Born and raised in the Santa Monica area, Dr. Strang knows first hand the unique issues that are faced by those coming of age within this complex social environment. He continues to live in Santa Monica where he and his wife are raising their two boys.
Having discovered a passion for philosophy while an undergrad, he soon turned to the field of psychology once he learned how it added scientific method and practical application to his beloved systems of thought and meaning. Today, as a psychologist, he remains fascinated by the world of Existential Philosophy and endeavors to integrate these ideas into his clinical practice.
Dr. Strang has a long history of delivering mental health services that stretches back to his work in the late 80’s and early 90’s when he provided counseling to runaways in the Hollywood area. Their histories of abuse, and efforts to quell their pain with drugs, prompted Dr. Strang to obtain training in the treatment of trauma and drug abuse. The natural progression into a position as a substance abuse specialist led to further training, research, and a desire for higher education. Working at Children’s Hospital while attending graduate school, Dr. Strang became increasingly interested in how the interaction of biology, environment, and experience influence an individual's development.
Biography
Early on in his work, Dr. Strang found that addressing maladaptive thinking and ineffective behavior was often insufficient to bring about lasting change. Searching for more effective methods, he found that comprehending the meaning of a symptom could allow a deeper transformation to occur. This brought him to an appreciation of psychoanalytic approaches, which he sought to integrate with the cognitive and behavioral methods in which he had already been trained. His thinking in this area culminated in his dissertation, which investigated Metaphoric Communication as a method for giving meaning to a symptom and making it possible to modify the associated behavior. Understanding that our earliest efforts at finding meaning are heavily influenced by our parents, his studies grew to encompass the role of early interactions in the development of personality.
Over the past three decades, Dr. Strang has helped scores of people meet the challenges of adjusting to our complex world. Along the way, he developed diagnostic skills and techniques for sorting out the factors responsible for his patient's difficulties.
Dr. Strang's work in residential treatment was especially rewarding as it has allowed him to provide relief to patients with severe levels of psychological pain and suffering. His experience there honed his skills in connecting with those who have suffered severe trauma. The ability to work intensively (4 to 5 psychotherapy sessions per week) was very gratifying to Dr. Strang and drove home the importance of intensive treatment in bringing about rapid and lasting change.
Dr. Strang continues learn through his work at local IOP/PHP programs where he provides outpatient intensive treatment that is scaled to his patient's individual needs.
As always, Dr. Strang continues to learn and grow through being a parent and a husband.