Phone: (657)-333-0824
email: carolinepaltinphd@yahoo.com
I am offering teletherapy via Zoom during the COVID Crisis.
About Dr. Caroline Paltin
Biography - As a Licensed Psychologist with a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, Dr. Paltin began her work and training in 1983 as a clinical psychology intern working with trauma and abuse victims, as well as general psychology patients. Her practice services adults, adolescents and children. She specializes in the fields of trauma, abuse and PTSD, as well as depression, anxiety, bereavement, and life transition issues, and also works specifically with children adults and adolescents living with Autism, Asperger's and special needs. Dr. Paltin began her work in the field of psychology with a passion for exploring the unique and extraordinary qualities in all human beings, and focuses her work on assisting each individual patient in developing the awareness and insight necessary to lead a meaningful and fulfilling life. She holds a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from United States International University (now Alliant International University, in San Diego CA), which she earned in 1992, and has held licenses in Hawai'i and currently in California for over 20 years.
Practice and Academics: Dr. Paltin currently works in private practice in the heart of the city of Orange's beautiful historic district. She is currently Assistant Professor in Division of Health and Human Services, Department of Human Services at Saddleback College. Previously, she served as Assistant Professor and Regional Lead Psychology Faculty for many years at the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology program at National Univeristy Costa Mesa. Prior to this she served as a Core Adjunct Faculty Member for the University for over 17 years. She also served as an Adjunct Professor for Columbia College, instructing in Psychology and Crisis Intervention for the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos California, and Adjunct Professor for Webster University at their Irvine Metropolitan Campus prior to her promotion to Assistant Professor.
Current Research: Dr. Paltin is a national and international presenter and trainer at many major psychology conferences, including Psychotherapy Networker, IVAT, AAGT-EAGT, APA Division 32 Humanistic, and the Association for the Advancement of Gestalt Therapy. She has presented workshops and trainings throughout California, and in Oregon, Italy and Toronto. She is an invited speaker at Universities and training institutions.
She is currently conducting research on Gestalt Therapy and Life Focus Community encounters, including uses of creativity, art, drama, music and literature in enhancing life experience and contact with self and others. Past research has examined the effects of brain-coupling and inter subjective story elaborations on traumatic intrusive memory recollection of trauma. This study examines empathic attunement between speaker and listener in the process of trauma recovery. The research is currently funded by National University College of Letters and Sciences Undergraduate Research Initiative.
Life Focus Community and Outreach: In addition to these duties, Dr. Paltin is founder and current facilitator of the Mindful Life Focus Community, which she created in collaboration with her life long Mentor and colleague, Dr. Erving Polster, the world renowned leader of the Gestalt psychotherapy field, and author of numerous books on the topic of Gestalt therapy and most recently the development of Life Focus Communities, an extension of therapy outside of the office and into the community at large (see more below regarding Dr. Paltin's Mindful Life Focus Communities or visit links on this site).
Dr. Paltin serves on the Continuing Education Committee for the Association for the Advancement of Gestalt Therapy (AAGT), and is past Special Education Chairperson for the Saddleback Valley PTA Council, where she developed and launched a successful and ongoing network of Special Education Chairs at schools throughout Saddleback Valley Unified School District, who provide intervention and advocacy programs to promote tolerance and inclusion for children with special needs. In her private time she serves on the Board of Directors for Children's Theatre Workshop, a non-profit theatre program, where she also enjoys her hobby as an actor in CTW's traveling shows. Dr. Paltin also enjoys facilitating Madonari Street Chalk Painting festivals, which she has had the pleasure of bringing to several elementary schools and other organizations. She is the mother of two active and talented boys, one with Asperger's and other health issues. She shares parenting and her practice with her husband David Paltin, Ph.D., who is also a Licensed Psychologist.
Practice and Academics: Dr. Paltin currently works in private practice in the heart of the city of Orange's beautiful historic district. She is currently Assistant Professor in Division of Health and Human Services, Department of Human Services at Saddleback College. Previously, she served as Assistant Professor and Regional Lead Psychology Faculty for many years at the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology program at National Univeristy Costa Mesa. Prior to this she served as a Core Adjunct Faculty Member for the University for over 17 years. She also served as an Adjunct Professor for Columbia College, instructing in Psychology and Crisis Intervention for the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos California, and Adjunct Professor for Webster University at their Irvine Metropolitan Campus prior to her promotion to Assistant Professor.
Current Research: Dr. Paltin is a national and international presenter and trainer at many major psychology conferences, including Psychotherapy Networker, IVAT, AAGT-EAGT, APA Division 32 Humanistic, and the Association for the Advancement of Gestalt Therapy. She has presented workshops and trainings throughout California, and in Oregon, Italy and Toronto. She is an invited speaker at Universities and training institutions.
She is currently conducting research on Gestalt Therapy and Life Focus Community encounters, including uses of creativity, art, drama, music and literature in enhancing life experience and contact with self and others. Past research has examined the effects of brain-coupling and inter subjective story elaborations on traumatic intrusive memory recollection of trauma. This study examines empathic attunement between speaker and listener in the process of trauma recovery. The research is currently funded by National University College of Letters and Sciences Undergraduate Research Initiative.
Life Focus Community and Outreach: In addition to these duties, Dr. Paltin is founder and current facilitator of the Mindful Life Focus Community, which she created in collaboration with her life long Mentor and colleague, Dr. Erving Polster, the world renowned leader of the Gestalt psychotherapy field, and author of numerous books on the topic of Gestalt therapy and most recently the development of Life Focus Communities, an extension of therapy outside of the office and into the community at large (see more below regarding Dr. Paltin's Mindful Life Focus Communities or visit links on this site).
Dr. Paltin serves on the Continuing Education Committee for the Association for the Advancement of Gestalt Therapy (AAGT), and is past Special Education Chairperson for the Saddleback Valley PTA Council, where she developed and launched a successful and ongoing network of Special Education Chairs at schools throughout Saddleback Valley Unified School District, who provide intervention and advocacy programs to promote tolerance and inclusion for children with special needs. In her private time she serves on the Board of Directors for Children's Theatre Workshop, a non-profit theatre program, where she also enjoys her hobby as an actor in CTW's traveling shows. Dr. Paltin also enjoys facilitating Madonari Street Chalk Painting festivals, which she has had the pleasure of bringing to several elementary schools and other organizations. She is the mother of two active and talented boys, one with Asperger's and other health issues. She shares parenting and her practice with her husband David Paltin, Ph.D., who is also a Licensed Psychologist.
Approach to Treatment
'Ophelia Dreaming' pencil and pastel, Paltin, 2007 all rights reserved.
Utilizing an eclectic approach including Gestalt , and Jungian modalities as well as the intersubjective process developed by Robert Stolorow, Dr. Paltin incorporates a variety of methods such as traditional existential psychotherapy, art, expressive therapies and sand tray therapy to address the many ways individuals and families experience growth and healing in the therapeutic process. Each patient who enters therapy comes with specific needs and lifestyle experiences, and Dr. Paltin tailors therapy in collaboration with the patient to provide an individualized treatment designed to meet specific needs. She is currently developing and expanding her therapeutic arts program which utilizes theatre arts and music therapy for individuals with Asperger's Syndrome. Her development of the Mindful Life Focus Community, the latest expansion of her work is based on the creative and innovative model developed by Gestalt's leading Psychotherapist, Dr Erving Polster. Polster's design of the Life Focus Community integrates gestalt therapy's ability to focus and engage awareness with exploration of the arts, music and literature to amplify and punctuate our experience of living. This is accomplished in an ongoing community gathering together to explore the lived life.
Dr. Paltin is currently collaborating with Erv Polster in developing a workshop for therapists on the subject of Life Focus Communities. Together she has co-facilitated with Dr. Polster at the Psychotherapy Networker Conference in March of 2014 in Washington DC, as well as local experiential Group LIfe Focus events in OC and San Diego.
Further information about the Mindful Life Focus Community is available on this site or by visiting www.mindfulllifefocuscommunity.com
Dr. Paltin is currently collaborating with Erv Polster in developing a workshop for therapists on the subject of Life Focus Communities. Together she has co-facilitated with Dr. Polster at the Psychotherapy Networker Conference in March of 2014 in Washington DC, as well as local experiential Group LIfe Focus events in OC and San Diego.
Further information about the Mindful Life Focus Community is available on this site or by visiting www.mindfulllifefocuscommunity.com
Sunday April 18 2021 3-5 pm PST:
JOIN ME FOR An Enchanted VIRTUAL ZOOM Gathering with Erving Polster!
A Life Focus Gathering with Erving Polster!
HOSTED BY CAROLINE PALTIN PH.D. and MINDFUL LIFE FOCUS COMMUNITY
Sunday April 18th 3pm PST (Online)
Join Erv and I as we explore the opportunity for enchantment to be found in Life Focus. Discussing his most recent book Enchantment and Gestalt Therapy, we will explore the bounty of fascination to be found in good contact and conversation. Together with Erv, I founded Mindful Life Focus Community in 2012 and we will share how these groups enliven and enhance our exploration of the extraordinary lives through the arts, poetry, music film and more. Gather with us for this special day!
Registration: $30. Space is limited.
To reserve your space please visit
http://www.mindfullifefocuscommunity.com/
Or contact Caroline Paltin at gestalttherapyoc@gmail.com or carolinepaltinphd@yahoo.com
APRIL 10, 2020: A Message from Caroline Paltin, Founder of Mindful Life Focus Community
Caroline Paltin and Erving Polster, Founders of Mindful Life Focus Community
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Past Presentations and Events: March 20th 2019 American Psychological Association, Division 32, Society for Humanism Conference, Corvallis Oregon: "Art of Radical Courage and Change in Troubling Times: Creative Personal Movements through Expressive Arts and Improvisational Contact Engagement in Gestalt Process." August 14th 2018 Association for the Advancement of Gestalt Therapy AAGT Conference, Toronto, Canada " Art of Radical Respect and Change; Amplifying Fascination and Acceptance of the Unacceptable Through Art, Music and Contact Engagements" April 18th 2018 Orange County Health Care Agency, Treatment of Trauma October 2019 Entranamiento Internacional en Terapia Gestalt aplicada con ninos -Mexico 2018 Inaugural opening of Orange County Gestalt Therapy Institute Coming Soon! Dr. Paltin and Dr. Polster are pleased to share a day of Gestalt and Life Focus with attendees at and are developing an upcoming event on the theme of living life fully in uncertain times. (Details coming soon!) To purchase his latest book on Life Focus Communities with free shipping visit http://www.mindfullifefocuscommunity.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html Dr. Paltin had the previous honor of co-presenting with Erv Polster at the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium March of 2014 in Washington DC. As well as other presentations throughout Southern California. Dr. Paltin and Dr. Polster collaborate on Life Focus Process and Life Focus Communities, a concept developed by Dr. Polster, and have enjoyed collaborating on day-long conversations and live demonstration events on the themes of Gestalt and Life Focus. |
Workshops, Consultation and Guest Lectures
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MINDFUL LIFE FOCUS COMMUNITY - Not psychotherapy, but an innovative encounter of individuals who enjoy examining the lives they live in a rich conversational environment, enhanced by exploration of ourselves and our lives via music, literature, arts film and more. Meetings are held on selected Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays of each month at the office of Dr. Paltin . We are pleased to have Life Focus Community author and Master Gestalt Trainer, Dr. Erving Polster as a visiting member of our group from time to time. The Community is open to all. You must register in advance.
For more information, please click below or visit www.mindfullifefocuscommunity.com
for updated information.
Caroline & Erv Polster at AAGT Conference at Asilomar, 2014.
"Change occurs when we become aware of what we are, as opposed to trying to become what we are not." - This quote by Gestalt psychotherapist Arnold Beisser artfully explains the paradox of change. By becoming more aware of who we are, we are able to truly change, as the extroardinary potentials within us become unleashed and unveiled. Dr. Paltin believes that every individual who enters into psychotherapy deserves the opportunity to explore his or herself in a caring safe, and non-judgemental environment. She sees the role of the therapist to facilitate awareness and insight and create lasting change. She believes that through gaining self awareness, we develop clearer insight into the issues we struggle with, and an empowered ability to change ourselves and our relationships with others for the better. Dr. Paltin respects the private journey of each patient, and strives to assist each individual she encounters in recognizing their full potential as a human being.
Take a moment to be inspired by the power of creativity to overcome and transcend.
Take a moment to be inspired by the power of creativity to overcome and transcend.