Shawn Gersman, M.D.'s focus of work is empowering others to take better control of their lives, whether it be emotional health, career, relationships, marriage, or family. Through his years of study and practicing psychiatry, Dr. Gersman has developed therapeutic interventions that can assist in the process of self-improvement, as well as overcome various mental health issues. With his extensive psychiatric experience as well as psychoanalytic training, Dr. Gersman is uniquely qualified to provide individuals with comprehensive (holistic) psychiatric care. He is able to quickly grasp the central issues with which an individual is coping and design a plan of care that will inspire them to embark on powerful personal change. This process most often occurs with the benefit of both therapeutic interventions as well as medication treatment.

At The Center for Personal Growth, Dr. Gersman helps to empower individuals as they manage anxiety, depression, panic, and recover from eating disorders and substance abuse. Dr. Gersman also offers guidance in enhancement of self-esteem, improvement in work performance, career counseling, development of healthy relationships, reduction of stress, and choice management. The goal of Dr. Gersman's work is to assist individuals achieving their maximum potential so that they may lead happy and fulfilling lives, unencumbered by "baggage" from the past. In addition to the medical and prescription training which is common to every psychiatrist, Dr. Gersman also has extensive training and experience in the provision of psychotherapy, also known as "talking therapy". Dr. Gersman emphasizes the biological-psychological-social model of psychiatry, which has as its premise that most problems in living are multidimensional and not simply due to a "chemical imbalance," or "all in the head."

His psychotherapeutic approach integrates techniques from the models of cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic theory. He believes that problems in our emotional states and in our relationships have their origin in patterns we learned which helped us cope with the challenges facing us as children. As we become adults and our circumstances change, our ways of coping often do not, and therefore become outmoded and even destructive. The goal of psychotherapy is first to identify problematic beliefs, attitudes, feelings, and behaviors, then to understand their origins in earlier life experiences, and then to begin the process of therapeutic healing and change. Dr. Gersman is specialized in assisting highly motivated individuals to make lasting positive changes in their lives, even in just a few sessions.

Using a combination of psychotherapy and medication techniques, Dr. Gersman has had great success in helping others overcome depression, reduce anxiety, manage panic and fear, and recover from eating disorders and substance abuse. He has been very effective in helping those who are working an active recovery program and attending 12-Step meetings regularly, but usually only after the recovering individual has completed an extensive inpatient or residential treatment stay. He does not offer outpatient "detox" from alcohol, tranquilizers, or opioids, as this is almost always better done in a controlled inpatient environment.

Shawn Gersman, M.D.
1499 West Palmetto Park Road
Suite 166
Boca Raton, FL 33486
561-417 - 0004