Meet Justin Chernow

We recently connected with Justin Chernow and have shared our conversation below.

Justin, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

The journey to finding my purpose arose from both experiential and intellectual pursuits. It began when I was studying cultural and medical anthropology at Pomona College. Fascinated by different concepts of health, healing, and wholeness, I was especially drawn to the ways indigenous cultures sought to restore imbalances of emotion, mind, body, and spirit.

But reading about it wasn’t enough. Taking advantage of the opportunities offered by my junior year abroad, I jumped at the chance to study indigenous medical traditions in East Africa. Soon, I was in Kenya’s coastal jungle with Giriama waganga (witchdoctors), and in the remote Rift Valley with a Maasai oloibonok (diviner/healer). Shortly after my return, as part of an archaeology team through a Ford Foundation grant, I worked in the Oregon wilderness with a Klamath/Modoc medicine woman to help resurrect the Shasta culture’s lost healing practices.

Upon graduating, faced with the realities of needing to be financially self-sufficient, I followed societal expectations and entered the corporate world. My anthropological mindset offered a unique perspective, fueling a ten-year career in public relations, brand strategy, and organizational consulting. I was successful, but unfulfilled. I learned to listen to myself and hear what was real: my purpose was to become a healer, not just study them.

Attending the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology (now Sofia University, which has since changed in both name and programming), I earned a PhD in clinical psychology. There, the core clinical and research programs were enriched by electives on global wisdom traditions. Psychologists and psychiatrists were faculty, as was a Native American curandero, a Sufi sheikh, an 8th-level Aikido black belt, a Taoist scholar, and others. I also began a daily meditation practice that I continue to this day, grounded in the ancient practice of kundalini maha yoga.

All of this was where my studies of the past merged with my purpose of the present. My personal spiritual practice, graduate studies, professional experiences with clients over the years, and observing and interacting with other cultures—all with humility and openness—have informed an integrated view of not only who I am, but also of my core values, beliefs, and purpose in this world. While professionally I remain rooted in the modern clinical model, my life and work are guided by this broader understanding of human experience and potential.

As a psychologist, for more than 20 years now, I’ve been privileged to practice in a variety of clinical settings. All have offered valuable experiences that continue to inform how I serve my clients.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

In my private practice in San Luis Obispo, CA, I offer therapy for a happier and more fulfilling life. What this means and how it manifests is different for every client. But I take a cue from my past work with indigenous healers, who held more holistic perspectives on what health, healing, and wholeness means. They had notions of personal, interpersonal, and what we might call existential or spiritual, harmony that have stuck with me, and that I bring into my clinical work.

My specialization is assisting adults of all ages with concerns related to depression, anxiety, trauma, and relationship distress. I also have expertise with life transitions, men’s issues, chronic illness/pain, and grief/loss. Over the past 20 years, I’ve helped persons who identify in a variety of ways make changes that assist them in meeting their goals, and finding the satisfaction life can bring.

What excites me about the clinical work I do, and what gives me hope with even the most challenging clients, ties to an area of research called Post-Traumatic Growth that I came upon as part of my doctoral dissertation research years ago. It has shaped how I work not only with trauma, but with suffering overall. Rather than studying the negative effects of trauma, the emphasis of Post-Traumatic Growth research is on the positive after-effects, the way people’ s lives can grow and heal from trauma in positive ways.

I’ve been through this myself. I became very sick in my mid-20s, and though terribly difficult, I can see how it ultimately altered the course of my own life trajectory in a favorable way. In addition, towards the end of my 12 years of working as a psychologist in the California state prison system, I experienced my own traumas, and had to painstakingly recalibrate personally, interpersonally, and professionally in ways that (in the aftermath) I consider deeply meaningful. While few of us would ever choose such challenges, we can recognize and embrace the positive changes that emerged from them.

I hold this idea closely in my clinical work, that we can experience positive change, growth, and even transformation from suffering. We see this concept in other cultures, in Eastern thought and practice, etc. So, the idea isn’t new, but it is still powerful. Getting to that transformative potential is an organic process, a kind of natural unfolding, that’s different for every person. Usually I don’t mention this concept to those with whom I work; I talk more about going beneath the surface issues, working through underlying causes of distress, and re-emerging into more self-aware and satisfying lives. But it is a guiding principle for me as a therapist – that it’s possible not only to provide relief from suffering, but also to facilitate the process of people becoming more of who they were meant to be by working through whatever form of suffering brought them to me and my practice. This has led me to frame what I offer as therapy for a happier and more fulfilling life.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The first insight that was most impactful in my journey was the recognition that I had to discover for myself what it means to be, in my case, a psychologist. Graduate school professors, clinical supervisors, administrative managers, and others along the way, often try to teach or tell you how to be. While what they share is invaluable, it’s also necessary to acknowledge that no one can hand you your authentic professional style, approach, or identity. You have to learn for yourself what works for you, what fits you and resonates with you, and how you can bring that into the world in a way where it can be of benefit to others. For me, at least, it has been like an archaeological excavation, where I’ve had to scrape away the layers of ideas and opinions I’ve borrowed from others about who or how I should be – analyzing, retaining, and discarding various artifacts along the way – to reveal who and what I genuinely am. I’m still excavating, but I feel I’ve made some progress on this dig over the years, and I’m grateful that I can bring this authenticity as a person and as a clinician into my private practice.

The second insight is that relationships are of primary significance in whatever it is we humans do. Being factually correct often isn’t enough. Having the most astute analysis isn’t enough. People need to be able to hear and take in what it is you’re saying, else they may dismiss it or not be able to use it effectively. This is true of a boss, a spouse, a friend. In therapy, this requires a sense of trust and safety, of attunement and understanding, of caring and feeling supported, of believing that we’re in this together. Or, as the psychodynamic literature calls it, a holding environment – in which a client feels emotionally “held” by the therapist’s consistent, reliable, and empathic presence. In my practice, my intention is to create a respectful, nonjudgmental environment where you feel safe to express and explore your feelings and experiences, encouraged to grow, and where all aspects of you are welcome. In my clinical approach, the theoretical orientation or technique I use is layered atop the bedrock that is the therapeutic relationship. I believe that this is the recipe that allows meaningful change to occur. Though perhaps to a lesser degree or intensity, a similar attitude or approach may be of value in many other professional roles and relationships, as well.

The third insight is the importance of curiosity. For a psychologist, in therapy, curiosity invites openness, humility, and a genuine interest in the client’s inner world without imposing assumptions or judgments. When therapists approach clients with curiosity, they create space for complexity and nuance, which in turn allows the client’s experience to unfold in its own unique way. In the manner I think of it, this attitude integrates the Buddhist idea of non-attachment – as curiosity does not cling to a single interpretation, diagnosis, or outcome, but instead holds possibilities lightly. The metaphor of holding something with an open palm (instead of a tight fist) illustrates this well. By remaining curious, rather than grasping for certainty or control, the therapist can model a way of being that is open to change, discovery, and growth. Genuine curiosity helps clients feel deeply seen, and encourages them to cultivate a similar attunement and openness toward themselves. As it feels so vital, I would encourage professionals in other areas to cultivate curiosity in their work and working relationships. Hopefully it will inspire a gravitation towards continuous learning, deeper listening, and a more adaptable mindset, while reducing the rigidity (and perhaps the arrogance, as well) that can come with supposed expertise.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I view the clinical work I do with my clients as both a collaboration and partnership. So, I welcome being contacted by adults in California who may be interested in therapy, and who resonate with my approach or what I’ve shared here.

I am also always looking to collaborate with other clinical professionals. Ideal partners include 1.) other mental health professionals (psychiatrists, PNPs, psychotherapists), 2.) who work with a similar population (adult individuals and couples), 3.) who have a similar clinical focus (depression, anxiety, trauma, and relationship distress), and 4.) who value integrative treatment approaches tailored to each client’s needs, that include psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and internal family systems (IFS) elements.

Other ideal partners would be both traditional and alternative healthcare providers whose clients may benefit from working with a psychologist who focuses on these populations and clinical issues. For example, I often get referrals from a local acupuncturist, as well as a local ketamine clinic, and I usually find these clients to be a great fit for how I work and what I can offer.

In addition, collaboration or partnership with other healthcare providers may take several forms. It may involve referring clients to one another, or partnering in team-based care for a client when we offer complementary services (like a psychiatrist and a psychotherapist). As a solo provider, I’d especially love to create or be part of a group for case consultation where therapists can discuss clinical cases, get different perspectives, support one another in our clinical work, and continue to learn and grow, while ensuring we are offering the best treatment possible to our clients.

I welcome hearing from those who would like to collaborate or partner in any of these capacities, and I can be reached at [email protected].

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.drjustinchernow.com