Carol Ummel Lindquist, Ph.D, FAClinP

About Carol

Dr. Lindquist is a Board Certified and licensed Clinical Psychologist specializing in high conflict couples and trauma therapy for individuals. Her private practice has been in Laguna Beach for more than 30 years where she is part of a group of independent practitioners. She has written a book, Happily Married with Kids, It’s NOT just a fairy tale  about how to be in the 33% of couples who grow closer and happier after kids and avoid being in the 67% who are much more unhappy or divorced. She has trained numerous therapists and published many papers on assertiveness, domestic violence and social skills training. She lives with her husband and they raised their sons in Laguna Beach, California. Yes she is happily married but remembers, marriage can be very hard work sometimes. She believes working through the tough times – or just surviving – gives you a chance to look at yourselves, grow as individuals and reconnect around your strengths and the things you love about each other. Living and working through tough times can lead to the best and happiest part of your life.

Education and Clinical Training

Dr. Lindquist graduated from Miami University in Psychology Magna Cum Laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Her clinical training included internships in Illinois and California.

Dr. Lindquist has received intensive postgraduate training in couples therapy. She has done additional training in couples therapy from the Couples Institute in Menlo Park and completed an externship in Advanced Training in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT). She also completed an externship at the Masters and Johnson Institute. She is an EMDR approved consultant with peak performance training.

Therapeutic Orientation

Dr. Lindquist enjoys working with couples and individuals. She is probably most well known as a therapist for working with high conflict and violent couples and treatment of trauma. She likes to align whatever techniques apply to a particular issue with positive psychology. She frequently acts as a consultant for other therapists on difficult cases.

As a coach, she specializes in working with therapists, counselors and individuals interested in growing their practice. She also enjoys working with people who wish to add an Internet component to their business. She has a variety of interests and experiences and likes to remain current on a number of topics that apply to her coaching, couples and individual work.

Couples Therapy

About couples therapy, Dr. Lindquist says,  “Couples benefit in therapy when we create a peaceful haven for all members of the family. As a rule, I am pro marriage and never advise clients to get a divorce. Sometimes couples choose to come to therapy to work on establishing good divorces for themselves and their children. I try to do the best I can for their children using my experience in mediation. I also work with individuals in high conflict relationships who wish to decide whether to work on a relationship or seek a separation. In addition, I work with both males and females who have anger problems. Although I sometimes work as solo therapist on these cases, if the case warrants, I work with a co-therapist so that each individual has their own therapist.”

Due to her teaching and additional training, she is thoroughly familiar with several models for working with couples. Her therapeutic model most closely resembles that of Sue Johnson and Emotion Focused Therapy and Bader and Pearson on the developmental stages in couple relationships. Her couples work matches the developmental needs of the relationship. She integrates the techniques from the research of John Gottman and Howard Markman as well.  She also had advanced training at the Masters and Johnson Institute in sex therapy.

Individual Therapy and Trauma

She regularly uses EMDR, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing for the rapid relief of traumatic experiences such as childhood injury and abuse, grief, anxiety, fire, accidents, fears and phobias. She has had Level I and Level II training and is certified to use EMDR as part of her work with victims of trauma and abuse. For more information about EMDR, please e-mail her: Carol@doctorcarol.com. Or visit www.emdria.org the website of the International EMDR Association.

She has also treated borderline individuals who were severely traumatized as children. They often react very emotionally in the present because they experience intensely and have difficulty self-soothing. She most closely follow the dialectic behavior therapy model of Marsha Linehan, Ph.D. and therefore uses the support of a back-up or partner therapist for these cases.

Depression and Anxiety

She also has an excellent background in the treatment of depression and anxiety. She uses a combination of psychotherapy and appropriate referrals for medication, if the client wishes. The Psychology Center has served as a screening site for National Depression Screening Week and for National Anxiety Screening Week.

Additional Interests

As a result of her own personal experience, she acquired background in some other areas. She is the mother of one biological and one adopted child. She has a large circle of family, friends and acquaintances that have adopted. She also experienced 10 years of infertility treatments. Therefore, she is well acquainted in the areas of adoption and infertility. She has a wide background in parenting issues as well. She also has an interest in counseling perimenopausal and menopausal women. She views this as a normal life transition and encourages people to view it as an important positive event in their lives.  She enjoys counseling people in these areas.

Community Service

Dr. Lindquist enjoys community service and served as the Chair of the board of Women’s Transitional Living Center for several years. She has been active in her children’s school on Parent Education Committee, on the Board of Trustees for SchoolPower and as a sports mom for several sports.  She also has organized trips to Mexico to build Homes for Hope and co-created a scholarship fund for young Mexican girls. She likes contributing to microfinance programs. She occasionally attends work weekends at a Mexican orphanage. She is a founding board member of Impact Giving.

Teaching and Consultation

Dr Lindquist retired as Professor Emerita from California State Fullerton after 28 years.  She enjoyed teaching and administered the Clinical Psychology Program. Her full vita is available.  Coaching has replaced teaching in her practice.

Professional Organizations

• American Psychological Association
• EMDR International Association, Certified Clinician
• Diplomate in Clinical Psychology; American Board of Professional Psychology
• National Register of Health Service Providers
• Orange County Psychological Association