User:Steve carlson/Bio

Quick Blurb

I live in Oakland, CA, and am 38 years old. I have a wonderful wife named Olivia; we live together with 4 cats. I am a recent graduate of the PsyD program at John F. Kennedy University, and am currently working with victims of violent crime, and teaching on the side. In my spare time, I am an avid music lover, and spend my time writing songs, recording, and building out my home recording studio. I play guitar, bass, and drums, and dabble at the keys. My dad and I have been sailing competetively for the last 3 years and crew on a J/105, which is a pretty sweet boat but we can't seem to win. I also own my own home and like to do my own remodeling work (although I rarely finish anything). I am currently in the middle of an extended bathroom remodel (thank gOD Olivia doesn't mind a little chaos!) that is finally starting to look like a bathroom again.

Biography

I was born in Walnut Creek, California on May 19, 1975, the first of two children (both boys). When I was 18 months old, I contracted an acute case of bacterial meningitis, which almost killed me and left me without hearing in my left ear. I increasingly believe this experience was a critical developmental crossroads that greatly influenced my personality and family dynamics.

I have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area most of my life. My parents still live in Pleasanton, California in the house where I spent my school years. I went to Amador Valley High School, and got my undergraduate degree from Northwestern University (a most institutional and impersonal school) in Evanston, Illinois (a most evil little city). I graduated from NU in December 1997 with a B.A. in Philosophy.

Upon graudation, I returned to the Bay Area and took up residence in Oakland, California, where I have lived for almost 10 years. The city has a bad rap, but is actually a beautiful place teeming with diversity, and I can't imagine living anywhere else (except maybe a cabin in the woods sequestered from society).

I worked in the tech sector for 8 years, and for a time was quite successful. Because I was good at it and the money was flowing at the time, I got lots of recognition and growth opportunities, which fueled my ego. I thought I was happy for the first time in my life. But when the bubble burst, all that went away, and I was left to confront the fact that I didn't really love technology and needed something more. After a particularly antagonistic showdown with a new manager at my last job, who showed zero interest in forming a relationship with me or in understanding what I needed from my manager in order to succeed, I quit the profession. This experience made me realize how much I value relationships, and got me thinking about myself in a very different way.

I have been in psychoanalysis for almost 8 years, and it has without a doubt saved my life. I have struggled with depression and anxiety since I was in my teens; analysis has helped me understand the roots of these problems and to make some important changes in my behavior that has brought newfound happiness to my life. I have been so moved by this transformation that I was inspired to give this gift back to others by becoming a clinical psychologist myself.

I enrolled in the Doctor of Psychology program at John F. Kennedy University in the fall of 2007. After four years of classes, clinical placements, and the arduous dissertation process, I completed my degree requirements in early 2012. My dissertation was entitled "The Heterosexual Male Experience of Gender Role Threat: A Phenomenological Analysis". Look it up, it was a fun project, and I learned a lot about working clinically with male clients. Along the way, I served as a teaching assistant for a number of classes, and have just been appointed a member of the Adjunct Faculty at JFK, teaching two sections of Research Methods & Statistics (*fun*).

I am currently working at Ray of Light Trauma Recovery Center in Oakland, CA. We are a psychological services provider that serves people who have been victims of violent crimes. One of our services is providing psychological assessments for individuals who are applying for a U-VISA, which is a pretty cool program that was instated to reduce the victimization of undocumented immigrants. I feel privileged to be able to help people who would not be able to access services anywhere else.