Dr. Christine E. Dickson

Dr. Christine E. Dickson Licensed Clinical Psychologist with 25+ years of experience. Recognized by Wikipedia as a 21st-Century American Psychologist.

Dual PhDs in Clinical and Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Expert in Mindfulness based CBT, [Lic # PSY20050] NPI 1275757163 Psychological Services Available throughout California

07/02/2026

PLEASE NOTE: Dr. Christine E. Dickson, PhD, is ONLY associated with trivalleypsychotherapy.com and christinedickson.com. Unaffiliated links are not authorized. Dr. Dickson is a licensed psychologist.(CA ).

29/01/2026

When I moved to downtown San Francisco in June of 2024, everyone thought I was crazy, but my decision was quite strategic. Immerse myself in a diverse and complex city, significantly downsize/sell/donate/throw away over half of my possessions, walk daily, take public transportation, share housing amnesties and indoor/outdoor space with others, impose restrictions on myself living by the rules of my building community, lean outside my comfort zone, feel the heartbeat of the city, create new opportunities, leave behind my childhood dream of living in a redwood forest. Visit christinedickson.com

I’m still learning, I’m still growing here in San Francisco, and I might never return to my old life in the redwood forest. Even though I live in a luxury high rise, wealthy people in my building are humbled by this city. You can’t be flashy or stand out in this city, or you risk being attacked / robbed. As a result, you are humble, more considerate of others, and more compassionate.

In San Francisco we are grateful for your opportunities because we know that luck is a big determining factor of our success. There is not a day that goes by that we take our good fortune for granted, which is why San Franciscans are more understanding of people who are unlucky and unfortunate.

24/01/2026

One of the most common cognitive distortions that I see in high-achieving people is filtering. Filtering is a thought distortion where we focus on the negative and filter out the positive. One small comment becomes everything. For example: A manager receives strong praise on a report. His boss also asks if next time it could be delivered sooner. Instead of hearing the praise, he fixates on the timing comment and spirals into: I’m lazy. I’m failing. I might get fired. That’s filtering — obsessing over the 10% that needs work and ignoring the 90% that went well. To learn more visit christinedickson.com

Why it matters: Filtering fuels shame, anxiety, and self-doubt. It turns feedback into a personal failure.

How to interrupt it: • Name it: “I’m filtering.” • Move your body to calm the nervous system • Redirect attention to what’s working • Practice gratitude to widen perspective

Life is rarely all good or all bad. Learning to spot filtering helps you see reality more clearly and treat yourself more compassionately.

11/01/2026

He told me he was worthless and should die --but on paper, he was everything the world considered “successful.” A great career. A loving family. Friends who admired him. Yet shame convinced him-- he should die. -> Visit christinedickson.com for more information.

This is the quiet cruelty of suicidal thoughts. They don’t always look like despair from the outside. Often, people who commit su***de appear outwardly calm, capable and successful.

As a licensed clinical psychologist, I’ve seen how shame and unworthiness distort reality until a person no longer feels they have the right to live. Evidence based therapy helps challenge those lies. Healing begins when the pain is met with compassion and understanding instead of judgment.

Remember it's NOT you that needs to die, it's the lies that shame is telling you.

If you or someone you love feels like there’s no way out except death, please call or text 988 for immediate support.

I am also here to help. Dr. Christine E. Dickson, PhD (CA PSY20050) Licensed Clinical Psychologist. Please visit christinedickson.com/contact for more information or to schedule an appointment.

31/12/2025

“Handle it yourself” was the rule in their family. Needing help was discouraged. Independence was praised. Emotional reliance was seen as weakness. Children raised with this rule learn early on that safety comes from self-constraint, not connection.

Over time, they become highly capable and self-sufficient. But when emotions become overwhelming, these children are unable to ask for help. Emotions are managed alone—or turned inward. ➡️ Visit christinedickson.com for more information.

Adults shaped by this family rule often appear resilient and competent. They rarely ask for support. They downplay distress. They believe they should be able to “figure it out” on their own.

But our nervous systems are not designed for isolation during periods of distress. When distress has no outlet, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts or self-injury can emerge.

If someone you love insists they’re fine and never needs help, don’t assume strength equals wellbeing. Gently remind them they don’t have to do everything alone.

If you were taught that needing others was a liability, your pain is real. Interdependence is not failure. Reaching out is not weakness. Connection saves lives.

If you or someone you love feels like there is no way out except death, please call or text 988 for immediate support.

I am also here to help.
Dr. Christine E. Dickson, PhD (CA PSY20050)
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Visit christinedickson.com/contact for more information or to schedule an appointment.

23/12/2025

“Your worth comes from what you achieve” was the rule in their family. Love and approval were conditional. Children in these systems learn quickly that failure risks rejection. Over time, achievement becomes a way to survive. They perform, excel, and push past exhaustion because slowing down feels dangerous. And when they can no longer keep up, feelings of shame and unworthiness take over. ➡️ Visit christinedickson.com for more information.

People raised with this rule often look accomplished and capable.
But internally, they may feel empty, terrified of failure, and unsure of who they are without constant productivity.

When worth is tied to performance, suicidal thoughts and self-injury emerge when the internal message becomes: If I can’t succeed, I don’t deserve to life.

If someone you love is constantly driven, never satisfied, or devastated by mistakes, don’t assume it’s just ambition.
Ask how they are really doing.

If you learned that love had to be earned, your life has value beyond productivity.
You matter even when you stop to rest.
You matter even when you struggle.
You matter simply because you are here.

If you or someone you love feels like there is no way out except death, please call or text 988 for immediate support.

I am also here to help.
Dr. Christine E. Dickson, PhD (CA PSY20050)
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Visit christinedickson.com/contact for more information or to schedule an appointment.

16/12/2025

“Don’t talk about it” was the rule in their family. Pain stayed unspoken. Conflict was avoided. Emotions were handled privately or not at all. Children in these systems learn early that silence keeps the peace, while honesty risks rejection. Over time, feelings that cannot be spoken don’t disappear. They turn inward. Shame grows. Isolation worsens. And suffering becomes something you manage alone. Suicidal thoughts and self injurious behavior can emerge from this painful family rule. ➡️ Visit christinedickson.com for more information.

People raised with this rule often appear calm, self-contained, and “low drama.” But beneath the surface, they may feel profoundly alone with thoughts they’ve never been allowed to express.

If someone you love avoids emotional conversations or shuts down when things get difficult, don’t assume they’re okay.
Ask gently how they are really doing. Stay present when they speak without trying to fix.

If you grew up believing silence was safety, your pain is real.
Speaking doesn’t create harm, it should create connection.
Breaking the silence can be lifesaving.

If you or someone you love feels like there is no way out except death, please call or text 988 for immediate support.

I am also here to help.
Dr. Christine E. Dickson, PhD (CA PSY20050)
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Visit christinedickson.com/contact for more information or to schedule an appointment.

09/12/2025

“Be strong” was the rule they learned long before they understood the cost. In many families, strength is praised while vulnerability is quietly punished. Crying is “dramatic.” Fear is “weakness.” Asking for help is “burdening others.” ➡️ Visit christinedickson.com for more information.

Children raised with this rule become adults who hold everything together such as careers, relationships, crises while internally collapsing. They collapse alone because they were taught that needing support is a failure.

People who learn to “be strong” often carry a private, unbearable weight. They look capable, competent, composed. But inside, they may feel trapped, exhausted, and invisible.

And when the pressure becomes overwhelming, the forbidden emotion has nowhere to go but inward. They tend to engage in self-criticism, isolation and sometimes self-harm or even suicidal thoughts.

If someone you love seems endlessly strong, please look closer. Ask how they are really doing. Ask how they feel when no one is watching.

If you were raised to equate strength with silence, your pain is still real. You don’t have to hold everything in. Reaching out is strength. Letting yourself be seen is strength. Choosing life is strength.

If you or someone you love feels like there is no safe way out except death, please call or text 988 for immediate support.

I am also here to help. Dr. Christine E. Dickson, PhD (CA PSY20050) Licensed Clinical Psychologist. Visit to learn more or schedule an appointment.
Please visit christinedickson.com/contact for more information or to schedule an appointment.

30/11/2025

“Don’t make things difficult” was the rule they grew up with. Many people who live with suicidal thoughts learn this rule early in life. In many families, this message is subtle but powerful: don’t upset anyone, don’t ask for too much, don’t create waves. Over time, children who absorb this rule learn to minimize their needs, minimize their pain, and make themselves small. ➡️ Visit christinedickson.com for more information.

And when pain becomes overwhelming, they often turn it inward. They blame themselves, punish themselves, harm themselves because expressing hurt outwardly feels forbidden.

People who internalize this rule become experts at being “easy,” “low-maintenance,” and “no trouble at all.” But inside, they’re carrying burdens far too heavy to keep silent.

Silencing your needs doesn’t protect anyone. It isolates you.
And the fear of being “a problem” can make it feel impossible to ask for help even when you’re drowning inside.

If someone you love rarely complains, asks for support, or rarely expresses frustration… please check in on them. Ask what they’re holding back so they don’t have to carry it alone.

If you are struggling, your pain is real. Your needs matter.
Reaching out isn’t “being difficult.” It’s reclaiming your right to express yourself.

If you or someone you love feels like there’s no way out except death, please call or text 988 for immediate support.

I am also here to help.
Dr. Christine E. Dickson, PhD (CA PSY20050)
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Please visit christinedickson.com/contact for more information or to schedule an appointment.

11/11/2025

"Keeping up appearances was the unspoken law in their family." Many people who live with suicidal thoughts learn this rule early in life. You smile when you’re breaking inside. You achieve, you perform, you stay productive because vulnerability feels unsafe. You become so skilled at hiding pain that even those closest to you can’t see it. -> Visit christinedickson.com for more information

Behind the appearance of control is often unbearable loneliness. The pressure to look “fine” can make reaching out feel like failure. When in truth, it’s an act of courage.

If someone you love seems strong and “put together,” don’t assume they’re okay. Ask how they really are. Listen without fixing, judging, or offering quick answers.

If you are struggling, your pain is real, and help is possible. Reaching out doesn’t break the family code; it rewrites it.

If you or someone you love feels like there’s no way out except death, please call or text 988 for immediate support.
I am also here to help. Dr. Christine E. Dickson, PhD (CA PSY20050) Licensed Clinical Psychologist. Please visit christinedickson.com/contact for more information or to schedule an appointment.

30/10/2025

She cut her stomach with a razor every night, even though she was a popular straight-A student. No one suspected that this quiet perfectionist was in pain. On the outside, she seemed to have everything together: grades, friends, an amazing future. But on the inside, her emotions felt unbearable. Self-injury wasn’t about wanting to die; it was about trying to survive feelings she couldn’t manage or express. -> Visit christinedickson.com for more information

As a licensed clinical psychologist, I’ve learned that self-injury is rarely about seeking attention or wanting to die; it’s about release. It’s a way to cope with unbearable emotions. It momentarily numbs the pain or gives a sense of control when life feels overwhelming. But the relief never lasts. What heals is not punishment or willpower; it’s validation, understanding, and developing new skills to regulate emotions and tolerate distress.

If someone you care about is self-injuring, don’t shame them or panic. Stay calm. Ask how they’re feeling, not why they’re doing it. Help them feel heard, not judged. Healing starts with connection, not correction. Please visit christinedickson.com/contact for more information or to schedule an appointment.

25/10/2025

I’ve walked beside clients with suicidal thoughts and self injurious behavior for over 20 years. It’s been one of the most meaningful parts of my work as a licensed clinical psychologist. —> Visit christinedickson.com for more information.

Self-injury and suicidal thoughts are rarely about wanting to die. They are about wanting the pain to stop. When we meet that pain with compassion, validation, and evidence-based care, healing becomes possible.

Recovery doesn’t mean becoming “happy.” It means learning one skill at a time to tolerate distress, to find more effective ways to release the pain, and to reconnect with life. This is the essence of what I call The Radical Reset.

After more than 20 years as licensed psychologist, I’ve learned that hope is the most powerful medicine we have. People don’t heal because they’re “fixed.” They heal because they are finally validated, supported, and taught how to approach their pain differently.

If you or someone you love is struggling with self-injury or suicidal thoughts, please call or text 988. Help is available 24 hours / 7 days a week.

You can also reach out to me for an appointment by visiting: https://christinedickson.com/contact/

***deprevention








Address

Middlesex
New

Opening Hours

Tuesday 09:00 - 21:30
Wednesday 09:00 - 21:30
Thursday 13:30 - 21:30
Friday 15:30 - 18:00

Telephone

+19255231397

Website

http://trivalleypsychotherapy.com/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_E._Dickson

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