Moving Forward.
My Background
Eric Pierson, PsyD
PSY 32151
My journey as a Clinical Psychologist started with a B.A. in Psychology from Williams College, in Williamstown, MA. After that, I spent 10 years in the financial services field, primarily as a financial advisor. People invited me into their homes, and asked for my help in planning their futures, which gave me exposure, which gradually awake a desire to go deeper into helping people with their problems. This led me to Sofia University, where I earned my PsyD in Clinical Psychology.
My Approach
My Clinical approach borrows from the skills that I learned in previous careers, combining elements of Gestalt Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and cognitive therapies, like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT).
Throughout this journey, I have also spent 30+ years training in the martial arts. Among the arts that I have studied, I’ve spent 20+ years training in the Taoist internal Martial arts of tai ji quan and ba gua zhang, and I’ve earned a black belt in Togakure ryu ninjutsu.
I spent my doctoral studies integrating these different skills, which has led to a broader understanding of human interaction and relationships. Martial arts has taught me how to de-escalate and avoid conflict, and sales taught me how to communicate and negotiate, especially in difficult situations. Combined with a deeper understand of Clinical Psychology, I’ve come to appreciate the role and benefit of building relationships, and of communicating our needs and wants in an effective way. In the end, we don’t always got what we want. Mare skills not only improves the likelihood that we will get what we want, it also helps us be okay when we don’t.