About

My name is Brock Pistel, Ph.D. and I really enjoy what I do. I’m a licensed psychologist in the state of California, working with clients via telehealth. I provide individual therapy to adults experiencing difficulties with anxiety, depression, substance misuse, and trauma. I primarily use a cognitive behavioral therapy approach but often I adapt my approach to best suit my clients. My approach Rather than adhering solely to one specific theory or approach, I use some of the best combinations of interventions I believe the field has to offer. I believe in using interventions best suited to a client. I use an integrated approach to psychotherapy, considering biological, psychological, and social factors all relevant to understanding a person. Specifically, I pull interventions from CBT, DBT, solution-focused, Trauma Model Therapy, and psychodynamic psychotherapy. My focus I work with adults 18 years of age or older. I am most familiar with treating client issues related to anxiety, depression, anger management, stress management, relationship problems, substance misuse, trauma, and mood disorders. However, I am open to working with individuals who have other problems or issues that I have not listed, assuming that the client and therapist are a good match. My communication style I like to think of my communication style as flexible in that I can be direct and subtle, as well as assertive and gentle. I can lead a conversation, when necessary, but also follow. I believe that anything a good therapist says must come from a compassionate place and that listening first is paramount to any quality communication. My journey to mental healthcare I first felt drawn towards the helping profession when I was 14 years old, as I observed my father thoughtfully comforting a patient prior to surgery.