Why psychotherapy?

Our personal wellness is made up of many elements from our physical condition, to our emotional states, to the quality of our relationships, and our environment as a whole. Medical doctors can prescribe medications that change our bodies and give us some relief, but medications do not change the stressors we face or our default reactions to them. These are related to our unique surroundings and the adaptive physical structure of our brain established over the course of our lives. Even if you never attend a mental health assessment or treatment, you can be a voice against the stigma surrounding mental health care. As there is no shame in seeing a nutritionist for dietary improvements, or a trainer to increase physical strength and stamina, there should be none regarding efforts made to improve our mental health. 

Dr. Gallas provides psychotherapy for adolescents, adults, and families. He uses evidence-based treatments for concerns ranging from common life issues to more complex and severe mental health conditions. Psychotherapy always begins with a thorough psychological assessment, which can be seen as the mental health equivalent of a physical health checkup. Many people have reported significant benefits from this loosely structured interview focused on their overall wellness. Depending on your concern, treatment could be very brief and solution-focused or could involve longer work including skills training and changing ineffective thought or behavioral patterns. If there is a high level of drama in your family, or your go-to parenting strategies are not producing the desired results, Dr. Gallas can work with you to assess the situation, set goals, and then go about achieving them in new ways.

Dr. Gallas has over ten years of experience working with college students, with the last seven including work with health science students. Through this work he learns the unique challenges they accept as part of their education. Often very brief assessment and therapy can make a significant difference for these resilient students. Historically help-seeking has been stigmatized both in medical schools and in our society as a whole. This stigma only weakens our healthcare professionals and in turn the wellness of our entire population. Dr. Gallas offers a confidential space to discuss the many factors related to your health and success in school. Thank you for choosing a path of service.

Dr. Gallas has helped many senior clients both in the community and in a skilled nursing facility. He appreciates the opportunity to learn from their wisdom and continued resilience in old age. He has also worked with families navigating eldercare and end-of-life concerns.

Dr. Gallas completed his graduate training in the APA-accredited doctoral psychology program at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas. While in San Antonio he had the awesome experience of working with culturally diverse individuals and families in settings including: a community mental health clinic, a post-adjudication facility for at-risk-youth, a homeless shelter, a partial-hospitalization-program, and the student counseling center of St. Mary’s University. He was then very fortunate to complete a year of training in a predoctoral internship at the Counseling and Psychological Services department of Florida Atlantic University. Next, he headed west to continue his formal training in a year-long postdoctoral fellowship at The P.R.A.C.T.I.C.E., a community mental health clinic at University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). During his year at UNLV, Dr. Gallas created the Pediatric Panic and Anxiety Treatment Program based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and the Emotional and Behavioral Balance Program for families based on Dialectical Behavior Therapy. He has come to call Clark County home and considers it a privilege to support Nevadans and their families.