Q:  Please provide some biographical information about yourself:

A:  Curtis Buzanski, LMFT, LAADC

Q:  What type of license/s do you hold?

A:  “I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) as well as a Licensed Advanced Alcohol & Drug Counselor (LAADC).” 

Q:  How long have you been licensed?

A:  “I have been licensed since September 2013 as an LMFT and since March 2011 as a LAADC.”

Q:  Where do you work? 

A:  “I have my own private practice in Fair Oaks, CA.”

Q:  What population/s do you work with?

A:  “The majority of my case load consists of males and females struggling with substance abuse and other mental health issues. I work with all ages but my specialty is teens, young adults, and their families.”

Q:  What type of therapy do you utilize in your mental health work?

A:  “I call my approach a purpose driven integrated approach. I view individuals as unique with unique needs so I tailor my approach to fit their needs. So I am eclectic in what theories I draw on but my reasons for drawing on them are purposeful and with meaning. I am strongly influenced by the study of Interpersonal Neurobiology so I am constantly weaving that into my work. If I had to describe my therapy as a painting I would say the specific techniques and approaches I use help to construct the painting, while Interpersonal Neurobiology is my lens and the inspiration behind what I am trying to construct.”

Q:  Which, if any, certification/s or specialization/s do you have?

A:  “In addition to my LAADC which I have already mentioned I am also trained in EMDR which I use extensively with my clients.”

Q:  Is there any other information about yourself that you’d like to provide?

A:  “Well that is quite a broad question but there are aspects of my life that I cannot separate from being a therapist, in fact they have influenced my decision to do the work I do. I am a recovering addict myself, 18 years sober in September 2014, and the psychologist who helped get me sober, Dr. Mark Falls, was instrumental in urging me to pursue this field. It was a long road but I tried to adhere to three main principles: Do what I love, try to be the best at it, and treat people with kindness. Following my heart with the support of my wife and family helped me reach a place in my life where I know for certain I am supposed to be.”

Q:  How do you feel about personal therapy being optional for psychotherapists?

A:  “I feel personal therapy should be mandatory for psychotherapists, much like it is for psychologists. We are all drawn to this field for a reason, sometimes that reason is known and sometimes not. Either way if we as therapists have not worked through our struggles and cannot take ourselves to certain places we will inevitably be confronted with that in session or not be able to take our clients to those places. Whether that be an untreated mood disorder, trauma, or co-dependency. I feel as therapists we are expecting our clients to trust us and the therapeutic process and we should as well.”

Q:  Which skills do you think are most important for a pre-licensed therapist to focus on developing?

A:  “First and foremost I think self-care is essential. It is such a non-stop race to achieve an MFT and then all the hours while juggling a family and social life that all too often self-care gets neglected. Learning to balance nutrition, exercise, rest, assertiveness, meditation, mindfulness, and whatever religious/ spiritual beliefs one has with the demands of the field crucial to being a present and effective therapist. The other skills I think are beneficial is practicing attuning to the client. Attunement is deeper than reflection and active listening and is at the foundation of attachment work. Dan Siegel, Alan Schore, Jon Daily all speak about attunement and it is easy to want to jump to the solution too quickly, often leaving our clients feeling misunderstood or invalidated.”

Q:  Which mental health-related books have been your favorites or influenced you the most?

A:  “Wow, I could go on and on but the top have been Dan Sigel’s “The Developing Mind.” That book can be read 10 times and not get old.  David Wallin’s book “Attachment in Psychotherapy” is easily one of my favorites. Jon Daily’s “Adolescent and Young Adult Addiction: the Pathological Relationship to Intoxication and the Interpersonal Neurobiology Underpinnings” is a must read for anyone who works with or is related to someone with substance abuse. Pat Ogden’s “Trauma and the Body” is also a fantastic read and has influenced me in helping understand how so much of trauma work is somatic. As of recent what I am excited reading about is Steven Porges “Polyvagal Theory.” The more I read the more I understand there is just no separating the psyche from the brain and the body. They are all one and must be viewed that way. Porges Polyvagal Theory is a must read for all mental health providers!”

Q:  What has been the most challenging part of your career?

A:  “I have been blessed in the sense that I truly feel I was meant to do this work so when I finally got in the field things fell into place. I was blessed with fantastic supervision and a solid caseload so many of the issues other interns struggle with I did not have to worry about so much. I think the most challenging part of my career was the licensure process. After the long road to gaining my hours I waited 6 months for the BBS to approve my eligibility to take the first exam, and that is nothing compared to what I have heard as of recent. The waiting and the study prep that went into getting my license was quite stressful.”

Q:  What have you found to be the most fulfilling and meaningful aspects of your career?

A:  “I am honored with the privilege to hear some people’s deepest secrets. Secrets that they have carried shame and guilt over for years. They trust me to truly see them and honor them and I get pure enjoyment and fulfillment from people getting well. I get to experience being a part of not just helping individuals heal but the systems around them as well. I get excited about holistic, long lasting, and widespread healing.” 

Q:  Did you have a mentor or a particular person that influenced your growth as a therapist? 

A:  “My first mentor was Dr. Mark Falls in Santa Rosa. He played a fundamental part in my recovery as well as me pursuing this field. He holds a special place in my heart and is forever a part of my history. My second major mentor was Jon Daily, LCSW, CADCII in Fair Oaks. I whole heartedly believe I would not be where I am I half the therapist I am without his support and guidance. That man changed my life in so many aspects.”

Q:  If so, what did you learn from that person and how did he or she contribute to your  development as a mental health professional?

A:  “They both influenced me differently but I would have to say as a therapist Jon Daily influenced me more. He introduced me to the field of Interpersonal Neurobiology, which has helped shape how I help people. He taught me the ins and outs of private practice, and he constantly pushed me to grow and keep learning. He set the standard for me as a man who not only strives to provide the best care to clients but also to be a resource to the community and those I collaborate with.”

Q:  How did you go about creating your own therapeutic style?

A:  “Well much of what influenced me was my own experience. I knew I wanted to work with addicts so that was a given. I also knew however that I could not separate addiction from mental health so I knew I had to get my MFT. Once I started working with clients I couldn’t ignore the prevalence of trauma woven into pathology so I sought out to get trained in EMDR. I also knew that to create long lasting changes I needed to work with the whole system. As I began practicing I also couldn’t ignore the fact that individuals are unique and expecting clients to fit to my approach rather than fitting my approach to my clients was not realistic. My work with teens in foster care taught me a valuable lesson very early that also influenced my style; be genuine. No matter what I have to be present and genuine. I think clients appreciate that, certainly teens do.”

Q:  What do you know now that wish you knew before you became a licensed therapist?

A:  “How long of a journey it is to licensure.”

Q:  What advice would you give to a pre-licensed therapist?

A:  “Stay in the moment, practice self-care, get your own therapy, and never stop chasing the information. Do what you love, try to be the best at it, and treat people with kindness.”

Interview by: Sterling Evison, LMFT

SVC-CAMFT Pre-Licensed Co-Chair