A PASSION FOR
LEARNING & HELPING
OTHERS
Bretton Torkelson, Psy.D.
I graduated in 2013 with a Doctorate degree (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology from The Wright Institute in Berkeley, California. My clinical training experience was spent in community mental health clinics, hospitals, residential programs, and addiction treatment centers for teens and young adults. After completing my pre-doctoral internship, my personal journey brought me to Massachusetts, where I spent 9 years treating the mental health challenges of adolescents and families in a residential treatment facility.
Read More About Bretton
Supporting and encouraging the healthy development of adolescents and young adults has long been the central theme of my path. I am captivated by their curiosity, blunt honesty, emerging awareness of their world, and the new insights they develop as their journeys unfold.
My areas of expertise include providing clinical services to youth and young adults (ages 9-22) with a wide-range of mental health struggles including:
- trauma
- anxiety
- mood disorders
- ADHD
- behavioral challenges
- grief and loss
- transition to adulthood
I understand that navigating the challenges youth and their families face often feels like a relentless, confusing, and exhausting maze. I have worked with parents and families to strengthen family wellness and to help them achieve a path towards thriving. I have led crisis management and effective communication trainings, and teach those skills to help parents and caregivers hone the tools necessary to manage the complexities of raising children today.
I am also experienced in conducting psychological testing and helping parents and treatment providers understand the assessment findings so that they may support children and teens struggling with complex mental health issues.
Professionally, I am humbled by the calling to provide support to young people and their families. I have learned countless lessons from experts in this field, and even more from the clients and families I have worked with over the years. I am excited to be your guide as you travel your Center Path.
“I am humbled by the calling to provide support and services to youth and families.”
MY APPROACH:
I view therapy as a valuable and unique opportunity to travel an internal path towards self-awareness and fulfillment.
Illustrated by the labyrinth symbol seen in the Center Path logo, it is a journey that allows for reflections on the past and a view to the future, while emphasizing a mindful awareness rooted in the present.
I place a fundamental importance on the development of a safe and strong therapeutic alliance and providing effective and compassionate interventions tailored to address the unique needs of my clients.
My goal is to support youth and their families in finding clarity of their center path, and to provide the tools needed for navigating each step with strength, courage, and wellness.
MY METHODS
Due to the diverse clinical and supportive services offered and the complexity of unique mental health challenges youth and families face on their journeys, I draw on a number of effective and evidence-based models to build rapport, understand problems, and to collaborate on treatment goals. Exploration of the presenting concerns are aimed to facilitate symptom reduction, develop insight into maladaptive patterns, and reinforce an individual or family’s strengths.