Molly Bowdring, PhD

I am an Instructor in the Stanford University School of Medicine and a licensed clinical psychologist. I maintain a small private Telehealth practice, which is what you are reading about here! It can be difficult to reach out to a new therapist, whether it's your first time or you have a lot of prior therapy experience. Finding a therapist who you feel safe with, supported by, and connected to is incredibly important. Below I share a bit about why someone may consider trying therapy, my approach to working with people, and my professional background. My hope is that this will help you decide whether you want to reach out for a free consultation to learn more and discuss the possibility of working together. WHY TRY THERAPY? People come to therapy for a variety of reasons and therapy can look a lot of different ways. For some people, therapy means having someone to talk to about what's going on in their life. Others come in with a specific goal (or two, or three) and use therapy to provide structure in achieving that goal. Others aren't quite sure what therapy can do for them, but may have been encouraged by a friend to seek therapy or may just feel like some type of change is needed. All to say there are many valid reasons to pursue therapy. WHAT IS MY APPROACH TO THERAPY? I believe establishing a warm, trusting relationship is the foundation to therapy. I aim to do this from the start of our work through learning about you as a whole person – not only focusing on a specific behavior or diagnosis you may be coming in to work on. Learning about you in this way allows us to see the big picture and collaboratively identify if and how you want to grow in your behaviors, emotional experiences, relationships, and/or mindset. WHAT IS MY PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND? I am a licensed clinical psychologist, passionate about working with people on their mental health and well-being goals. I completed my undergraduate work at Virginia Tech, my doctorate in clinical and biological health psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, a pre-doctoral internship at VA Palo Alto, and a postdoctoral fellowship in Stanford University School of Medicine. Throughout my training I worked in crisis stabilization settings, inpatient units, residential treatment programs, outpatient clinics, and a county jail. After completing my post-doctoral fellowship, I stayed on at Stanford where I continue to provide therapy in an addiction medicine clinic and conduct research related to substance use and mental health. WHAT TREATMENTS DO I OFFER? I have experience helping people work through a range of concerns including, but not limited to: addiction, trauma, depression, anxiety, grief, and relationship issues. I integrate research-backed approaches, including: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, and Interpersonal Psychotherapy. HOW CAN YOU LEARN MORE ABOUT WORKING WITH ME? Please feel free to reach out to set up an initial consultation so that we can determine if we would be a good fit for working together!