Insight Psychology

Dr. Melanie harrington

I take a creative approach to insight psychology, combining my doctoral education and training with a broad range of work and life experience. I have worked applying psychology to legal cases, elder support, business leadership, and in insight work with men who were incarcerated. In all of these areas, I've found that unconscious defenses and blind spots lie at the core of social, emotional and behavioral troubles.

In my recent work at a California prison, I initiated work with “Lifers”, using insight therapy to help them see the links between their unconscious emotional reactions and the crimes that led them to prison. Many of my clients took on the work of confronting old, painful memories. Being part of their process of redemption and growth was a peak experience, and I came away with a deeper understanding of the complexity and resilience of human psychology.

Early in my training many years ago, I was mentored by Dr. P. Chatham, a psychodynamic psychologist. Dr Chatham showed me the value and power of making the unconscious conscious. I have applied the principles of psychological analysis in many areas of life, and this practice has greatly sharpened my listening skills. The other half of what an insight psychologist must do is to confront a client’s defenses and use skill in providing accurate, well-timed feedback. I have found these basic practices effective in helping to clarify and overcome obstacles in all of my workplaces, from selecting the best jurors in a $700m trial to managing 100 employees in a nursing home. Importantly, I have also found them deeply transformational for my clients, from corporate executives to meaning seekers to prison inmates seeking freedom and peace.