Meet Nate

I tend to work best with individuals that have historically struggled to feel a sense of self worth. I will sometimes tell a client, "I will love the snot out of you no matter what", and I expect clients to practice loving themselves in this same way.

Life can be hard, and I believe people cope in the best ways they know how. Many people identify as being "stuck" when they come into therapy (whether they're dealing with anxiety, depression, addiction, etc.), and so I prefer clients that are willing to challenge themselves to do things that might feel counter-intuitive. For example, if you are accustomed to berating yourself it might feel "weird" or "wrong" to practice truly loving yourself. Or, if you are accustomed to avoiding your unpleasant emotions it might feel counter-intuitive to try and connect with sadness, pain, anger, or fear.

I should also note that I work well with clients that have struggled with asserting their voice in the past and are hoping to really be heard. I have been told I have a gentle approach, listen well, and provide clients the space they need to open up, find their voice, and feel empowered to make the changes they desire.

I love individual therapy, yet it has become clear that group therapy is often a more powerful tool for helping people make the changes they desire.

In individual and group work I focus my practice on anxiety-related issues, depression, trauma, and issues surrounding sexuality and gender. I work with all gender and sexual orientation identities. I particularly enjoy working with individuals that have been underrepresented, and much of my research and clinical interests have focused on international student concerns.

Relationship-focused. I attune to the here-and-now interpersonal dynamics of our therapy relationship in order to help clients feel safe and affirmed, and then be able to take risks and practice making the changes they desire. For example, if a client wants to develop assertiveness, we work together to help them practice being assertive in our relationship. Another way to say this is that my goal (in individual, couples, and group work) is to help clients create and experience meaningful changes with me, and then help them extrapolate these changes into other realms of their life. For example, if a client struggles with anxiety we work to change the way they cope with anxiety in session with me (in individual therapy) or with the group (in group therapy). As they practice getting "unstuck" in session, they will be better able to get unstuck outside of session. I can also note that I use interventions from several theoretical approaches including: Emotion-Focused Therapy, Psychodynamic, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Rational-Emotive Behavioral Therapy.

I am a licensed psychologist in the state of Minnesota and currently work full time at Carleton College in Student Health and Counseling. Most of my training has been in college counseling settings.

• Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, Brigham Young University
• Doctoral Internship, University of Maine Counseling Center
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Iowa State University Student Counseling Service

I am an active member of the American Group Psychotherapy Association and am pursuing credentials as a Certified Group Psychotherapist (CGP). For those of you that are interested, here is a copy of my curriculum vitae: Nathaniel W. Page - Curriculum Vitae 9-6-2018

If I am completely honest, most of the presentations I have attended in my life have been underwhelming. College lectures, research conferences (they're the worst), business meetings, etc. are oftentimes downright boring and painful. The words "Death by PowerPoint" have become a commonplace phrase for most of us. I have committed myself to the art of creating and delivering presentations that are engaging and worthwhile for the attendees. I am also committed to helping others cultivate their skills as presenters and offer consultation services (typically at the same hourly rate as therapy services). If you are interested in discussing the possibility of Laurie and/or I doing a presentation for your organization, please fill out the form on this page. If you are interested in consultation services regarding a presentation you are preparing please fill out the form on this page. I will oftentimes spend 30-40 hours creating a presentation. However, if I have delivered similar content to a similar audience, I might spend less time preparing. Here is a list of some of the presentations I have been refining over the last several years.

• How to Successfully Fail at Overcoming Perfectionism
• Oh no! Not Another Boring PowerPoint. What Everyone Should Know About Effective Presentation Design and Delivery
• Listening Skills and Crisis Management (usually with a portion focused on training individuals to conduct a brief suicide assessment and know available resources)
• Anxiety and Stress Management- The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
• Procrastination: Time Management Solutions
• Procrastination: Emotional Management Solutions
• Emotional Well-being: A Study of Disney's Inside Out
• Developing Healthy Relationships: A Study of Elsa and Anna in Disney's Frozen