Burd Psychotherapy and Education

05/26/2026

From MiraCosta College to : Two paths.

It was an absolute pleasure to sit with my faculty friends and cheer for this year’s graduates 🎓 from MiraCosta. While I can’t publicly share the unique stories of those I’ve gotten to know in the mental health counseling room, here’s a lovely convergence…

Both Anna and Diego are off to UC Berkeley - perhaps they will reunite on the mock trial team - but they have taken different paths to get here.

Diego is a Navy veteran, has served as our ASG President, and is the star of the “Space for Everyone” video. Anna .not.anna is fast tracking college, graduating with her associates from MCC the same time as she graduates high school through concurrent enrollment.

Hot tip for parents of college bound teens: look into concurrent enrollment at MiraCosta. I’ve had my eye on dual enrollment, IB, AP, and I think concurrent is the way to go! I just heard of another MCC/HS concurrent alum who is about to finish UCLA in two years and already has a job at Google. So impressive!

These two are ones to watch!

Other images: some of the counseling faculty that help our students make it to their goals; Anna’s proud mom and longtime MiraCosta faculty, Krista, with me and incoming academic senate vice president, Afifa Zaman; and AI & CS instructor Rick White.

04/27/2026

Yesterday we celebrated the launch of my friend ’s first novel. It’s a thriller featuring a postpartum mother bent on solving what happened to the woman who vanished from her home before her.

I had the honor of previewing an advanced (electronic) copy - yes that’s my quote at the beginning of the book!

At a lovely reception hosted by her family at .af, her cute youngest helped me buy a physical copy.

As I shared in the testimonial, although I’m a therapist, I much prefer fiction to learn about the world. Grab a copy of “In Her Own Backyard” wherever you buy books.

04/09/2026

04/07/2026

In recognition of Autism Awareness Month, I joined student club leaders, , and insta famous student to talk about supporting neurodiversity in campus.

Edwina led expressive art around unmasking and we chatted with a dozen invested students about fostering inclusive and supportive shared spaces.

What if awareness of neurodiversity is more than acceptance of “others”? What happens when it’s awareness that many, if not most, of us have some element of neurodiversity - and that it is a good thing?

Just as we want biodiversity on our planet, we want in our schools, communities and companies. We develop a much richer group by tapping into all our different strengths.

What if Autism, ADHD and other forms of neurodiversity are actually the evolution of our species to more fully adapt to a post-modern world?

As a therapist, I was first trained to help Autistic folks to mask behaviors like stimming and mimic mainstream eye contact and speech. And I’m sorry.

While there is a power in being able to perform a role when we want to, there is a greater capacity when we live authentically, unmasked.

Therapy with a neurodiversity affirming psychotherapist can help you cope with the trauma of being forced to fit a square peg in a round hole. And therapists and social workers can help communities develop practices that are truly inclusive.

Universal design is a principle that teaches us that when we design a class or system to be inclusive of the accommodations for disabilities and learning differences, then we elevate the experience for all.

02/21/2026

🧠What’s the difference between EMDR and Brainspotting?🪄

Here is an extract taken from Taproot Therapy - talking about when David Grand Discovered Brainspotting through the use of EMDR.

‘During that session, Grand was using EMDR’s bilateral eye movements, slowly waving two fingers back and forth as the skater tracked them while focusing on the performance block. Then something shifted. As Grand moved his fingers to a particular position in her visual field, he noticed an involuntary wobble in one eye, a reflexive response he had observed countless times during EMDR sessions but never understood. Usually, he would continue the bilateral movement pattern, following the EMDR protocol. This time, acting on pure intuition, he did something different. He stopped moving his hand and held his fingers in that exact position where the eye wobble occurred.

“Keep looking right here,” he told her.

What happened next changed both their lives and ultimately the field of trauma treatment. As she maintained her gaze on that fixed point, processing accelerated dramatically. Material emerged that hadn’t surfaced during months of bilateral EMDR. Memories, emotions, physical sensations, and insights cascaded through her awareness with unprecedented intensity. The session produced breakthrough after breakthrough, layer after layer of the trauma and psychological material underlying her performance block releasing in ways Grand had never witnessed.’

To find out more or explore training opportunities in Brainspotting or receiving Brainspotting therapy for yourself, visit Brainspotting Training Uk - Transform Your Therapeutic practice!🌀🌿

📧 info@bspuk.co.uk

🌐 bspuk.co.uk

02/14/2026

Tools of the trade.
Sometimes we jump around depending on what’s going to be most helpful in the moment and towards our overall goals.

In this picture:
1️⃣ QR code to bilateral music and pointer
= Tools for Brainspotting
➡️ Relase trauma and regulate your nervous system, improving vagal tone.

2️⃣ Journal and pen
= Clinical Hypnosis
➡️ My way of taking notes for your own individual hypnosis session, strategically delivering the metaphors and messages you most need to hear.

3️⃣ The Postpartum Depression Workbook
= CBT skills and more
➡️ When we need quick tools like the ABC’s to break the anxiety/ avoidance cycle get out of perfectionism and more.

02/02/2026

Rest in peace, mother icon.

“If airplane safety videos have taught me anything, David, it’s that a mother puts her own mask on first.” Godspeed Catherine O’Hara.

01/17/2026

“Out of head, onto paper.”

Do you journal?
📝 Writing things down is one of the best ways to stop anxiety.
📓 Try doing a “brain dump” of all the things bouncing around in your head before you go to bed.
📔 Getting things onto paper, is a great way to gain perspective, figure out what’s timely/important and what isn’t, and realize you will be fine.
✍️ Writing regularly is a great habit after graduating from therapy, between therapists, or when you only occasionally need to unload.

Want more in depth guidance on how writing, narrative therapy and IPT timelines can be helpful for you, specifically? Text me at 619-289-7818 to schedule a free 15 minute consult.

01/15/2026

Let’s talk about the gut and mental health…

1. Of course we often feel better when we eat better, but did you know how closely intertwined our gut and emotional health really are?

2. The vagus nerve plays a huge role here. It is a two-way communication highway between the brain and the gut. Stress, trauma, and chronic anxiety can disrupt this signaling, which can show up as nausea, IBS symptoms, appetite changes, or that constant on edge feeling in the body.

3. Medications can also reflect this connection. Some antidepressants, like Effexor, can improve appetite for certain people. Others, including some SSRIs, are sometimes prescribed because they can help improve IBS symptoms by calming the gut brain loop.

4. Probiotics and nourishing foods matter. A diverse gut microbiome has been linked to improved mood and reduced inflammation. Foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, fiber rich vegetables, and whole foods can support gut health, which in turn may support emotional regulation.

5. Ayurvedic eating takes a whole person approach. It emphasizes warm, easily digestible foods, regular meal timing, and eating in ways that support your unique constitution. For many people, this can reduce digestive stress and help the nervous system feel more settled.

Mental health is not just in the mind. It lives in the body too. When we support one, we often support the other.

01/08/2026

Teaching su***de prevention has been rewarding throughout my career. What is better than saving lives? Just like learning first aid and CPR, anyone can be a bridge to safety for someone struggling.

I’ve been especially grateful for my partnership with the San Diego County Su***de Prevention Council by Community Health Improvement Partners, the QPR Institute and County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency .

I’m starting off 2026 recertified as a trainer and renewed in my commitment to prevent su***de and its devastating consequences. Our vision is zero su***des.

If you would like to have a free training for our San Diego County organization, let me know.

If you would like to talk to someone NOW (24/7) and are in SD County, call 888-724-7240. Throughout the US, call or text 988.

01/03/2026

New Year’s resolutions have never made sense to me. For one, this time of year is more suited to hibernation than reinvention.

For me, I believe in personal development on our own timing. This could be something you do every day a tiny bit. Trying to make some kind of life change just for January and then giving up isn’t going to make you feel any better.

So if you’re feeling like resting, honor that and know that this is a good time to just be and metabolize all the growth you’ve been doing all year.

On the other hand if you’re feeling like this is a great time to look forward to the year to come and set intentions, therapy is a great place for that as well!

Back in the office today… Text my business number if you’d like to set up a free 15 minute consultation call. 619-289-7818. Open for California residents on Saturdays.