What's in a Name?

I'm not exactly sure when the dream started but know I've wanted to build my own practice for quite a few years now. I can't say it was always my goal (to be honest, becoming a psychologist was not even a goal for most of my early life). I think the idea started percolating in graduate school, or maybe it was there when I started studying psychology - particularly sport and performance psychology - during my undergraduate years.

Whenever the idea started, my desire to start a practice grew steadily throughout my training. Once I earned my Ph.D. and passed all the requirements to become a licensed psychologist in Nevada, it felt like the next step would be to open those doors to my own little private practice. Of course, I earned my license during the middle of the COVID-19 quarantine, so opening a business took a back seat to triaging the immediate and often changing needs of that time. I also had a baby (exciting and time consuming!), so I just kept to the status quo as much as possible, but the little voice in my head would not stop pushing towards that next career step.

Surprisingly, or maybe not that surprisingly, the biggest hurdle to actually applying for a business license and taking the first steps was deciding on a name for a practice. I kept an ongoing list in the "Notes" app on my phone, which was shared on the cloud with a few friends and family members for input and suggestions. It was an eclectic list of possibilities. I wanted a name that would reflect the spirit of the practice I hope to build. A place for healing and connection, strength and perseverance, hope and comfort, insight and clarity. One of the early front-runners was something involving the word "Flow" - a play on the positive psychology state of being "in the zone" and fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus and enjoyment of the process of an activity. Other early standouts were words like "Limitless," "Pinnacle," and "Clutch," but none really captured the whole spirit of who I am and what I want to build.

Webster's Dictionary describes "Dynamic" as a force that stimulates change or progress within a system or process. It can also describe a person who is positive in attitude and full of energy and new ideas or a process or system characterized by constant change, activity or progress. Once I landed on this term, I knew it was the right fit. I view the therapeutic process as inherently dynamic and constantly strive to actively engage in creating a space for exploration and development of one's best self. I also tend to utilize a psychodynamic lens in my therapeutic work, so it felt like a good fit. I hope, if you decide to join me on that journey, you will find the experience to be both a challenge and a comfort. Taking the leap to dig deep within yourself to find your fullest potential is a big undertaking and takes a lot of internal fortitude. Just like physical exercise, psychological training takes dedication, focus, and strength - which can all be built upon and honed through guided practice. It is important to find a coach who sees you and your goals and is willing to engage in that dynamic process needed to reach them.

It was also important to me to include a nod to my roots in psychology, as there are a lot of mental health providers out there with various credentials and training. My degree in clinical psychology provided me with a basis for providing evidence-based psychotherapeutic treatments and conducting psychodiagnostic assessments.

Change is inevitable. At Dynamic Psych Services, it is central to the mission to embrace the ambiguity of life with enthusiasm and vigor. For now, it's just me, but I hope to grow a dynamic community from this basic beginning. I aim to create space for life that is satisfying and enjoyable while aiming high to achieve big goals. I hope that this name and this mission shine through in the daily work and hope that you will find a home here.