Center for Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
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(773)-654-3322
Insight-oriented psychotherapy for Andersonville and Greater Chicago
Douglas Medgyesi, Psy.D.
John C. Knapp, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
John received his doctorate in clinical psychology with an emphasis in depth psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Carpinteria, California. Prior to his doctoral research, he taught high school courses on Ethics, Social Justice, World Religions, and Holocaust Studies in his hometown of Fort Pierce, Florida. He worked as a clinician in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for 6 years in residential, partial hospitalization, and private practice settings before moving to Illinois in 2015. While in Pittsburgh, he developed a specialty in child's play therapy and adolescent psychology alongside psychoanalytic treatment of adults and couples. He is the founder of the Center for Psychodynamic Psychotherapy.
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Publications and Research:
John is the co-editor of the book, Psychology as the Discipline of Interiority: 'The Psychological Difference' in the work of Wolfgang Giegerich. He has lectured internationally and is published on topics related to psychology and the Holocaust. He has a particular interest in psychodynamic post-Jungian therapy and analysis, i.e., the works of James Hillman and Wolfgang Giegerich, as well as a thoughtful and comprehensive approach to exploring one's dream life. Clinically, John practices as a psychoanalytic relational therapist. Outside of his role as therapist, he enjoys tennis, fishing, songwriting, and playing his guitar.
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Contact: info@psychodynamicchicago.com
Jonathan Alvin, Ph.D.
Psychology Resident
Jonathan Alvin (he/him/his) graduated with a Ph.D. in clinical psychology with an emphasis in depth psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Carpinteria, California. As a clinician, Jonathan has worked in outpatient treatment with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families. In his work, he emphasizes the therapeutic alliance while he conceptualizes cases through psychoanalytic and psychodynamic formulation.
Before his clinical training in psychology, he worked for 15 years as a music producer and touring sound engineer; he also holds a fine arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he studied conceptual and interdisciplinary approaches to art (including painting, printmaking, and sound) and visual critical studies (with completion of a thesis project on Jung’s Mandalas of The Red Book). In his time away from work, he writes music and spends time with his family.
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Research:
Jonathan researched the social psychological implications of doomsday scenarios and survivalist mentalities in 20th and 21st century America for his dissertation.
Alvin, J. (2022). Doomsday Food: A Cultural Historical and Hermeneutic Analysis. [Pacifica Graduate Institute]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database.
Alvin, J. (2021). Apocalypse Imminent: A Depth Psychological Analysis of Human Responses to Fear of Catastrophe and Extinction. Oral presentation at the International Association of Jungian Scholarship, Duquesne University, Pennsylvania, United States.
Contact: alvin.jonathan.phd@gmail.com
Douglas Medgyesi, Psy.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Doug received his doctorate in clinical psychology with an emphasis in depth psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Carpinteria, California. He has experience working with individuals who have experienced trauma, chronic mental illness, and other life challenges that can interfere with the ability to live authentically. Before returning to his hometown of Chicago, Doug completed a pre-doctoral internship training at the University of Arkansas where he used depth psychological approaches when working with young adults. His training included using dreams, imagination, and other creative psychodynamic modalities to explore unknown and unconscious factors contributing to emotional pain. His training background also emphasized advocacy for neurodiversity-affirming identity and includes work with children and adolescents with learning differences, unique neurology, developmental delays, and severe trauma.
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Doug was inspired to become a clinical psychologist after working for close to a decade as a hospice chaplain. Through his work with families and individuals who were experiencing grief and bereavement, he developed a curiosity and reverence for healing within interpersonal relationships that valued presence over fixing and doing. His career as a chaplain also gave him insight into the psychological and emotional impact of religious trauma and the role suffering plays in both spirituality and creativity.
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Research:
Doug's doctoral dissertation research investigated how numinous and extraordinary experiences hold the potential to transform how we understand self, others, and the world. Using a Jungian and psychodynamic approach, he is dedicated to bringing a sense of wonder and respect to all aspects of human experience.
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Contact: Dr.Douglas.Medgyesi@gmail.com
Andrew Sarkisian, Psy.D.
Psychology Resident
Andrew received his doctorate in clinical psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, IL. His previous clinical experience includes a wide range of settings (hospital, therapeutic day school, group practice, and community mental health) working with
individuals across the lifespan. As a clinician, Andrew emphasizes a relational approach to working with his clients while integrating psychodynamic understandings.
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Research:
Andrew’s doctoral research included a dissertation that understood depression as a potentially transformative process through the lens of Jungian psychology. Specifically, it examined underlying psychological and unconscious factors to understand the relationship
more deeply between symptoms and symbols.
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Contact: Andrew.Sarkisianpsyd@gmail.com
Phone: 773-257-3144
Services
The Center for Psychodynamic Psychotherapy is a small, intimate private practice setting that offers insight-oriented psychotherapy to adolescents, adults, and couples. We are located in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago next to Lady Gregory restaurant, serving those from greater Chicago, including Rogers Park, Edgewater, Lincoln Square, and Ravenswood. Being on a major public transportation route, we are easily accessible from various parts of Chicago. We treat a wide range of concerns, including but not limited to the following:
Depression
Anxiety/panic
Relationship struggles
Excessive guilt/shame
Sexual problems
LGBTQ issues
Social isolation/loneliness
Addictions
Trauma/abuse
Grief/loss
Eating disturbances
Personality disorders
Existential/religious issues
Anger/irritability
Parent/child conflicts
Nightmares/dreams
Why Psychodynamic Psychotherapy?
Psychodynamic psychotherapy, often called depth psychology, is a therapeutic approach and model that is integrative and comprehensive. It is both a relational and insight-oriented form of talk therapy that stresses the importance and relevance of both conscious and unconscious factors in one's psychological life. While other forms of psychotherapeutic treatment focus solely on symptom reduction, psychodynamic psychotherapy attempts to explore the deeper "roots" of one's psychological concerns rather than merely ridding surface symptoms. Thus, while in therapy, one might explore one's childhood, intimate or familial relationships, dreams or fantasies, unwanted behaviors and impulses, relationship between therapist and patient, or any other topic that one chooses to discuss. In so doing, psychodynamic psychotherapy can both resolve symptoms and impart meaning to one's experiences, even those experiences that are often deemed painful or meaningless. Studies have also shown that the long term benefits of psychodynamic treatment produce longer lasting impact than other treatment modalities.
Psychodynamic therapy is appropriate for children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families. As an approach for children, this type of therapy includes play therapy and sandtray therapy to effectively address trauma, behavioral, and developmental challenges in children. For more information on the efficacy of psychodynamic psychotherapy, please refer to an article via the link below that was published by Jonathan Shedler in the American Psychological Association's journal, American Psychologist:
