Meet Houston Psychologist Dr. Moelbak:
Hello, I am Rune Moelbak, Ph.D., a psychologist and certified EFT
couples therapist with more than 15 years of experience.
My Experience:
I am an experienced psychologist who has worked in many different settings. I was formerly the clinical director of Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of Houston and am currently a full-time staff member at the Michael E. DeBakey Houston VA Substance Treatment Disorder Program. I am an active participant in the field of psychology and have published several professional articles in national and international psychology journals. In addition to being a licensed psychologist in Houston TX, I am also a certified EFT couples therapist. I consider myself a specialist in both individual and couples therapy, and an expert in both psychodynamic and emotion-focused approaches to therapy.
My Background:
I was born and raised in Denmark “the happiest country on Earth” before moving to the United States in my mid-twenties to pursue a career in psychology. I believe we are all on a similar psychological journey to free ourselves from negative experiences from the past so we can feel lighter, more joyful, and more at peace with who we are. Becoming a psychologist was part of my own psychological and existential journey and is therefore not just a job but a life-pursuit and passion. I present myself as a fellow “traveller” eager to join YOU on YOUR journey of life and excited to help you free yourself from whatever is holding you back.
How is a Psychologist Different from Other Therapists?
When looking for a therapist it is easy to get confused by the many different types of professionals who are offering this service. A psychologist is a therapist with a doctorate degree and 5 years of graduate school training. By choosing a psychologist you can therefore be assured you are choosing one of the most well-trained professionals to deal with your concerns…
Browse My Publications:
As part of my training I have contributed to the advancement of psychological knowledge by
publishing several articles in national and international journals.
Click on the links below to read a selection…
Cultivating the Therapeutic Moment:
In my most recent article, published in Journal of Humanistic Psychology, I present my most comprehensive view of psychotherapy yet… In “Cultivating the Therapeutic Moment”, I explore the logic of why a linear problem-solving approach to therapy and to our lives, simply won’t work… Therapy is not a linear step-by-step process, where we first define the problem, and then offer up the solution. Rather the process of psychotherapy is itself the discovery of what our problem really is.
The Phenomenology of Lived Experience:
Phenomenology is the study of a person’s experience from inside that person’s frame of reference. In this contribution to the Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology I provide a philosophical framework for understanding how people’s experiences of the world are created. To make my case, I pull on insights from existential and phenomenological philosophers like Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and many others.
The Phenomenology of Flirting:
My doctoral dissertation was on the phenomenology of flirting. I sought to explore flirting as an experience of existing in-between identities, beyond one-self, and in the emergence of who one will be. In other words, I explored flirting as an event or state that takes you outside your ego and your ready-made constructs of yourself and lets you discover something new about who you are, what you feel, and what is possible.
Culture as Psychology’s Other:
This paper from a conference in Theoretical Psychology in Toronto, Canada, explores the tension between psychology and culture. When culture is viewed from a psychological perspective it is often reduced to individual differences across universal cultural dimensions, whereas when psychology is viewed from the perspective of culture it becomes its own cultural practice and not a meta-perspective from which to view the world.
A Humanistic Approach to Substance Abuse:
In this contribution to Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly I describe a humanistic psychology approach to the treatment of drug and alcohol addiction. A humanistic perspective on substance use views addiction as part of a person’s life and treats the person’s life rather than the addiction itself. The addiction is not the problem but an attempted solution to a problem. This deeper problem is related to something about a person’s existence: The addiction fills a void, serves as a distraction, or helps manage pain or anxiety. It expresses that something deeper about a person’s life needs to be addressed.
The Phenomenology of Subjectivity:
In another publication that was developed from my doctoral dissertation, I explore the philosophical concept of “the event” as a way to make sense of human experience. By digging into some of 20th century’s great philosophical texts I offer a new way to understand and study life.
Constructing a Deleuzian Psychology:
In this theoretical publication written for the Journal Theory & Psychology I attempt to decipher the dense philosophical writings of French philosopher Gilles Deleuze. I set out to explore what his philosophy would mean for how we think about psychology and think about therapy.
Meaning and Memory:
Drawing on the philosophy of Martin Heidegger and his phenomenological analysis of time, I seek to analyze the drawings of Danish elementary school children who were asked to draw their first memory. By doing so I illustrate how time is experienced from a subjective or phenomenological perspective which is quite different from the experience of “clock time”.
Read My Therapy Blog:
If you want to read some of my more down-to-earth reflections on human nature, therapy, and psychology, I invite you to visit my therapy blog: “Insight – A blog for the critical consumer of psychotherapy”. Here you can get insight into the truths about human nature that emerge from the in-depth knowledge of therapy and a deep dive into the human psyche.
Read My Couples Therapy Blog:
Visit my couples therapy blog if you are interested in learning more about what couples therapists know about how to make relationships work. Get valuable insights into how to communicate better, how to improve your intimacy and connection, and how to overcome difficulties such as betrayals or affairs or differences in personality styles or relationship needs.
The Better Therapy Difference:
By choosing me as your therapist you can be assured of the following:
I Provide Expertise You Can Trust
I Help You Achieve Deeper Change
I Treat People not Disorders
I Have an Open Mind
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Schedule an appointment today:
Individual Therapy: 50 Minutes/ $250
Couples Therapy: 80 Minutes/ $325
More to Explore:
Right-Sizing Your Guilt and Learning to Forgive Yourself
Guilt can be a useful emotion but not when you judge yourself too harshly or unfairly. Learn how to right-size your guilt and act on it so you can let go
How to Resolve a Conflict When Both Expect an Apology
Couples often end up in a stalemate where they both expect an apology and both blame each other for their woes. How do you resolve a situation like this so you can both move forward?
How to Communicate Better with Your Significant Other
One of the number one issues couples face is difficulty with communication. Why is Communication so Difficult? Much of the time it’s because we just don’t see eye to eye. My feelings and needs become an imposition on your feelings and needs, and vice versa. I may have...