic attacks, and those who are experiencing life-threatening illnesses. I find EMDR to be especially helpful on a short-term basis with clients who have solid personality structures but have recently experienced a severe trauma such as observing a murder, seeing a relative die, and experiencing sexual abuse.
I welcome inquiries from professionals seeking consultation and supervision. If you'd like to schedule an appointment or to request additional information, please email or contact me by phone.
Dr. Tobin's Other Online Presences:
• LinkedIn
• PsychologyToday.com
• OregonCounseling.org
• American Mental Health Alliance