Taracena Brian J Psy D

Information may not be reliable

Brian Taracena, Clinical Psychologist: Serving Wasatch County, Summit County, and other communities along the Wasatch Back and Eastern Utah.

NEW - Come and visit me at my new office located at 722 West 100 South (a.k.a. Midway Lane), Suite 1, located in the Spring Creek Square.

Thank You for visiting my website! Over the years I have noticed there are several questions people tend to ask meduring their first visit. In response to these questions I have posted several key points on this website.

How long have I been practicing? I started my private practice in February 2003. Prior to this venture I worked for Wasatch Mental Health in Heber. In total, I have been living and working in the area for the past ten years six of which have been in private practice. It has always been my intent to work and live in a rural area. Although some may lament that Heber is rapidly becoming more urbanized, this area has yet to lose its charming small town personality. My hope is to continue working in the area for years to come.
Who do I work with? I frequently refer to myself as a mental health generalist. That is to say that I work with most populations and treat most mental illnesses. I work people across all stages in the human lifespan. That being said my youngest patients tend to be about five years old. At present, about 50% of my patients are under 18 years old. I work with couples and with entire families. If you were to ask me who I like to work with best I might unofficially say teenagers. With regard to types of mental illness, I tend to work with most mental health disorders; however, if you have concerns about a specific condition or set of circumstances please feel free to call me. I have access to excellent professional resources and can easily make appropriate referrals when necessary.
What is my approach to treatment? By training I am a Behavioral or Cognitive/Behavioral psychologist. Through this approach I attempt to create therapeutic change helping you better manage your thoughts and actions in order to address environmental stressors or moods contributing to your distress. This approach assumes that you can alter either how your world treats you or how you can respond differently to the world in order to make improvements in yourself. At the end of each session my hope is for you to have a new tool or technique you can apply accomplish your goals. When working with children and teenagers I tend to take a system-based approach that looks at the childs whole interpersonal world. Therefore, when working with kids his is common that I meet with the kids individually, the parents individually, and with the parents and children together. I would like to think that most of my patients find me friendly, straightforward, compassionate, and thoughtful. I also like to make use of my natural tendency towards humor.
Where have I received my training? I received my Doctorate in Psychology (PsyD) from the University of Denver. I completed my undergraduate work at Brigham Young University. My first exposure to psychology was working in the Operant Behavior Lab training pigeons. I really hate pigeons. Fortunately things improved from there. I have worked in a variety of settings including; crisis intervention for the Denver Police Department, inpatient hospital care, public schools, and community mental health centers. In additional to my regular office hours I continue to provide crisis coverage for Heber Valley Medical Center, consult with the local schools and community organizations, and am an executive board member of the Utah Psychological Association. Did I mention I love my job?
How to I manage psychiatric emergencies? Patients can contact me after hours via my cell phone. This number is available when you call and leave a message on my voice mail. When I cannot answer the phone I usually attempt to return calls within a few minutes. However, in the event of a true emergency and I am unable to retrieve your call you should call 911. Physicians at the local hospital have been instructed to call me should any of my patients present at the ER. During extended absences from my office I contract with Mathea Anderson LCSW at 435 657 9631 to take appointments and manage emergencies.

Psychologist General categories include clinical psychologists, school psychologists, counseling psychologists. They conduct psychotherapy with individuals, group, or families. They are qualified to administer and interpret intellectual, emotional, neurological, and projective tests. Psychologist have a doctoral degree, (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) from a four year post-graduate program with specialty training and a one year internship.
Psychiatrist A medical doctor who specializes in mental disorders. They are primarily engaged in dispensing biomedical treatments i.e. prescription medications, but may offer some counseling. Training includes medical school plus three years of specialty training and a psychiatric internship.
Social Worker Usually referred to as clinical social workers. They conduct counseling or therapy with individuals, groups and families, with a focus on client-centered advocacy. Social workers have a masters degree (M.A.) from a 1-2 year post-graduate social work program and a completion of a field based supervision program (usually 3-6 months).
Mental Health Counselor Provides mental health counseling; however, their primary focus is that of promoting and enhancing healthy and satisfying lifestyles. They may hold either masters or bachelors level degree in fields related to mental health.
Case Managers These individuals assist those with severe and persistent mental illnesses to obtain the services needed to live in the community. This may include housing assistance, vocational rehabilitation, managing access to healthcare and coordination interagency efforts. They typically have a bachelors in a mental health related field.
Psychiatric Nurse They are professional nurses specialized in biomedical treatment and prevention of mental health illnesses. Typically they may prescribe a limited range of medication. They typically have advanced degrees including a masters level or above.

No matter what level of professional you choose to visit, always make sure they are licensed or credentialedin their respective professions. If you are not sure, try looking up their license at: Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing - DOPL