Preston Lear, Psy.D., Psy.D., L.C.S.W., earned a doctorate in clinical psychology at the Wright Institute, Berkeley, a doctorate in psychoanalysis at the Los Angeles Institute and Society of Psychoanalytic Studies (LAISPS) where he is currently a senior candidate, and a master’s in social work at New York University.  Dr. Lear has a background providing individual and family therapy in diverse settings including schools, community mental health facilities, and residential treatment centers serving adults and adolescents. He developed and directed the psychotherapy program for the Get a Grip Foundation (2008-2012), a non-profit providing free golf instruction, academic tutoring, and psychotherapy that served the needs of 300 youth.

Dr. Lear subsequently worked as an individual and family psychotherapist at PCH Treatment Center (2012-2016). He has a private practice in West Los Angeles where he works in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and trauma. Dr. Lear has been an adjunct professor instructing doctoral students at Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and has taught postdoctoral fellows at the Maple Counseling Center and the Wright Institute Los Angeles.

Dr. Lear’s most recent paper, entitled “The Icarus Complex and the Trauma of Falling Forever,” is a chapter in the volume, Trauma and the Destructive-Transformative Struggle, published by Routledge. Dr. Lear has a keen interest in the creative process, and he advocates for time spent playing in wild places: mountains, desert, and sea.