About Dr. Casmar
LICENSED
PSYCHOLOGIST
I am a licensed psychologist with an
independent practice serving adults in the University Heights/Hillcrest areas of San Diego,
California. As a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, San
Diego Medical School, I also practice at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital
in the Spinal Cord Injury Unit. Here I am working with veterans and their
families who are adjusting to new disability and other mental and physical
health issues. I feel very fortunate to also instruct psychology trainees and
psychiatry residents in interviewing patients empathically, in addressing the
stresses of medical concerns with patients, in interpersonal therapy techniques,
and in group dynamics. I also act as a therapist in a process oriented venue
with residency cohorts in their second year of training. Meditation, hypnosis,
behavioral change, cultural awareness, communication and values based
interventions are the hallmarks of my practice, regardless of the venue in which
I am working. My work is an integration of Interpersonal, Physiological, and
Spiritual Techniques that are tailored to each person that I meet. As a
practicing Tibetan Buddhist, I educate clients from diverse spiritual pathways
in methods that will assist them in deepening their own spiritual practices,
from within their individual frameworks.
TRAINING
I received my Ph.D. from Washington State University in 2002, and I am licensed
to practice clinical psychology in California. My internship was in University
Counseling and Career Development at UCSD and my postdoctoral work was in the
primary care medical setting, where I designed wellness classes, and worked with
a wide variety of patients individually who were suffering from chronic and
acute physical and mental illnesses. For 9 years prior to my psychology
training, I was an educator at the American School in Japan at the middle school
and high school levels where I developed a keen interest in diversity and
experienced being a member of a minority culture. I was very fortunate to have
been accepted as a student of Lama Zopa Rinpoche there with a small number of
practitioners in 1992. I was also able to assist in the opening of a center
for the Foundation for the Preservation of the
Mahayana Tradition at his request
in Tokyo. Upon
relocating for my education, I connected with
Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, who also accepted me as his
student. Currently, I have begun formal ngondro training in the
lay practitioner Nyingma tradition with Lama Dawa
Chhodak Rinpoche. Buddhist philosophy and daily practice with the blessings
of my teachers allow me to
continually grow in understanding human nature and how to help others.
CLINICAL WORK
My areas of expertise include anxiety, depression, trauma, adjustment to
stressful changes in life, cross cultural and intergenerational communication,
struggles with relationships, conflict resolution and group dynamics, and
meditation. My primary framework for working with others is from an IPT or
Interpersonal Therapy perspective. Into this framework, I use psychological
techniques from Cognitive Behavioral, Acceptance Commitment Therapy,
Psychodynamic Therapy, Clinical Hypnosis, and Buddhism/Meditation to assist
clients to have better coping strategies in their daily lives. Each client
receives an individual assessment in which we, together, will determine how to
approach your concerns.
WORKSHOPS
My workshops integrate research based
psychological, and physiological education with meditation that is drawn largely
from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, often with a non-denominational focus.
(Please see Workshops for a list of these). I can speak to groups from 10
persons upward. For small groups, individual prices per person are used, while
large groups are charged at a flat
CONSULTATION
I am also available for individual
consultation with those in leadership roles who wish to discuss openly, with a
professional, workplace related concerns. Generally, such meetings consist of an
assessment with goal setting for optimal change (1-3 sessions) from which a
written proposal will be generated, discussed and revised
to meet your needs.