Psychology Solutions | Working towards better mental health

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Privacy Information

Your privacy is my priority

Privacy is something that concerns us all. Especially when it comes to medical or psychological issues. However, it is generally not something many people understand within the boundaries of a medical or mental health clinic. As such, I will discuss a few key issues.

Your chart:
You chart, or in other words, all the documentation surrounding your visits to a clinic, are confidential. What this typically means is that only those within a clinic have access to your chart. Typically, this is restricted to medical personnel and sometimes even specific providers. For those outside the clinic, you will generally need to give written permission for anyone to receive a copy of any of your chart and often times you can specify exactly what you are comfortable disclosing to a 3rd party. There are a few exceptions to this, of course, but those involve direct threat of harm to yourself or others, or court order. Even within a legal court order a clinician (your doctor, etc) can push back and fight it to a degree. If the courts insist, this can result in a contempt of court charge of which most clinicians would avoid except under the most extreme cases. In all my years, this has never occurred to myself or anyone I've known or worked with in my life.

Family or spouse:
Similar to above, they do not have access to any of your information without your written permission. In the case of your passing, they may have access via next of kin rights or estate rights. However, again, this has never been something I experienced and I would imagine there would need to be a serious reason for divulging this information.

You:
This is not as cut and dry as one might expect. While you do have the ability to request a copy of your chart/records, it is up to the discretion of the clinician and/or facility if they release the information to you. A clinician does have the right to deny a party to their notes or information if there is a reasonable risk involved. For example, if reading such information could lead to harm to the patient such as reading something disturbing or upsetting about themselves.

First Responders:
A special note for first responders. Where I work, we have taken additional steps and installed additional security measures to ensure privacy of your information even within our clinic. We understand the concern you may have and we want to ensure you are comfortable seeking the help you may need.

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Who is Dr. Robert Hoppe?

Just a little background information

Although I was born in a different state and spent my very early years in a different country, I spent most of my life right here in Minnesota. The first half of my life I lived in the Frogtown area and I spent much of my youth hanging around Snelling and University. Anyone familiar with St. Paul probably knows where that is. There used to be a game shop up there were I played Dungeons and Dragons often with my friends.

The second half of my life I was in Inver Grove Heights, but I spent much of those years in West St. Paul where I worked many different jobs. Fast Food, hardware stores, and movie theatre jobs were just a few of the early life experiences I gained.

Growing up, I spent many years studying martial arts. I've always loved the martial arts, regardless of style, as each one brings something to the table that moves people in a better direction in life.

At 18, I joined the Marine Corps and after serving, I became a network engineer/IT specialist. I worked for many large companies dealing with servers, workstations, firewalls, security, and all other manner of tech. I worked as a service manager for a company that built custom computers. I still love technology and I've always been an avid gamer. I even played competitively for a while. Yes, I'm that nerdy.

After many years in the IT field and after several personal tragedies, I started to pursue a career in psychology to help understand the things I was experiencing and whitnessing as well as to change careers.

This brings us to where I am today. I've always enjoyed helping people and solving problems to the best of my ability. I also love to learn new things and you can frequently find me learning a new skill or ability.

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Educational Background

The long hard road

I attempted college when I was younger and spent a semester or two at Inver Hills Community College where I started in a Commercial Aviation degree. Later I tried a semester or two at Normandale Community College pursuing a degree in Computer Science. I wasn't sure why I did this since I was gainfully employed in the computer field. So, I stopped after just one or two semesters.

Many years passed and when I felt I needed a new career, I went to Metropolitan State University where I finally earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2006 while being a support for my mother who was battling cancer (the hat is to cover up the fact she lost all her hair during chemotherapy). Since A psychology BA degree is somewhat useless on its own, I kept going.

Later that same year I was accepted into the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology at Argosy doctoral program. While enrolled in this program I did earn a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology in 2009. I received my Masters only a couple of days after my mother passed away. However, I went on to complete my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2012.

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Work Experience in Psychology

I won't bore you with the computer experience

My first psychology experience started with my work as an unpaid research intern in the psychology lab at my university. In this role I would read copious amounts of research and help students with their psychology papers, projects, and experiments.

I started an assessment practicum (a practicum is basically an internship) in 2007 at Kente Circle which lasted for a year. During this time, I would meet with patients and complete psychological evaluations to help them and their therapists and, as part of the practicum, I would observe therapy sessions with licensed professionals. Following this, I started my therapy practicum at Mental Health Systems (MHS) where I engaged in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and individual therapy. This was also a yearlong practicum. I stayed on with MHS for an Advanced Practicum and MHS was so happy with my work that they hired me on as a Mental Health Professional where I continued to do therapy with patients.

After all this, I then started my formal internship with Natalis Counseling and Psychology Solutions. This was an intensive 2000-hour internship. In this role I did psychological evaluations for Fairview Hospital and for Social Security applicants as well as therapy with patients. So, before I graduated with my doctorate, I already had over 5000 hours of time with patients.

Eventually, I graduated with my doctorate and I started my post-doc work where I stayed at Natalis for another year (2000 hours) before I became a Licensed Psychologist. I stayed on with Natalis for a while and then ended up back at Kente Circle where I was a therapist, mentor/supervisor to LMFT and LICSW students doing their internships and I did a lot of psychological evaluations both in the clinic and with Ramsey County Juvenile Detention at places like JDC downtown and Totem Town.

I decided to accept a position at the Associated Clinic of Psychology where I still happily work to this day. During my time with ACP, I've worked in our geriatric division and out outpatient clinic in West St. Paul. For the past 2 years, my work has primarily focused on trauma work with first responders and I am grateful to have the opportunity to help those who sacrifice so much to keep us safe day in and day out.

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My Philosophy of Psychology

How do I put all this into practce

My approach is influenced by the bio-psycho-social model of psychology which looks at people in a way that doesn’t just view them as an island by themselves, but rather as an individual composed of factors involving their genetic or biological makeup, their psychological makeup, and the environment they live in. I believe in taking these factors into consideration when working with people as a way to improve their overall quality of life. I believe therapy is about change and I work to help people facilitate that change to the best of my abilities.

However, I do tend to focus on the cognitive/psychological component of the model as a way to manage, change, or mitigate negative moods. I believe that the mind is one of the most powerful bioelectrical computers ever developed and with it, we can accomplish nearly anything. This is not to discount the importance of biological or social aspects that affect psychology, but rather it recognizes that we are part of a system and that within that system, we can only affect change in certain areas with the most readily available area being within our own mind. Much of my practice tends to work within the CBT based approaches to psychology. I look at how thoughts connect to feelings and how feelings influence thoughts. When necessary or when therapeutically advantageous, I will look into how behavior affects both thoughts and feelings.

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Free Psychological Screeners

These measures are not meant to replace proper diagnosis by a mental health professional and are provided for informational puposes only

PCL-5Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist

PHQ-9Patient Health Questionnaire

GAD-7Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale

Please note: These may be utilized in the course of therapy if you work with me.

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CPT Worksheets

Scroll for more worksheets

ABCThe ABC worksheet is used to recognize thought and emotion connections and to reframe unhelpful thoughts and beliefs.

CQWThe Challenging Questions worksheet is used to help start to deconstruct and analyze our thoughts and beliefs.

PoPTThe Patterns of Problematic Thinking worksheet helps us identify when we engage in cognitive distortions that negatively impact our lives

CBWThe Challenging Beliefs worksheet ties together the above 3 worksheets to help us recognize, challenge, and shift our thoughts and beliefs to a new and healthier perspective

Please note: These may be utilized in the course of therapy if you work with me.

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Resources

Worksheets and Information

What are Cognitive Distortions
Challenging Thoughts Worksheet
Reducing Impulsivity in ADHD Worksheet
CBT for Chronic Pain: Module 1 Client Handouts
CBT for Chronic Pain: Module 2 Client Handouts
CBT for Chronic Pain: Module 3 Client Handouts
ABC Method Worksheet
Abdominal Breathing/Calming Breathing Exercises
Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercises
Progressive Muscle Relaxation Audio MP3 with binurial beats/alpha waves (29 minutes)
Panic Attack Record Form
Panic Attack Coping Statements
Dual Awareness Exercise

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Information About Therapy

There are many types of therapies

There are many different types of therapy. One of the most comprehensive lists I've found listed 178 different therapeutic approaches. However, broadly speaking, they all fit into a few major groups. Those are:

Psychodynamic Therapies
Psychodynamic therapy is similar to psychoanalytic therapy (which is typically what you see in TV and movies) in that it is an in-depth form of talk therapy based on the theories and principles of psychoanalysis. But psychodynamic therapy is less focused on the patient-therapist relationship, because it is equally focused on the patient's relationship with his or her external world. In addition, psychodynamic therapy tends to focus on relationships, especially those in early childhood, and how the development of the person leads to their current suffering. Often, psychodynamic therapy is shorter than psychoanalytic therapy with respect to the frequency and number of sessions, but this is not always the case.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapies
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on modifying dysfunctional emotions, behaviors, and thoughts by interrogating and uprooting negative or irrational beliefs. This is often accomplished through talk therapy in session or homework that is conducted between sessions by the patient. This homework may be written, such as in a worksheet or be presented in the form of behavioral experiments that are later processed in the following session. Considered a "solutions-oriented" form of talk therapy, CBT rests on the idea that thoughts and perceptions influence behavior and emotions.

Humanistic Therapies
Also known as humanism, humanistic therapy is a positive approach to psychotherapy that focuses on a person's individual nature, rather than categorizing groups of people with similar characteristics as having the same problems. Humanistic therapy looks at the whole person, not only from the therapist's view but from the viewpoint of individuals observing their own behavior. The emphasis is on a person's positive traits and behaviors, and the ability to use their personal instincts to find wisdom, growth, healing, and fulfillment within themselves. Although nearly all other therapies draw from humanistic concepts, it is rare to find a true humanistic therapist as there is little supportive research for the therapy due to the nature of the therapy.

Gestalt Therapies
Gestalt therapy is a client-centered approach to psychotherapy that helps clients focus on the present and understand what is really happening in their lives right now, rather than what they may perceive to be happening based on past experience. Instead of simply talking about past situations, clients are encouraged to experience them, perhaps through re-enactment. Through the gestalt process, clients learn to become more aware of how their own negative thought patterns and behaviors are blocking true self-awareness and making them unhappy.

Systems Therapies
Family systems therapy is a form of psychotherapy that helps individuals resolve their problems in the context of their family units, where many issues are likely to begin. Each family member works together with the others to better understand their group dynamic and how their individual actions affect each other and the family unit as a whole. One of the most important premises of family systems therapy is that what happens to one member of a family happens to everyone in the family.

What do I practice?

I primarily practice in the area of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, though I am trained in quite a few other approaches as well. Within CBT, I utilize different approaches and often times will use them in a hybrid-type manner. Some of those include:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
While most of the other approaches listed below are technically CBT based therapies, this would be more what I would consider "therapy as usual." What I mean by this is that, for the most part, the patient guides what the session will focus on. This would mean that, as a patient, would you come to the session with an idea of what you want to work on within the framework of our treatment plan. For example, if you only wanted to work on depression we would not focus on another issue without good reason. Generally speaking, the trajectory of therapy would focus on whatever issues we identified in when we discussed treatment.

Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
This therapy is primarily for treating trauma, but it has shown to be effective with other mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, phobias, and more. It is an eye movement-based therapy much like EMDR. However, this is about the extent of the similarities between ART and EMDR. EMDR is also an eye movement-based therapy, but it is considered a client-driven therapy vs ART being therapist driven. Unlike EMDR, in ART the patient does not have to talk about their trauma which may be more comfortable (however, they do need to be able to focus on and think about their trauma). What drew me to ART is that it can accomplish much in a very short amount of time. Often times, patients can receive substantial relief from their symptoms in a single session.

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Another therapy modality primarily geared for treating trauma, CPT is a structured/manualized therapy. It involves the patient engaging in short homework assignments each day with the objective always moving towards recovery. It typically lasts 8-12 sessions to complete the program and has been the gold standard in trauma therapy for some time.

Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT)
REBT is a therapy that relies much heavier on the cognitive side of therapy, with behavioral issues being somewhat secondary (in my opinion) and parts of this therapy are even used in CPT listed above. The idea is that our mood comes from our dysfunctional thoughts and beliefs. In REBT we look to uncover and correct inaccuracies in our belief system which will then alter the thoughts that come from that belief. At times, this approach can be seen as an "adversarial" therapy as the clinician will often push and challenge the patient to go deeper and look at things, sometimes, from a radically different perspective. However, it is always done in the service of helping the patient move in the direction of recovery. This is done through gaining insight into your own mind.

Cognitive Therapy (CT)
Similar to the above, the focus here is on cognitive processes and understanding how those processes effect emotions. It is less adversarial than REBT, but also works to help the patient develop a deeper understanding of how their thoughts govern their mood and how to shift those thoughts in helpful but realistic ways. This therapy will often use imagery and self-talk to alter cognitive distortions, attitudes, and perceptions.

Reality Therapy (Choice Therapy)
An interesting therapy that looks at how the choices we make within relationships and ourselves influence mood and behavior. Indeed, all behaviors are seen as choices we make. These choices center around five basic needs that all humans are driven towards. Those needs are survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun. This therapy examines relationships, relationship habits, our concept of the quality world vs the perceived world and how we compare those worlds, and our sense of internal vs external control. This therapy emphasizes accountability and responsibility in our own lives.

Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT)
SFT is a short-term goal-focused therapy approach that incorporates concepts of positive psychology as well as cognitive behavioral psychology to help patients construct effective solutions rather than focusing on problems. It relies heavy on goal setting, motivating, achieving, and sustaining effective and beneficial behaviors.

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Patient Quotes

What other patients have been saying...

Gratefulness

"I want to thank you for helping us. You're a guardian angel to cops."

Comfort

"I have a hard time opening up to people, but you are so easy to talk to. Thank you for being so understanding."

Trust

"You know, cops don't trust real easy, but I trust you."

Thanks

"Thank you for working with me. You're the best psychologist I've ever seen."

Dr. Robert Hoppe, PsyD, LP Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Resources and Information

About
Dr. Hoppe

For
Patients

For
Students

Making people genuinely happy

Recovery

Regain Happiness

Symptom Reduction

Resources and Information

AboutDr. Hoppe

ForPatients

ForStudents

Making people genuinely happy

Recovery

Regain Happiness

Symptom Reduction

Privacy Information

Your privacy is my priority

Who is Dr. Robert Hoppe?

Just a little background information

Educational Background

The long hard road

Work Experience in Psychology

I won't bore you with the computer experience

My Philosophy of Psychology

How do I put all this into practce

Free Psychological Screeners

These measures are not meant to replace proper diagnosis by a mental health professional and are provided for informational puposes only

CPT Worksheets

Scroll for more worksheets

Resources

Worksheets and Information

Information About Therapy

There are many types of therapies

Patient Quotes

What other patients have been saying...

Gratefulness

Comfort

Trust

Thanks

About
Dr. Hoppe

For
Patients

For
Students