Damien Brunt, PsyD

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My philosophy of psychotherapy is that through awareness of self, the practice of noticing, and the art of doing, we can cognitively, emotionally, and experientially alter our behavior and belief. Through the process of getting to know ourselves in therapy we set out to collaboratively explore personal, interpersonal, and shared meaning. 

I take an eclectic approach from a psychodynamic foundation in order to explore past and current patterns in life, our emotions, and interpersonal relationships. I utilize Attachment theory, Object Relations, DBT, ACT, Transference Focused Therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention, CBT, Meditation, and Brief Relational Therapy. 

My areas of expertise are Anxiety and Depression, Personality Disorders and Identity Integration, Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, Exceptional and Gifted Psychology, and Trauma Focused Therapy. I work very well with the LGBTQI+ community, the elderly, teens and young adults, the gifted and twice exceptional, and military clients. 

My therapeutic style is relational, warm, supportive, insight oriented, and connected. I believe in the collaberative and compassionate exploration of challenges. Growth is a process of meeting the client where they are at and building together the philosophies and skills needed to reach their goals. 

I speak English. I can speak very little Mandarin Chinese, however I am not conversational. 

Damien graduated summa cum laude from California State University, Sacramento, and is currently completing his doctoral degree with California School of Professional Psychology, Sacramento. During undergrad at CSUS, Damien completed a two-year internship as a lead coordinator teaching social-emotional skills to underprivileged youth in the greater Sacramento area. Damien’s practicum placement at Vantage Point focused on long-term psychodynamic therapy in individual and group settings. He also received training in psychological assessments and has led several OCD treatment and process groups, as well as an LGBTQIA+ teen group.

Damien uses an integrative method within a psychodynamic therapeutic framework. He places an emphasis on mindfulness, insight, and relational styles and utilizes an eclectic approach when working with clients, including exposure and response prevention, object relations, attachment theory, metallization and transference-based therapies, Acceptance and Commitment therapy, and other cognitive behavioral techniques.

Supervised by Dr. Katie Polsky, Licensed Clinical Psychologist #PSY23342