Brian Pilecki

Brian Pilecki, PhD, is a clinical psychologist at Portland Psychotherapy in Portland, Oregon, who that specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders, trauma and PTSD, and psychedelic-assisted therapy. Brian practices from an orientation based in CBT and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and has extensive experience in the areas of mindfulness and meditation. He sees adults ages 18+ and offers telehealth services in Oregon and Washington. Brian identifies as queer or gay and is passionate about working with LGBTQ+ clients.

At Portland Psychotherapy, Brian is an active researcher and a study therapist on several clinical trials including the investigation of the use of MDMA-assisted therapy for the treatment of social anxiety disorder and the use of 5-MeO-DMT for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression. Brian also regularly gives training and workshops to clinicians in areas related to exposure therapy and psychedelics. He is also an instructor for Fluence, a leading psychedelic training organization where he provides training to psilocybin facilitators in Oregon and to study therapists in clinical trials across the country.

He is founder of Entropia and provides psilocybin facilitation to individuals and groups in Oregon. Brian is also a co-founder of Portland Integration Network, a network of professionals offering specialized care related to psychedelics in Oregon. He is the author of the book ACT-Informed Exposure for Anxiety and co-host of Altered States of Context, a podcast about psychotherapy and psychedelics.

Brian, alongside Jason Luoma, PhD, joined host Jason Duncan, PhD for a 2 episode series of the Sanity X ABCT podcast. Click the links below to listen.

Sanity x ABCT: Psychedelic Assisted Therapy with Dr.’s Jason Luoma and Brian Pilecki
Episode 1 | Episode 2

To learn more, see Brian’s profile at Portland Psychotherapy, or watch his brief introductory video.

First, we would like to know a little about your practice.

What are your personal strengths as a practitioner?

I think I am good at establishing trust with my clients and instilling a sense of hope that therapy can be helpful in meeting their therapeutic goals. I also think that I am very flexible as a practitioner, adapting my therapeutic interventions to each client’s unique situation, and being able to roll with the punches when unexpected things happen in the therapeutic encounter. I value being experiential – whether that is through exposure practice or some other type of intervention.

What “tips” can you offer to colleagues just opening a practice?

It’s normal to take awhile to find your footing, even if you have lots of therapy experiences in other contexts. I’ve found that many aspects of providing psychotherapy in a practice setting, as opposed to most of my experiences in graduate school, were skills that I needed to develop. For example, the skill of marketing and attracting clients who I really want to work with took some time to develop.

How do you remind your patients of their strengths during the therapy process?

Reminding clients of their strengths can be naturally reinforcing, as most clients respond in a way that indicates that they are touched, appreciative, or pleasantly surprised to receive positive feedback from their therapist! But there are times when I might lose track of the importance of doing so and try to use those opportunities to reflect on potential variables that may be at play. Has the client shaped my behavior in some way? Do I have some internal process that is distracting me?

Are you involved in other types of professional activities in addition to your private practice?

One of the things that I love most about being a psychologist is getting to wear a variety of hats. I am an active researcher and writer. I am involved in teaching, providing workshops and training to other clinicians, and providing clinical supervision to trainees. I also volunteer in many professional organizations that are aligned with my values, such as serving as co-Chairperson of the Psychedelic SIG at ABCT.

We would also like to know a little about you personally.

Who was your mentor?

I was extremely lucky to work with Dean McKay, who was an extraordinary grad school mentor. Not only was Dean extremely knowledgeable about exposure therapy and a wealth of clinical topics, I learned so many skills related to our profession, such as having a work-life balance, being a productive writer, and being a successful researcher. He was extremely kind, compassionate, and supportive to me throughout my time at Fordham University and we remain good friends today.

When not practicing CBT, what do you do for fun?

I’m a lover of music – listening to music, going to concerts, and playing the guitar. I also am passionate about travel and try to visit places in the world that I’ve never been to before.

We are also interested in some of your views of CBT.

What do you think is the single most important thing CBT can do for your clients?

I think CBT offers a framework for clients to better understand their presenting problems and does so in such a way that leads to novel solutions that they have not considered before. I’ve worked with numerous clients who have reported that their prior “talk therapy” experiences were unhelpful and then went on to show a positive response to CBT.

Where do you see the field of the behavioral therapies going over the next 3-5 years?

I see and hope that behavioral therapies move psychotherapy into a more process-based and transdiagnostic paradigm, which in many ways is getting back to our behavioral roots. While diagnostic classifications have their time and place, breaking out of their limitations is where I see CBT bringing a wealth of wisdom and utility to the table.

How do you use the local media or social media to educate your community on the benefits of CBT?

Social media is not my strength, but I do see the value of sharing accurate information, articles, and news related to mental health given that there is so much misinformation out there. I also am a member of several therapist groups on social media that can be helpful for consultation and community.

Finally, we would like to know your opinions about ABCT.

How long have you been a member of ABCT?

I attended my first conference back in 2008 and have been a member off and on since then.

How has ABCT helped you professionally?

ABCT has helped me in so many ways, including learning more about CBT, professional networking, and feeling part of a dedicated group of professionals who are oriented towards improving and disseminating high-quality therapy to the public.

What services do you consider the most valuable from ABCT?

I appreciate the SIGs and their ability to connect individuals with similar interests from geographically disparate locations. It’s great that ABCT hosts a wide range of SIGs and I think they are an underutilized aspect of professional organizations. I recommend joining one and getting involved, especially if you are newer to ABCT and want to connect with others.