Page 38 - Cindy Salas Murphy San Diego Woman Magazine

Women of Distinction

Dr. Gretchen Pound

Healthier Life Therapy

By Judith A. Habert
Photos by Dawn Nicoli/Nicoli Productions

one therapy as well as workshops using in- “Once I started taking my psychology
tegrated techniques including EMDR, yoga, courses, I knew right away that it was defi-
meditation, and energy psychology.” What nitely something I was interested in. I don't
I liked most to hear is that unlike many know if you know anything about ADHD,
other psychologists and psychiatrists her but you can hyper-focus on something
approach is a non-pharmalogical approach when you have an interest in it. Once I
that addresses the whole person rather than found that passion, I immediately enrolled
putting a band-aid on the symptoms. in a psychology program, and got straight
Dr. Gretchen Pound was born and A’s I even made the honor society. I started
raised in Hamburg New York, a suburb of to get my confidence back. I was like, ‘oh, I
Buffalo. From a young age, she struggled actually can do this.’” She would graduate
in school and never imaged she would one with a degree in psychology and then felt
day go on to earn a Ph.D. She had no real that this was not enough. She relocated to
direction on where her life would go. She San Diego to attend a graduate program
later realized that what was keeping her at what was then known as The California
down was a learning disability, but that School of Professional Psychology, Alliant
knowledge did not occur when she was in University today. Dr. Pound aced all of
school. She struggled to be a good student her classes. She decided that she wanted
So many of us struggle with psy- and often thought of herself as unintelligent to go as far as she could in her field so she
chological issues such as depression and because things seemed harder for her than earned a Ph.D. “Going from the child in the
anxiety. Quite often we do not really even for most of her friends. “School was always small classes to earning a Ph.D. was a great
understand why. This is where Clinical a challenge for me, so I never really thought accomplishment for me, and I do think that
Psychologist Dr. Gretchen Pound steps I could go to college. Neither of my parents part of the reason that I decided to go even
in and helps her patients get to the root went to college so they didn’t push me to ei- further in my education was to prove not
causes. For some of us, it could be a trau- ther.” Dr. Pound was placed in smaller size only to myself but to other people as well
ma or even multi-trauma that may have classes, but no one explained to her why that I could do it.”
occurred decades before it manifests itself she was in these smaller classes, so it just “Randy, my boyfriend at the time,
as an obstacle that seems to be keeping us made her feel that she wasn’t smart enough drove cross country with me, in my little
from moving forward and having a happy to be in regular classes. yellow Geo Tracker filled to the brim. We
and healthy life. Where most psychologists When Dr. Pound graduated High did some backpacking in the Grand Tetons
spend months or even years in sessions School, she applied to a two-year business where he surprised me with a marriage
with their patients, talking through how school and graduated with a two-year proposal. We got engaged and he head-
they feel and what is making them un- degree in court reporting. “It was really ed back to New York. I rented a room in
happy, Dr. Pound does more. “My team challenging. Thirty of us started and only Ocean Beach and since I had no distrac-
specializes in integrated psychology where five of us ended up graduating. I did court tions, I spent all my time focusing on my
Clinical Psychology meets Eastern Philos- reporting and hated every minute of it. first year of graduate school. The first year
ophies. We believe in healing the entire It was not my thing, but I was good at it, is always the hardest since this is when
person.” and I was praised for it because I did make they weed out those who aren’t going to
Dr. Pound’s unique approach was a lot of money for performing a job that make it or aren’t serious. Along with help
refreshing to learn about and when she required so little education.” Determined from my mother, Randy planned the entire
explained the process, I suddenly didn’t to find a life direction that she liked; Dr. wedding. I was engrossed in school, so I
understand why all psychologists don’t Pound decided to go on to get her bache- told him what I wanted, and he took care
use similar techniques. “Our focus is on lor’s degree attending Buffalo University. of every detail, except the dress. I handled
whole-person wellness that addresses phys- Keeping her focus on law, since she had two that. I just went back to New York for the
ical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual years of education and worked in the field, wedding.”
needs by using holistic and transformative she soon realized that the only classes she Dr. Pound did great in graduate school
approaches. We offer traditional one-on- really enjoyed were her psychology classes. and even managed to graduate having had

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