davis center for psychotherapy

martha gilmore davis center for phsychotherapy Martha Gilmore, Ph.D.
PSY10451

Davis and Sacramento
530-757-6861

email

Sacramento Office

About Me

I grew up in Southern California, playing volleyball on the beach and backpacking in the Sierra Nevada.  I had an early interest in understanding people and in understanding the power of the group to help or hinder one’s agenda.

I started volunteer work with troubled children while still in high school and went off for a Bachelor’s degree in social psychology at UC San Diego. While there I worked administering and teaching a class titled “Wilderness and Human Values” which combined philosophy with backpacking and wilderness skills which helped further develop my interest in group dynamics and in the effects of the environment on well-being.

I went off to the University of Arizona in Tucson for MA and PhD degrees in clinical psychology with a minor in environmental psychology.  Along with training in individual and family therapy I was lucky enough to have intensive training in group psychotherapy and solidify my belief in the power of the group to facilitate growth.  I came to Sacramento on internship at the UC Davis Medical Center and, thrilled to be back in California and near the Sierra, I put down roots. 

I obtained licensure in 1988 and started a private practice, joining in the formation of the Davis Center for Psychotherapy with my close friends in 1991. \r\nSince then I’ve continued my interest in groups and gone from attending continuing educational events about group psychotherapy to leading them and running training groups in various settings as well as providing supervision and consultation to other professionals.

Eventually, I developed international contacts within the group therapy community and started to travel internationally to lead and attend workshops. I’ve also become a Certified Group Psychotherapist and a Fellow of the American Group Psychotherapy Association – the main professional association for group therapists.

On a different front, I noticed that I was quite skilled and comfortable working with people who had very negative experiences in childhood ranging from frank abuse to more subtle wounds and losses. This has led to my seeking extensive training in the treatment of trauma and dissociation and years of clinical experience in this area. Recently I have trained in EMDR and developed an interest in the effects of early attachment experiences on the psyche.

While I seem to be one of the few therapists I know who went straight through her schooling without pursuing other life interests first, the vicissitudes of life have also impacted me and my work. My life experiences leave me comfortable and experienced in working with issues of loss, marriage and divorce, step-families, parenting, chronic illness, and inter-cultural relationships.

I welcome your call or email