After all this time serving as a therapist and counselor, I truly enjoy working with just about anyone who comes through my door. I am always amazed and honored by the wide variety of individuals that enter my office looking for a relationship that heals. The collaboration with my clients builds energy and creativity from which we both benefit.
My own life journey has been rich and engaging
Because of the variety of my experiences, I feel I am able to enjoy relating to all kinds of people. Just a quick summary of my life experiences include: merchant seaman-age 16; started “scared straight” program in San Quentin, age 17; original staff in in-patient psychiatry, Marin General Hospital, age 19; visited 25 countries, worked on adolescent in-patient McCauley Neuropsychiatric-11 years starting at age 23; and earning a PhD, with honors (UC, Berkeley 1984).
I have had the great opportunity to be involved in extensive research and teaching experience on a wide array of topics, including: Director of the “Family Coping Project”- a long term study of stress and coping in Navy families and Director of Research at the Mental Research Institute (MRI), Palo Alto. While at MRI as Research Director, I had the privilege of meeting and engaging with Francine Shapiro regarding her early research on the EMDR method. I authored, “Lost Lovers, Found Friends”, by Scott Nelson, PhD, LMFT, Simon & Schuster, 1991. These experiences enable me to appreciate and meaningfully engage with a wide variety extraordinary people.
Two very extraordinary sons
Of course, the greatest experience of my life has been raising my two very extraordinary sons. They are both terrific, apparently great young men leading engaged, productive lives. Quite wonderful is the fact that we all still maintain powerful loving relationships and, in particular, they are best of friends. What more could a dad want?
Scott Nelson, PhD, LMFT