Jack Irmas

About Jack

My approach

I don't assume the first explanation is the whole story. I pay attention to conflicting feelings, familiar defenses, and meanings that may be difficult to recognize on your own. I ask questions, offer interpretations, and follow what emerges between us. My goal is to understand your particular experience, not fit it into a theory.

About me

Alongside my clinical practice, I devote much of my professional life to studying and teaching psychotherapy. After a two-year postgraduate fellowship in psychodynamic psychotherapy, I joined the faculty of the Wright Institute Los Angeles. I value disciplined clinical thinking and the willingness to be surprised by the person in front of me.

More background

People don't always come to therapy knowing exactly what's wrong. Sometimes there's a clear problem, like anxiety, depression, or a relationship in distress. Other times, there's a more difficult-to-describe sense of dissatisfaction, confusion, or feeling stuck.

I'm interested in understanding the whole person, rather than treating any particular difficulty in isolation. Our work might involve examining earlier relationships, noticing conflicting feelings, questioning familiar explanations, or paying attention to something that emerges unexpectedly in a session.

I don't see my role as simply affirming what you already believe about yourself. I bring clinical knowledge, curiosity, and an active perspective to our conversations. Sometimes I'll offer an interpretation or draw attention to a connection you haven't considered. At other times, it's important not to rush toward an explanation.

I work with adults and couples from a range of backgrounds. I have particular experience with men, including gay men, and with questions involving intimacy, sexuality, identity, and relationships. In couples therapy, I'm interested not only in what partners fight about, but also in what each person may be protecting, longing for, or expecting from the other.

My work is primarily psychodynamic and relational. When appropriate, I also incorporate attachment-focused EMDR as part of a broader treatment.

I believe psychotherapy calls for both serious psychological thinking and genuine human engagement. Neither is a substitute for the other.

Specialties

Types of therapy

Who Jack works with

Ages

Adults

Communities

LGBTQ+, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Open Relationships / Non-Monogamy

Languages

English

Education and training

Certifications

Certificate from Wright Institute Los Angeles, Two Year Postgraduate Fellowship in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy / 2021

Level 3 Attachment Focused EMDR - Parnell Institute

Core Faculty - Wright Institute Los Angeles