About Dr. Burton Denmark
Training and Credentials
Psychologist (UT License #10762557-2501; CA License #PSY26676; PsyPact e-passport #8052)
Ph.D. and M.A. in Counseling Psychology (The University of Texas at Austin, APA-accredited program)
APA-accredited internship (Texas State University Counseling Center)
B.A. in Psychology (Stanford University)
Clinical experience, training, and research publications detailed on LinkedIn
My Approach to Therapy
My clinical approach is rooted in the complementary practices of mindfulness-based therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy. I frequently incorporate the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model pioneered by Dr. Richard Schwartz and my conceptualizations are informed by Dr. Daniel Siegel's research in the field of interpersonal neurobiology. This means that our work will be action-oriented, I will provide you with a variety of practices and tools to achieve freedom from unhelpful thought and behavior patterns, and I love to discuss the brain science behind why and how this approach to therapy works.
Additionally, my work is grounded within an interpersonal framework, which means that you can expect me to be open, active, engaged, authentic, and self-disclosing. Our therapy relationship will be about much more than warmth and supportive listening (although that will also be present.) I will challenge you, playfully, non-judgmentally, and very authentically. I will share my reactions with you openly and will invite you to do the same with me. Whether our therapeutic relationship is quite brief or longer-lasting, I will work to ensure that it is a collaborative partnership in service of your goals.
Location and Payment
Location
I meet with clients in person at 1433 South 1100 East, Salt Lake City, UT. I also provide teletherapy for clients in Utah or California, and participating PsyPact states.
Payment
Please contact me by phone or email to discuss my fees. I am not currently in-network with any insurance plans; this allows me to focus my time and energy on serving you. I accept payment at the time of service by credit card (including HSA/FSA cards), cash, or check.
If you have out-of-network coverage with your insurance plan, psychotherapy with me is typically reimbursable. As a service to clients I can submit directly to your insurance to save you the time and effort of doing so. I cannot guarantee that you will receive reimbursement or what the amount will be; please contact your plan administrator to inquire about out-of-network mental health coverage. If you are not insured or do not wish to submit to your insurance you will receive a Good Faith Estimate detailing the expected cost of treatment with me, in accordance with section 2799B-6 of the Public Health Service Act (“No Surprises Act.”) More information about this can be found in the footer of this website, along with the HIPAA-required Notice of Privacy Practices.
About Self-Compassionate Parenting
Since becoming a parent I have experienced firsthand how constant messages about how we “should” parent can make us feel as though we are never doing enough. And because parenting is such important work, for which we receive no real training, it is natural to compare ourselves to others as we seek to “do it right.” As a result we are frequently mired in judgments of ourselves or others. Instead of improving our parenting, these judgments and self-criticisms detract from our ability to be with our children in as present and joyful a way as possible.
This realization led to the development of the Self-Compassionate Parenting group. My goal is to help you learn to parent more mindfully, experience greater awareness and ease in your life, and raise joyful, self-compassionate children.
Self-compassionate parents = self-compassionate children
Research shows that children learn to treat themselves with either compassion or criticism based on how they see their parents treat themselves. In other words, even if you are kind and compassionate with your children, if they see you being critical of yourself, that is the behavior that they will model.
So if it’s hard to think of taking this kind of time for yourself and your own benefit (and I know just how precious every hour is as a parent!) then allow yourself to give this gift to your children. It will benefit them throughout their lives and give them the internal peace and resilience to cope with life’s inevitable challenges.
Want to know more about self-compassion?
Dr. Kristin Neff's website has links to her many publications and a scale for assessing your level of self-compassion
Dr. Christopher Germer's website also has excellent resources.