Psychotherapy is About…
You! People, just like you, come for therapy because issues in their lives leave them feeling disconnected from themselves – their dreams, deepest values, and sometimes their own bodies; disconnected from a deep down sense of security – the “ground of being,” or “God,” or “the all” – or disconnected from others such as your spouse, lover, family, and friends. It is not uncommon for people to come to therapy and say, “I just feel lost.” Showing up is the first step in finding yourself.
Change! You have come to the point that something must change, and the only change you can affect is with yourself. You recognize a need to change your thinking, behavior, or relationships. But change is challenging and you need some help with discernment and action. So the first change you make is the decision to no longer do this alone.
Healing! Therapy is from the Greek word therapeuo, which is translated, “I heal.” My approach is to assist you to achieve your own healing and wholeness by skillfully integrating the insights of psychotherapy (Psyche) and the deep wisdom of an earthy spirituality (Soul). Light and enlightenment most often come out of engaging the shadow and the sometimes brilliant figures that hide in it.
Your Experience in Therapy Is…
Confidential: Your time in therapy, with a few legally required exceptions that will be explained to you in writing before your first session begins, is completely confidential.
Collaborative: You will never be told what to do. Rather, together we will explore when necessary your past, examine your present, and work together to discern the steps you take on your journey through the therapeutic process.
Compassionate: I have been in the seat of the client/patient, so I know what you are experiencing. And I continue to cultivate my own psyche-soul health by working with my therapist. Though the deeper pain of initial therapy is past, I continue to be stretched and challenged and blessed with new insights. I benefit from this inner work and so do my clients/patients.
The Cost of Therapy is…
An Investment: Foundations are the most important feature of anything we build – a house, a relationship, an art form, etc. The relationship you have with yourself is the foundation upon which you build all other relationships. The investment you make in therapy is an investment in your relationship with yourself, those you love, your business, your art or sport, and all of your personal relationships.
Manageable: Professional fees may often be paid for by a health savings account, personal credit card, loan from a family member or friend, or reimbursed by insurance (check with your HSA advisor or insurance company for details). Your tax advisor can tell you if fees may be deducted as a medical expense.
About Dr. Brian Hooper
I love working with motivated individuals and couples who want to work to achieve reconciliation, healing, and growth in wholeness. My preparation for licensure included earning a Master of Divinity degree in applied theology from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Missouri and combined Master of Science and Doctor of Psychology degrees from California Coast University, Santa Ana, California.
Ordained as a Lutheran pastor, I have served in three settings including sixteen years as the campus pastor at the University of California at San Diego, where I enjoyed ministering to a diverse community of town members, undergraduates, and doctoral students in science, medicine, and philosophy, as well as post-doctoral scholars, foreign and domestic.
Following academic preparation, I did my clinical counseling hours under supervision of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors and was awarded the rank of Fellow in 2007. I have a strong interest in depth/archetypal psychology with its emphasis on integration of psychology and spirituality, as well as psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioral, and somatic oriented therapy.
I am licensed by the State of Tennessee as a psychotherapist. My specific license is Clinical Pastoral Therapist. As such, I work effectively with those of various religious traditions as well as those who identify as spiritual but not religious.
Professional Associations:
- Fellow: American Association of Pastoral Counselors
- Diplomate: American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress
- Fellow: Integrative Psychiatry Institute (125 CEUs: University of Colorado School of Medicine)
- Certified Integrative Psychiatry Educator: Integrative Psychiatry Institute
- Faculty: 2022-2023 Fellow Program: Integrative Psychiatry Institute (Lecture: Applied Spirituality in the Psychotherapeutic Setting)
- Certified Clinical Trauma Professional: International Association of Trauma Professionals (2017/2018)
- Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist 704-339: American Council of Hypnotist Examiners
- Certified Member: The National Federation of Neuro-Linguistic Psychology
- Certified Hypno-Addictionologist – The National Federation of Neuro-Linguistic Psychology
- Certified Addictions-Informed Mental Health Professional (CAIMHP)
- Ordained minister of the Lutheran Church since 1984 presently under call from the Southeastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to my pastoral psychotherapy practice
- President: Tennessee Association of Pastoral Therapists (2018- 2020)
- Approved Clinical Supervisor: Candidates for Licensed Pastoral Therapist
- Member: SAG/AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Film, Television, and Radio Artists)
- Member: Nashville Jung Circle
- Past Member: Medical Ethics Committee: University of California, San Diego, Hillcrest Hospital
- Past Guest Lecturer: University of California, San Diego
- Past Guest Lecturer: University of San Diego (Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling)
- Past Member: Professional Advisory Group: CPE Program of Vitas Hospice, San Diego
- Alumnus: Professionals in Residence Week Participant: Betty Ford Clinic of Palm Springs, CA
