MEET OUR INSTRUCTORS
Looking For Answers
"So often times it happens, that we live our lives in chains, and we never even know we have the key."
- From a song written by Jack Tempchin and Robb Strandlund, recorded by the Eagles.
"As a psychotherapist and trainer, I have been in the hunt for answers to some of life’s most difficult problems for 40 years. I have lived my life committed to finding truth, believing that truth heals, and people can change and recover from their painful emotional and relational difficulties. Until I found Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy, ISTDP, there had always been something missing… psychotherapy for true change, not just some surface changes to help you cope with a problem.
Sometimes I think it sounds a little cheesy to say that the answers you seek are already inside of you but now I know this to be true in the core of my being. The only problem is that the answers are hidden in your blind spot and by its very definition, you will never see something in your blind spot without help from someone else. What was missing can be found in ISTDP principles that offer a unique understanding of your inner life, how you function, what drives you, and what you can do about it. ISTDP therapy offers the opportunity of a new experience of yourself and your relationships such that you are truly changed and will continue to grow and change long after therapy has ended. Picture walking around trusting yourself. Picture knowing someone always has your back and that person is you. Your relationships are intimate, healthy and nourishing. You are guided by your inner truth to create the self you always wanted to be.
After 33 years in a successful career as a psychotherapist, this new understanding hit me like a ton of bricks. When I was able to witness for myself the changes people were able to make, I knew I wanted to devote myself to learning everything I could about ISTDP. I have spent the past 7 years in ongoing weekly training and started providing ISTDP training in 2020. Seeing the way that my students have flourished in their work and in their personal lives has been truly inspiring.
I have completed the Core Training in ISTDP in 2020 with the brilliant teacher Jon Frederickson. This involved 3 years of training, 4 times per year, 3 days at a time with a cohort of 8 therapists each receiving supervision of their videotaped work in ISTDP. Other trainings include several week-long and 3-day immersion trainings each year, 7 years of weekly supervision of my ISTDP work, and quarterly 3-day advanced supervision groups along with ongoing reading and skill practice. Thousands of hours of study and training support the courses I offer here and support my commitment to your growth. I do this training to support your courage to walk fiercely into the life that was always meant to be yours, to help make sense of what baffles you, to help you be the person you intend to be."
Consultation and Supervision Services available by request.
LESLIE AULD, LMSW, ACSW
Visionary and Founder
Reid Depowski-Knowles, LMSW
Reid Depowski-Knowles, LMSW
Reid Depowski-Knowles, LMSW
Program Coordinator and Instructor
"I was first exposed to ISTDP while working with our founder, Leslie Auld at our group practice, where I have been practicing since 2019. Although I was already psychodynamically-leaning, I learned just how different and special ISTDP is, because it’s not just a type of therapy – it is a different way of relating to ourselves and to our loved ones. I discovered how quickly it unlocks clients’ access to the answers they have been looking for, and realized this is the only therapy for me. One of the most special elements about ISTDP is that while I continue to study and practice it to improve my clients’ mental health, I am also healing myself. Learning and practicing ISTDP takes courage to address our own attachment wounds and behaviors that hurt us. Through this self-examination, I bring humanity, dignity, and compassion while guiding my clients through our therapy. ISTDP has changed my life personally and professionally, and I am thankful for the opportunity to share this knowledge with other therapists who want to make profound, lasting transformation in their clients’ lives."
Chloe Metzger, LMSW
Reid Depowski-Knowles, LMSW
Reid Depowski-Knowles, LMSW
Instructor
"It was important for me to find a modality for which I connected to both personally and professionally, with minimal burn out. When our founder, Leslie Auld, introduced ISTDP to me, I knew I had found what I had been looking for. ISTDP has allowed me to relate to my clients on a deeper level, recognizing the root cause of their suffering which has been locked away in their subconscious mind, leading them to feel confused about their presenting symptoms. It has also led me to understand myself in ways I had not before, leading me to become the best version of myself as an individual and clinician for my clients. I have a decrease in burn out and increased confidence in my clinical skills, leading me to love the work that I do. As a result of this, I was motivated to spread this knowledge and my excitement for ISTDP to other individuals and professionals who also want to ensure life changing transformation for themselves and their clientele."
Jessica Adams, LMSW
Reid Depowski-Knowles, LMSW
Jessica Adams, LMSW
Instructor
"ISTDP therapists are not content with coping. A mindset that has ignited my desire and fueled my passion to continue learning, studying, implementing and educating others on the profound impact of ISTDP. ISTDP quickly stood out amongst the crowd of modalities as the missing piece in my understanding of how to effectively elicit deep and long-lasting change in my clients so that coping wasn’t merely the goal. An exciting transformation happens when you pair the client’s will with their courage to face the unconscious and learn how to access their own innate health inside of themselves. A powerful collaboration forms between client and therapist that paves the way for clients to truly become an authentic version of themselves with full access to their feelings and the wealth of information they provide. I’m excited to share with others something that has truly changed the lives of my clients and myself on my own journey of self-awareness. "