Contact Information

333 North Michigan Avenue - Suite 801
Chicago, Illinois 60601

Telephone: 312-750-1060
e-mail: dennis.mccaughan@gmail.com

Psychotherapy

What often brings us to psychotherapy is the sense of having somehow lost that continuity of purpose and meaning that otherwise is felt in living well. This conception of the problem gives the proper place to the construction of meaning in life and the signficance of narrative or story in how we understand ourselves. Problems of anxiety, depression and other psychological and behavioral disturbances often reflect a lack of purpose or meaning and point to preoccupations and concerns related to current interpersonal problems as well as the continuing influence of past experiences. I believe psychotherapy is a collaborative effort. It requires active participation in which the psychotherapeutic work is increasingly characterized as a conversation between two people equally alert, awake and engaged. One of the principle purposes of psychotherapy is to rediscover the nature and possibilities inherent in living. Curiosity is essential to the work of self exploration. One of the potential achievements of psychotherapy is the development of a renewed interest and purpose in living. In my practice of some 30 years it is clear to me that no one approach can effectively address problems in living given that each of us is a unique expression of our common human experience. Therefore I offer various ways of understanding with an emphasis on a detailed exploration of one’s current life situation within the context of a life course developmental framework. Ways of understanding utilizing dreams, memories and reflections are balanced with the exploration of daily activity and habit so as to increase awareness leading to new possibilities in thinking, feeling and acting. I make referrals for psychiatric and psychopharmocological consultation as needed as well as recommendations when helpful for massage, meditation, career planning and related activities.

Brief Consultations

In addition to psychotherapy, I offer brief consultations to individuals seeking to address specific situations related to parenting, work and changes in life circumstances. These consultations are focused on immediate concerns and time limited in nature.

Appointments and Fees

An appointment can be made for an initial consultation. Sessions are 50 minutes in length. The purpose of the initial consultation is to both explore the nature of the problem and to allow both participants to get a sense of whether a working relationship is possible. It is essential that the person seeking psychotherapy have a sense of the psychotherapist as helpful and as someone with whom they feel comfortable.

My fee is $175.00 per session. Reduced fees are possible depending on the individual’s ability to pay and are determined by mutual agreement. I am a Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO provider and affiliated with the student plans at The University of Chicago and Northwestern University. Other insurance plans may be accepted. Payment for professional services are the responsibility of the client. Clients are expected to pay the fee at the time of service unless other arrangements are made in advance. I ask that clients give 24 hours notice for the cancellation of an appointment. Clients are responsible for sessions missed or cancelled without 24 hours notice.

About Dr. McCaughan

Dennis McCaughan is a psychotherapist, teacher and consultant. Born in San Francisco, he grew up in Honolulu. He received his undergraduate degree from Boston University and was as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Iran. Following his return, he served in the U.S. Army. Dr. McCaughan studied English literature at the University of Hawaii and received his masters degree in education from Stanford University. He joined the education faculty at Roosevelt University in Chicago and entered doctoral studies at the University of Chicago. His interest in mental health began as a research assistant at the Social Psychiatry Study Center in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Chicago and at the Laboratory for the Study of Adolescence at Michael Reese Hospital. Dr. McCaughan was a National Institutes of Mental Health Fellow in the Clinical Research Training Program in Adolescence at Michael Reese Hospital and the University of Chicago and was a Fellow in Adolescent Psychology at Illinois State Psychiatric Institute. On completing his doctoral degree at the University of Chicago, Dr. McCaughan held several clinical and training positions and has taught and consulted widely. Dr. McCaughan teaches in the areas of human development, psychoanalytic theory, and psychotherapy at a number of institutions including Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and the Institute for Clinical Social Work. He is currently consulting psychotherapist at the St. James Cathedral Counseling Center, Chicago and at the Community House, Hinsdale, Illinois. In addition, he is a contributing editor to the journal, Schools: Studies in Education published by the Francis W. Parker School, Chicago. Dr. McCaughan has been in the independent practice of psychotherapy since 1984 and is a licensed clinical psychologist in the State of Illinois. Dr. McCaughan is married with three children.

Education

Punahou School, Honolulu, Hawaii, 1962
Boston University, B.S. , Journalism and English, 1966
Stanford University, M.A. , Education, 1971
University of Chicago, Ph.D., Education, 1982

Current Teaching, Consultation and Other Activities

Faculty, Institute for Clinical Social Work, Chicago
Instructor, Professional Development Program, School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago
Consultant in Individual Psychotherapy, St. James Cathedral Counseling Center, Chicago
Consulting Psychotherapist, Community House, Hinsdale, Illinois.
Contributing Editor, Schools: Studies in Education

Selected Presentations and Publications

McCaughan, D. L., McCleary, R. and Sawyer, A. Against certainty: The rhetoric of diagnosis and the practice of psychotherapy. Presentation. The Connecticut Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology, New Haven, CT., May 2009.

______________(2005) Dr. Coles and Old Doc Rivers: On the imagination in practice. Unpublished manuscript.

_______________Clueless and precocious: The psychotherapist and the gifted student. Presentation. Student Counseling and Resource Center, University of Chicago, May 2004.

_______________ (2004) A love affair with our school: One parent’s story. Schools: Studies in Education, l, 72-84.

_______________ and Miller, J. Portrait of the artist: The artist in film. Continuing Education Series, St. James Cathedral Counseling Center, Chicago, April 2003.

_______________ The therapeutic stalemate: Problems, possibilities and approaches. Professional Development Program, School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, March 2003.

_______________ Myth, memory and imagination: Adolescence revisited in The Virgin Suicides. Continuing Education Series, St. James Cathedral Counseling Center, Chicago, November 2003.

_______________ On being a psychotherapist. Summer Institute, Professional Development Program, School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, July 2001.

________________ (1999) On learning to learn again. In W. Borden (Ed.), Comparative Approaches to Brief Psychotherapy (pp. 203-217). New York: Haworth Press.