Help is available when you are ready to do the hard work
Synde Acks, Psy D
Licensed Psychologist
#27309
I received my Psy. D from Meridian University, Petaluma, California. Before obtaining my doctoral degree, I worked as a school counselor for a NPS school, a therapist, and in residential treatment as a counselor. My undergraduate degree was from California State University, Long Beach with majors in both Psychology and Sociology.
As a clinical psychologist with over 25 years of experience assisting youth, young adults, couples, and families with symptom management, my primary expertise is in trauma. My theoretical orientation is rooted in Imaginal/Archetypal Psychology. My primary theoretical orientation is through the lens of an Imaginal Process including an Archetypal and Alchemical Psychology. As part of the imaginal process, I make use of techniques from EMDR, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy modalities, Short-Term Solution Focused Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Mindfulness Strategies. We will work together to manage emotional suffering, identify and accomplish treatment goals, and work efficiently to get goals accomplished in a timely way.
My work history includes the provision of individual, couples, and family therapy treating the following: Trauma, Chronic Pain, Anxiety, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Bipolar/Mood Disorders, ADHD, transitioning transgender youth, children of divorcing couples, adopted youth, individuals recovering from residential treatment, survivors of suicide, victims of bullying, personality disorders, people who have been in relationship with individuals with personality disorders, and developmental transition challenges. Additionally, I have facilitated groups since January, 2000 specializing in topics including Substance Abuse Treatment, Assertiveness Training, Personal Power, Codependence, Identity Exploration, Adventure Therapy, Women & Men Groups, Vocational Exploration, Appropriate Risk Taking, and Mental Illness and Symptom Management.
CEU Trainings under my belt:
Basic Training in EMDR Therapy, Sonoma Psychotherapy Training Institute EMDRIA approved, Andrew Leeds
Gaslighting: Help Clients Escape and Rebuild from a Narcissist’s Emotional Abuse, Stephanie Sarkis
EMDR Therapy and the Treatment of Substance and Behavioral Disorders and Behavioral Addiction & Understanding and Addressing Multiple Roots of Addiction, Hope Payson, LCSW
Eating Disorders, Barbara Murphy, Psy.D.
Distracted and Disorganized Kids in the Digital Generation: Techniquyes to Influence Neuroplasticity, Manage Screen Time & Implement Sensory Smart Movement, Aubrey Schmalle, ORT/L, SIPT
Basic Neurofeedback Training, Sadar Psychological’s BCIA Neurofeedback Certification Course
Trauma Conference: Body Keeps Score: Healing Trauma, Bessel A. van der Kolk, M.D.
EMDR treating Chronic Pain by Mark Grant
Sexual Desire Discrepancy in Couples with Lisa Elieson
Introduction to Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy, Redwood Psychology Association: Genesee Herzberg, Julie Megler, Veronika Gold, and Erik Sienknecht
Innovative Approaches to Complex PTSD and Dissociative Disorders in EMDR Therapy: Treating Dissociative Disorders with EMDR, the Progressive Approach, EMDR Therapy for Suicidal clients and Self-Harming Behaviors; Working with hostile voices and parts of the personality in complex trauma and dissociative Disorders: Dolores Mosquera
Using Dialectics Across Therapeutic Modalities, Nikki Rubin
“Pure O” OCD Subtypes: How to Identify and Treat Them, Nikki Rubin, Psy.D.
Sex Talk: Clinician Edition, Donna Oriowo
Helping Others Help Children: Clinical Supervision of Child Psychotherapy, William Cook
Get Over Yourself: Arrogance and Elitism in Psychotherapy, Angela Caldwell
ODD, ASD, ADHD, & Mood Disorders, Over 50 Proven Techniques for Children and Adolescents, Jennifer Wilke-Deaton
Introduction to Flash Techniques- Philip Manfield
Addiction, Timmens Cermak, 3/13/10
Therapeutic Ethics in the Movies- Ofer Zur
DBT Skills Training, Christine Kvidera , Based on Marsha Linehan’s work, 7/12/10
Managing Voices, Robin Buccheri, DNSc, RN, NP, MHNP, FAAN & Louise N. Trygstad, DNSc, MSN, BSN
The New Marijuana and Psychotherapy, Richard Von Feldt, Psy.D.
Essentials of Crisis Counseling
Pantheon of Paradoxes, Archetypal Imagery in the Ancient Egyptian Pantheon, C.G. Jung Institute
Sexual Archetypes, Oona Mourier
Somatic EMDR, Craig Penner
Counseling Addiction, SRJC
Reducing Power Struggles, Will Lyon
Psychology of Shame, Meridian University
Spousal or Partner Abuse
Toxic Anger- W. Doyle Gentry, PhD
Forensic Psychology- Jay Carter
Understanding & Treating Chronic Suicidal Ideation: Stacey Freedenthal
Treatment of Sex/Porn Addiction and Chem/Sex with EMDR: Michael Hase
Sound Healing with Eileen McKusick
How to Support Someone Who’s Attempted Suicide, Jessica Wolf Ortiz/Lu Ripley
Neuroscience of Resilience: Trauma doesn’t have to be a life Sentence, Relationship Foundation
Demystifying Personality Disorders: Greg Lester and Alan Godwin
Emotional Abusive Behaviors and A Closer Look at Gaslighting: Clinical Tools To Break the Cycle of Manipulation and Regain Personal Power by Amy Marlow-MaCoy
Narcissistic and Psychopathic Abuse: The Clinicians’ Guide to the New Field of Traumatic Pathological Love Relationshps by Sandra L. Brown, Claudia Paradise, and William Brennan
Treating Adult Clients of Emotionally Immature Parents: How Your Clients Can Reclaim Their Lives from the Toxic Legacy of Controlling, Rejecting or Self-Involved Parents by Lindsay Gibson
Flash Training with Philip Manfield
Culturally Responsive Clinical Supervision: Ethical and Trauma Informed Multicultural Supervision Strategies with Sonja Suthlerland
Ongoing Trainings on the topic of Ethics: Teletherapy, Ethics in Neurofeedback, Most Common Ethics Violations, and so forth…
Socratic Dialogue with Stephanie Sacks
Protecting Our License with Ofer Zur
Ongoing HIPAA Compliance with Benjamin Caldwell
My Office —
435 Petaluma Ave. Suite 136
Sebastopol CA 95472
(707) 387-0245
drsyndeacks@gmail.com
