I am originally from the east coast and am the son of two retired military officers. As an "Army brat" I was shown the importance or precision, excellence, and commitment to a shared goal. Through contemplation of my strengths (and weaknesses), I chose a profession in which purpose and passion are essential. These aforementioned qualities are ones I hope you will encounter during our work together.
I’ve always been captivated by film, books, art or music that tell the story of the human condition. Tales of triumph and success, as well as human struggle and how we make meaning of these challenges, in particular, have always been right up my alley. I'm fulfilled to see my clients overcome adversity (that inevitably comes for all us in living), find meaning, and form new perspectives that lead to lasting change. I bring warmth, empathy, skill, and humor to our sessions. Often, when people are seeking mental health treatment, it is because something is not to their satisfaction in their work or romantic lives, friendships, or mostly importantly their relationship with themselves. During our sessions you will have the opportunity to begin to change that. Here's to: living better, laughing more, and connecting to what matters most to you.
I am a Licensed Psychologist in the State of California (PSY29414) and am trained in providing evidenced-based treatments for a range of concerns (for additional information on evidenced based practice please navigate to "About Epiphany". As a doctoral trained psychologist, I bring many years of academic training and multiple years of supervised clinical training to help work with people who are hurting, suffering, or feeling discontent. My fellowship training was completed at the VA San Diego Healthcare System & University of California School of Medicine, where I focused on treating Veterans who experienced difficulties with trauma and PTSD.
During fellowship, I was also one of seven fellows across the national VA system designated to acquire expertise working with the LGBT community. As such, I am a specialized healthcare provider for LGBT persons seeking a LGBT therapist in San Diego (although this is a group I specialize in, I welcome non-LGBT clients as well). Prior to moving to San Diego, I completed my internship with the VA Portland Healthcare System where I worked with substance abuse, trauma, depression and individuals with chronic medical conditions.
Throughout my training, I’ve had the fortunate opportunity to work with pioneers in field of providing treatments for substance use, OCD, and trauma. Emphasized in my academic and clinical training was learning how to motivate change and using treatments backed by research. Put together, these are powerful tools to help you get to where you want to go.
Where do you want to go? What would you like to change? Let's get started.
Yours in health and well-being,
Dr. Slimowicz
Professional Training (Residencies and Formal Internships)
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VA San Diego Healthcare System / University of California San Diego School of Medicine, APA-accredited fellowship in Clinical Psychology (2017)
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VA Portland Healthcare System, APA-accredited internship (2016)
Education
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Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.), Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL. (2016)
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Master of Science, Clinical Psychology, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL (2014)
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Master of Arts, Psychology, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, NC (2011)
Publications in Professional Journals
Slimowicz, J.; Siev, J.; Brochu, P.M. (2020). Impact of Status-Based Rejection Sensitivity on Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Gay Men. International Journal Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 1546.
Williams, M. T., Ching, T. H. W., Tellawi, G., Siev, J., Dowell, J., Schlaudt, V., Slimowicz, J., & Wetterneck, C. T. (2015). Assessing sexual orientation symptoms in obsessive-compulsive disorder: Development and validation of the Sexual Orientation Obsessions and Reactions Test (SORT). Behavior Therapy.
Wetterneck, C. T., Siev, J., Smith, A. H., Adams, T. G., Slimowicz, J.C., & Smith, A. (2015). Assessing sexually intrusive thoughts: Parsing unacceptable thoughts on the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Behavior Therapy (46) 4, 544-546.
Williams, M. T., Davis, D. M., Tellawi, G., & Slimowicz, J.C. (in press). Assessment and treatment of sexual orientation obsessions in obsessive-compulsive disorder. The ACPARIAN: Australian Clinical Psychologist.
Williams, M.T., Slimowicz, J.C., Tellawi, G., & Wetterneck, C. (2014). Sexual orientation obsessive compulsive disorder: Assessment and treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy. Directions in Psychiatry (34), 37-50.
Grohol, J., Slimowicz, J.C., & Cox, R. (2014). The quality of mental health information commonly searched on the internet. Journal of Cyberpsychology, Social Networking, and Behavior 17 (4), 216-221.