Dr. Gary L. Coats
Welcome to our website! We have tried to make it highly informative while at the same time being very user friendly. We hope that you find our information and description of services to be helpful in your quest for quality service that fit your needs.
On a personal note, I was born, raised and educated on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Indian Reservations in the upper mid-west. I completed a 3 year tour of duty in the US Army during the Vietnam era and shortly thereafter, in 1974, completed an under-graduate degree in psychology at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire.
I completed graduate training in clinical and community psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln receiving a doctorate of philosophy in 1982. Specialized training in the areas of Substance Abuse and Alcoholism were completed. Clinical internship training in psychology was completed at the Langley Porter Neuropsychiatric Center, University of California Medical Center in San Francisco, 1978-79. I subsequently completed a one year postdoctoral training program in 1992 at the Center for Cognitive therapy, University of Pennsylvania, under the direction of Aaron T. Beck, M.D. I have been in continually training throughout my career in psychology and have pursued extensive training in several areas including: psychological assessment; adolescent assessment and treatment; forensic evaluations; geriatric services; and, Mind-Body therapeutic approaches.
At the present time, I have been a licensed psychologist for more than 30 years. I enjoy merging a strong psychoanalytical foundation with a Cognitive Behavioral approach to treatment. At the present time I would be considered to be a Cognitive psychologist. Cognitive Therapy is commonly very focused and goal driven. The Cognitive model for therapy is frequently the treatment of choice as it has been established as one of the best evidenced based treatment methods available for many emotional problems. Cognitive Behavioral tools and skills are taught in the treatment of chronic stress related illnesses; major depressions; anxiety disorders; substance abuse treatments; and, anger management strategies.
I have acquired a wealth of experience in these many years of helping people gain control of their chronic stress, addictions, anxiety, depression, and explosive anger. I try to guide and nurture therapy to discover, experience and build on people’s core strengths. I work to create a compassionate and respectful relationship with a commitment to helping people overcome their personal roadblocks.
I hope your visit to our website is helpful and informative. Please feel free to ask any questions that you may have regarding our treatment services. Thank you for visiting our site.
Dr. Rachelle A. Sutten
I believe all people want to feel good about themselves and content with their life choices, accomplishments and significant relationships. I also believe that people have the strength within themselves to feel content with their life. However, sometimes life circumstances, personal history, medical health or general personality characteristics can interfere and impede our satisfaction with life.
Rather than moving through life with joy and contentment, we may feel stuck, overwhelmed or desperate for change. Challenges may begin to look like obstacles that interfere with our path toward freedom, growth and happiness. These thoughts and feelings can happen to anyone -- children, adolescents or adults, male/female, single or married. And when it happens, it can cause a range of difficulties in our personal, social and occupational roles that may range from moderately irritating to outright intolerable, depressing, debilitating or anger provoking.
At some point we all face external challenges (medical illness, significant loss, job change/loss, emotional trauma, conflict in relationships, etc). Our responses to these events have a tendency to either make us stronger and more resilient or create additional distress and dysfunction in our day-to-day lives. Long-term distress and disharmony may lead to patterns of behavior that no longer serve a valuable purpose but instead, cause additional anxiety, depression, anger and discontent with one’s self or significant others.
I would love to be able to help you identify and minimize some of the obstacles that are getting in the way of your happiness and satisfaction in life and in relationships. I will help you identify your strengths so that you can better understand and manage your weaknesses. Along the way, we will examine options made available to you and some of the choices you have made. Perhaps there is a pattern that keeps occurring and you just need to find someone who will help you get out of that rut and begin a new path. Someone who will support you, and guide you when needed and someone who you can count on to be consistent in their efforts to honor your thoughts and feelings while working toward your personal goals.
I have worked with children and families for the past 18 years and have helped them obtain greater satisfaction in their lives. I look forward to the opportunity to help you as well.
Dakotah
Hi, my name is Dakotah. I started coming into the office when Rusty Gold started to get really sick. I miss Rusty sooo much. She was kind of like my mom.
At first it was kind of scary coming into the office. I didn't know what to expect, and it seemed like I kept getting into trouble because I would whine a lot... mostly because I didn’t know what I was supposed to do and I wanted to make sure everything was going to be okay. Now I look forward to going into the office almost every day with my master, Dr. Gary.
When you come into the office, I will almost certainly be here. Dr. Gary & Dr. Rachelle usually try to have me on a leash when new people come in because I'm pretty big, and I might scare you, but I would never hurt you. I just get sooo excited, and I love to greet everyone. It is so exciting to go into the waiting room and see who is there. It’s always an exciting adventure because I never know if I will see an old friend or meet someone new.
After I greet you in the waiting room, I might follow you into the office with either Dr. Gary or Dr. Rachelle. I pretty much take turns going into their offices. I might ask (beg) for attention, but it’s okay if you don’t want to pet me. I understand that not everyone feels comfortable around dogs. I’m usually pretty quiet during the sessions, but I keep my ears open (even when it looks like I’m sleeping) in case someone gets upset and needs some extra love and attention from me. I can also be a great diversion if you’re feeling kind of sad or nervous; it seems like some people calm down and feel better when they give me attention. It’s a win-win situation. I help people and people give me attention.
Now I really understand why Rusty Gold was always so excited to go to the office with our master. I know I'm a pretty lucky dog. I just love to be close to people, and I get to be with new people almost everyday. I can’t wait to meet you!
Rusty
Tribute to Rusty Gold Sutten Coats: Therapy Dog Extraordinaire
2000-2012
Our beloved and devoted life companion, Rusty Gold, passed away in late August, 2012. Always playful and loving, Rusty greeted all people equally with unconditional love and affection. As a young pup she was adventurous and curious and found herself in trouble on more than one occasion. However, she was so easy to forgive with her beautiful smile and large brown eyes. She loved to play and most of all to swim and retrieve. Although she did not have the opportunity to hunt (pheasant, grouse) often but when given the chance, she took to it like she had hunted all of her life … fast, persistent and totally energized. She was an exceptional girl.
Rusty was an exceptionally intelligent puppy and sailed through her formal training classes and was the only pup to pass her Good Citizen training level on the first try. She was always eager to learn and enjoy long training sessions with one of her best friends, Cassie. She always loved going to work and was first at the door in the morning to get to the office. She warmly greeted all the new people she encountered and made them feel loved and appreciated. Many clients at the office grew very fond of Rusty as she would always give them her unconditional love.
As Rusty matured she loved to travel with the family and visit new places. She became a wise and tolerant soul through the years. She was able to communicate very effectively with the family through a variety of intonations and inflections of her barks and woofs. We were often informed of her feelings and attitude by her very subtle efforts to communicate her approval or disapproval.
Russ was a dedicated and devoted life companion. She brought an immeasurable quantity of love and affection into our life. She will never be forgotten. She will be loved, honored and remembered forever.