AMMONS PSYCHOLOGICAL
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BRUCE AMMONS, Ph.D.

AMMONS PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES, PLLC
​
MISSOULA, MT
​
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About My Practice

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  I employ a functional, wide-ranging, integrative approach, examining the here-and-now reality of the person's emotional, experiential, perceptual, physical, interpersonal, and intra-psychic worlds, co-creating helpful change with my patients in directions they mindfully choose.  We develop skills that maximize speed and depth of learning plus integration of change.

I work hard to have the knowledge and networking developed to, as best I can, see that medical problems are addressed by qualified skillful colleagues so that I can then help clients address psychological issues, as well as educate themselves about nutritional, exercise-related, and sleep-related problems and any problems due to over- or under-arousal of the central nervous system, teaching how to change these as effectively and efficiently as possible.  I have recently moved to the same location as a group of excellent naturopaths so that such medical care is quickly and efficiently available.  The clinic plans include adding some skilled functional allopaths as well.  Currently there is a great massage guy and soon an accupuncturist.

I strive to help people learn about themselves, especially how patterns of feelings, anxiety, and psychological defenses dramatically affect the quality of our lives.  These patterns have been unconscious, implicit (overpracticed old) procedural rules for dealing with feelings toward others' behaviors, basically "knee-jerk responses" out of our awareness and control, but they can be effectively changed when together we develop conscious awareness and learn to practice mindful choices to increase our tolerance for feelings and to reduce anxiety.  The latter is critical work,  as anxiety effectively shuts the brain down from the outside in ... so that as our fears and stress hormones increase we go from human competencies to ancient mammalian (think possum), or even reptilian (think "freeze") responses! If we want optimal functioning, we need a good grip on this...

 Along the way we end up addressing sleep (CNS inflammation/recovery), physical fitness, and nutrition information.  These are vital areas to optimize or no amount of psychotherapy will create truly great function.  High strain of any sort causes inflammation, memory issues, adverse effects on the cardiovascular system, discomfort, and constant mood/cognition problems.

Together, my patients and I co-create the kind of optimal health and function they have often long desired, empowering a better life for them and those around them.  When they engage in more skillful, conscious feeling and responding in the here-and-now, facing reality rather than denying it, this is real functional health that works directly.  It ripples out in their world and promotes greater health in others around them as well.


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Some Services I Provide

Anger Management
Assessment of Executive Functioning
Autogenic Training
Biofeedback
Body Psychotherapy
Breath work
Coaching re optimal exercise,  nutrition, and sleep
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Emotion-Focused Couples Therapy
Emotion Focused (ISTDP) Therapy
Existential Psychotherapy
Family Systems Therapy
Focusing
Existential Psychotherapy
Family Systems Psychotherapy
Focusing
Gestalt Psychotherapy
Dynamic Group Psychotherapy
Guided Therapeutic Imagery
Hakomi (Body-Centered) Therapy
"Identity" Affirmations:  what, how, effective use
Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP)
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
Mindfulness-Based Interventions
Motivational Interviewing and Enhancement
Neurofeedback
Object Relations Therapy
Person-Centered (Rogerian) Therapy
Positive Psychotherapy
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Relaxation Techniques
Schema Therapy
Self Psychology (Kohutian)
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
Systems Theory /Therapy
The Latest Scientific Info on nutrition, sleep, optimal exercise, and inflammation, best measurement devices and systems
Vipassana (Insight) Meditation training

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