Cole Moore,  LMSW

As a clinician with a doctoral degree in philosophy, I am deeply interested in how we make sense of ourselves and engage with the world around us. During my doctoral work, my research focused on the ways that social norms and expectations can be limiting, subtly shaping the person we become and what we feel we can achieve. My clinical work as a psychotherapist has echoed this strongly: many people feel constrained in subtle ways, stuck in patterns of thinking and feeling that feel familiar, but cause them pain. I believe that psychotherapy can be a corrective to that, having a profound impact on patients’ abilities to live full, agentic lives.

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I work to understand who my patients are at a deep level, unpacking the constellation of relationships, thoughts, values, and emotions that form who they are most fundamentally. By exploring the deeply held but often unacknowledged beliefs and emotions, old, self-defeating patterns can be dissolved and a life that feels rewarding can emerge. By paying close attention, not only to what is going wrong but also to what is going right, we uncover the ways you can build a life that feels authentic, fulfilling, and yours.

 

I know that psychotherapy looks and feels different for everyone. Therapy should fit the needs of the patient and can look very different from person to person. For that reason, I have trained widely in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), and psychodynamic psychotherapy. My work is informed by my academic background in philosophy as well, where I examined the role of shame as an obstacle to change and existentialist approaches to understanding the self and interpersonal relationships. Integrating evidence-based psychotherapeutic treatments with a rigorous philosophical study of how we become who we are provides a framework for therapy where we can focus on how you are feeling today without losing sight of your broader goals, what you want your life to look like, and who you want to be.

 

In addition to my work with individual adults, I am enthusiastic about working with couples, as well as children and teens. Therapy becomes iteratively more complex the more people are involved and so couples therapy is always highly individualized to the needs of the patients in front of me. Working with couples to achieve greater intimacy, come together again after a rupture or after changes to a relationship structure, and helping couples navigate maternity and parenthood is extremely fulfilling.

 

I similarly enjoy helping children work through difficult emotions and develop the ability to regulate their emotions through play therapy. Child therapy is an excellent way for kids who are struggling in school or at home, academically or socially, to build confidence and understand how to get what they want without having to fight for it. Therapy with teens provides exciting opportunity to make a real difference in the life of someone struggling to find themselves and their place in the world. Parents can forget how difficult middle and high school was and college has changed in ways that make the concerns of their college-aged kids feel alien. For that reason, therapy is often a great way for adolescents to get the support they need from someone who understands what they are going for without feeling monitored or like they have to be careful about what they say. As a college professor, I know just how stressful school, and getting into school, can be; as a clinician, I know that having a skilled therapist to speak to can make all the difference.