About Dr. Bruce Derman, The Relationship Doctor

Bruce Derman Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in Woodland Hills and Santa Monica, California who specializes in working with people in all stages of relationships.

Specialties & Certifications:

Special focus on:

• Finding mutuality and intimacy beneath the sea of differences
• Getting beyond the dating ordeal & learning to date authentically
• Discovering an innovative approach to sexual conflicts, obsessions and addictions
• Stabilizing chaotic relationships
• Learning respectful solutions to divorce conflict
• Resolving child custody issues with concern for the children

Working with adults, couples, and families:

• Anxiety, Phobia, and/or Panic
• Depression & Eating Disorders
• Marital or Relationship Issues
• Sexual Concerns or Dysfunction
• Divorce Mediation
• Men’s and Single’s issues
• The Mental and Emotional Issues of Diabetes

My Therapy Orientations:

• Brief/Strategic Therapy
• Cognitive-Behavioral therapy
• Gestalt & Ericksonian Therapy

Bruce Derman’s Profile:

I was 20 years old and falling asleep in my accounting class from total boredom, and I came to realize that this was not my career path. I was not sure what my path was until I asked myself the question. “What do I love?” Instantly, the answer was being a psychologist, and the passion of that love has carried me through my 42 years as a psychotherapist. After all this time, I still get paid for what I love to do.

After graduating from Temple University for my Masters and the University of Georgia for my Ph.D., I worked in several mental hospitals and also worked as a staff psychologist at Olive View Mental Health center for six years. Since then, I have been in private practice and have been teaching over the years at various schools including Pepperdine University.

I have been constantly following my passions within the psychology profession, which has led me in developing models for couples and sex therapy, innovative methods in my work as a divorce coach and divorce mediator, and eating disorders. I am also a certified Gestalt Therapist, attained extensive mediation training, and have been a trainer in collaborative divorce. Over the years I have had training from Fritz Perls, Jim Simkin, Cloe Madanes, Jay Haley, Bill Eddy, M.Scott Peck, Ken Cloke, Woody Mosten, Walter Kempler, and Virginia Satir among others.

Throughout my professional career, I have been a leader in creating new theories and methods of psychotherapy which have resulted in my writing three books called, “We’d Have a Great Relationship If It Weren’t For You”, “We Could’ve Had A Great Date If It Weren’t For You”, and “The Hole”, a fable of the struggle with emptiness. The pursuit of my writing has helped me develop a very clear philosophy and frame for working with many people in the specialties mentioned so that I can provide a working and effective container for most problems.