We are excited to announce that we will be doing a Q&A series on our blog to better know each of our wonderful therapists. We are starting off the Our Psychologist Series with Dr. Vincent Fitch!
Dr. Fitch is one of our licensed psychologists at Best Within You. We were thrilled to be able to sit down with Dr. Fitch and ask him some questions about providing therapy, and we are even more excited to share his answers with you!
What is Your Role at Best Within You?
I work as a Psychologist at Best Within You Therapy & Wellness. Part of my role is providing individual therapy to clients ages 13+ in addition to family therapy. There is also talk of me doing couples therapy in the future! In addition to therapy services, I also conduct pre bariatric evaluations.
What therapy areas do you specialize in?
My primary modalities of therapy are both individual and family therapy. My specialties within these include eating disorders, body image, trauma, depression and anxiety. I also specialize and enjoy doing insomnia and OCD work.
Can you describe your therapy approach?
I come from a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) framework because my doctoral program was very CBT heavy. I think it is important to build a connection with the client prior to engaging in deeper work. I believe in a humanistic, person-centered approach to make sure I have a good rapport with my clients.
I am typically not the therapist that walks you through a workbook page by page. I like to use CBT to process what is going on. I also pull from other therapies including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Interpersonal, Solution Focused, and Psychodynamic when applicable.
Something about me is that I tailor my approach to the client as opposed to forcing them to fit a certain “mold.”
How did your educational journey lead to your career?
I did my undergraduate training at West Virginia University in Sport and Exercise Psychology. At that time, my focus was to get into graduate school for physical therapy . Towards the end of my undergraduate training, I was applying to physical therapy schools and shadowing Physical Therapists when I realized that physical therapy may not be the thing for me. This is when I decided to apply to both physical therapy programs and other masters programs. After getting into both types of programs, I decided to go the masters route in Exercise Science.
I completed my Masters degree in Exercise Science at Georgia Southern University. However, while I enjoyed learning about the body and mechanics, I realized that I really missed the mental health aspect that I was getting at West Virginia University in Sports Psychology. So, after my first year I realized my goal was to complete my masters in Exercise Science, but to also take courses in Sport and Exercise Psychology in order to be a good candidate for a Psychology degree moving forward. This was a very momentous occasion for me that was spawned by doing an internship at Georgia Southern and working at a gym. Although I enjoyed it, what I kept going back to was, “What is the process of evoking change, specifically in terms of healthy living and behaviors.” This is what made me realize I wanted to go the psychology route.
After finishing my masters degree, I applied and was accepted to a medical Psychology program at Mercer University. I thought that medical psychology would be the best integration of my interests in Psychology and my training at the Masters level.
My first training at Mercer University was with Eating Disorders. I chose this because at that time, this was the only experience that was able to integrate both physical and mental health. Prior to this training I did not have much previous experience with eating disorders, but after getting to the site I absolutely fell in love with all parts of it. I loved working with a team of members including dietitians, family therapists, and other providers.
Trauma became an interest of mine because I was very naive, and thought that the eating disorder site would just be eating disorders. However, I realized pretty quickly that there is usually a lot that can create these eating disorders including but not limited to trauma, depression and anxiety. I became proficient in Trauma by training at public hospitals and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
When did your love for therapy begin?
As soon as I started doing it! In my program at Mercer University, we were supposed to do an assessment site first. However, my program allowed me to do therapy first. I loved it from the minute I started doing it. I found it a challenge learning that two people can have the same eating disorder but be very different despite their similarity. I loved “cracking the code” to learn more about my clients and helping them develop insight and work through those realizations,
What would you say to someone who is considering therapy?
First of all, I would say thank you for considering therapy. I realize the stigma that can come along with mental health. I would say that therapy is not as scary as you think it is, but it does take work. For me as a therapist, I will work as hard as I can for you with the hopes that you work hard too. I think it is very fulfilling and that you can learn a lot about yourself.
I know being vulnerable is hard. It may not be easy at first, but I think the benefits are well worth it.
What would you say to someone who is hesitant to do therapy with a male therapist?
A lot of parents and female clients are worried about working with a male provider, especially if there is a trauma history with a male. I think something that is important to know is that if you have a poor history with men, it is likely to make you worried about working with a male. However, working with a male in a space where you can feel safe gives you the ability to create a new relationship with men in your life that you would not necessarily get elsewhere.
What are you most passionate about?
Professionally, I want to help people live their best quality life, and through my training I have learned that therapy is a great way to do so. I really enjoy empowering my clients.
I am also very passionate about health. I enjoy being physically active, going to the gym, walking my dog, and doing physically engaging activities with friends. I also enjoy cooking and making different recipes.
Personally, I am passionate about music and I enjoy going to concerts. I also really enjoy breweries. With the fall season coming up, the fall flavors are out and I am the “poster child” for pumpkin spice everything! I am extremely seasonal with the drinks whether that is coffee, beer, or tea.
Therapy With Dr. Fitch
Thank You to Dr. Fitch for sitting down with us for this Q&A. To read more about Dr. Fitch and the rest of our team you can visit here. Dr. Fitch is accepting new clients. If you are interested in his services, you can schedule a free consultation.