About

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“About” is kind of a misleading word here. I say that because what you’ll find here are mostly facts relevant to my training. Stuff like education and work experience. You really won’t know much “about” me without having experiences of and with me. Similarly, explanations seldom provide healing. Experiences do. So, while considering if/when/with whom you may enter treatment, I encourage you to keep your own experiences, including gut feelings, in mind. Without further ado, some highlights of my professional path.

After some wandering in two separate careers, I went to graduate school at Webster University in the evenings while working full-time as a community-based case worker for BJC Behavioral Health. I became a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in 2007 following a two-year practicum in the Schiele Clinic at the St. Louis Psychoanalytic Institute. I began my private practice in the same year. As psychoanalytic theory and practice grew on me I continued with a two-year post graduate program in psychodynamic psychotherapy at the Institute. Later I completed an additional four-year program in psychoanalysis, which entailed classes and extensive clinical work and supervision.

I thoroughly enjoy the exploratory and mending processes inherent in the psychoanalytic sensibility. While my theoretical leanings are most informed and influenced by contemporary psychoanalytic thought, I’m also a pragmatist. As such, I implicitly integrate aspects of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in the ways I work with people - adolescents, adults, and couples.

Some Basics:

  • Sessions are typically 50 minutes long.

  • My fee is $180 per session.

  • I am not in-network with any insurance programs, though have historically participated in them and can help navigate reimbursement should you have out-of-network benefits.

  • A reduced fee may be available and is considered on a case by case basis.

  • Check or Venmo (@mattshatzman) are preferred forms of payment.

  • Increased weekly session frequency can facilitate a more robust experience and reduce per session fees.