I created the word “edlightenment” to describe my work: a collaborative process of experiential discovery leading to new learning, new choices, and new ways of responding to our environment. We work interactively to create an experiential perspective that honors individual needs and personal contexts, respecting each person and relationship as a unique domain. I believe a deeper appreciation for one’s life story is the journey our lives compel us to take.

I practice solution-focused and client-centered psychotherapy. The foundation of my practice is evidence-based, which means there is research and social science to support the techniques and theory I use. Cognitive and emotional re-processing interventions inform my work, but I fit the technique to the client’s needs and context, rather than the reverse. I am a humanistic therapist guided by the narratives that clients construct to understand their experience. Emphasizing growth and the processing of new experience, I avoid pathologizing or focusing on deficits or weaknesses.

My work with couples also follows these principles. Theoretically I rely on the Gottman Approach and Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy originated by Dr. Sue Johnson.

In addition to psychotherapeutic study and social science research experience, I have long been involved in best practices for teaching. Educational therapy uncovers the learning needs of students, helping them achieve success in the school environment. Uncovering a person’s talents as well as their needs, I help individuals find their unique sense of achievement and personal reward.

                                                        Biography
Patricia works with individuals and families as a psychotherapist and an educational therapist, in private practice and as a consultant to schools. Her comprehensive skill set includes training in clinical psychology, couples and family therapy, supervised training and practice in intelligence, psychological, and educational testing, and research experience on nationally funded grants. Patricia’s experience in the private sector, as a corporate marketing manager, brings a “real world” sensibility to her client’s needs and issues.

Click here for a detailed outline of Ms. Holden’s clinical experience and training.