davis center for psychotherapy

susan cohen byrne davis center for phsychotherapy Susan Cohen Byrne, M.A.
Davis, CA 95616
530-753-0179
MFT15818
email

About Me

Who I am informs how I work. We are the sum of all our experiences and history. I was raised in the excitement and chaos of New York City. I received my undergraduate degree from Boston University in the dual majors of art history and comparative religion. I earned a Masters degree in counseling/psychology from Northwestern University. In the seven years between these two educational experiences I traveled extensively and lived in London, rural Mexico and San Francisco.

My early training and work reflected my interest in family therapy and adolescents. I worked at a crisis center for runaway teens where I learned about the reality of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. Concurrently I did post-graduate training at the University of California at Davis Counseling Center. I worked with young men and women struggling with a wide range of problems running the gamut from eating disorders, life transitions, stress, depression, and relationship dysfunction. I obtained my Marriage and Family Therapy license in 1981. In l983 I opened my private practice in Davis. I formed The Davis Center for Psychotherapy with five of my closest friends and colleagues in 1991.

The road towards becoming a good therapist has also been formed in me not only by my education but also by clients, consultants, and colleagues. The core beliefs which most influence my therapeutic style are gestalt therapy, developmental psychology, recent discoveries about the plasticity of the brain, and the power of presence and love.

The personal challenges and opportunities that I have encountered have created life lessons that I have naturally integrated into my style of therapy. I have enhanced this “on the job” training with current theoretical constructs which fit my intuitive learning process. Thus, having raised two children I feel that I can effectively offer guidance in practical parenting and child development. Other life transitions such as menopause, dealing with elderly parents, and death and dying, are areas in which my own journey has provided valuable insights.

Outside the office I am deeply interested in sustainable agriculture and I volunteer at a community organization which supports our local organic farmers. I have lived in rural Yolo County for the last thirty years with my husband.

I welcome your call or email