Psychotherapist
he/him
Derek brings responsiveness, curiosity, and warmth to his therapeutic work with adults, adolescents, and children. He has interest in working with clients who are struggling with anxiety, depression, ADHD, life transitions, relationship difficulties, and grief. Derek sees the individual as inextricable from their context, which means that he believes that a person’s social, economic, historical and cultural experiences are integral to who they are. Derek works to create a therapeutic space that attends to the here-and-now relationship as well as what is arising in the body as sources of information and sites of transformation.
Derek works from psychodynamic, relational, and trauma-informed frameworks as he helps clients explore their past relationships, experiences, and emotions. He is also guided by humanistic theory where he helps clients grow their self-concept and learn about their inner strengths and individuality. In regard to expressive arts therapy, Derek specializes in drama therapy, which offers a wide range of possibilities for making the therapeutic work more embodied and creative for both children and adults. As desired, he welcomes peoples’ spiritual or contemplative experiences in the therapy space, bringing years of experience as a Buddhist Spiritual Advisor in a Louisiana prison. Fundamentally, Derek approaches all his therapeutic work in a collaborative manner seeking to offer active accompaniment, honoring each person’s unique struggles while working together to find and learn new ways forward.
Derek has over a decade of experience working with groups and communities to investigate life on personal, social, and structural levels with the help of theatre, story-sharing, and critical dialogue. These experiences inform his work as a therapist in many ways, including inspiring a deep appreciation for the essential role of creativity and playfulness in the healing process. He continues to design and facilitate Theatre of the Oppressed and other kinds of applied theatre workshops for young people and adults through his company Touch the Earth Theatre.
Credentials
- Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW) in Massachusetts
- Master of Social Work from the School for Social Work at Smith College
- Registered Drama Therapist, in progress, with the North American Drama Therapy Association