Bernard J. Baca Ph.D., LCSW

Bernard J. Baca Ph.D., LCSW Quick Facts

Main Areas: Couples therapy straight or gay; object relations, forensic criminal evaluations
Best Sellers: • "Envy manifestation in individuals and couples: implications for imago therapy" in Hendrix, H., Hunt, H., Hannah, M., Luquet, W. (Eds) (2005) Imago relationship therapy: perspectives on theory : Jossey Bass: New York • "Empathic Attunement in Marital Therapy as a Spiritual State: Some Thoughts and Strategies for Development" in Helmeke, K. and Sorie, C.(Eds) (2006) The therapist’s notebook for integrating spirituality in counseling. Haworth Press: New York.
Affiliation: Trained by Dr. Harville Hendrix and Dr. Pat Love in Imago couples therapy. Spoken at state and national conferences on topics ranging from Envy in couples, the power struggle for couples, intervention strategies for couples' therapists. Well read in object relations developmental theory and its' application to couples in therapy. I have been in private clinical practice since the early 1980s working initially in forensic settings and finally full time private practice specializing in couples therapy. I have had my own business since 1984. The business is titled Indiana-Imago. I am also a member in good standing with the National Association of Social Workers, Imago Relationships international, I have taught courses in cross cultural issues in psychotherapy, working with ethnic minorities particularly Hispanic or Latinos, research methods all at the Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, IN, in their marriage and family therapy degree program. I have taught Abnormal Psychology for undergraduates while I was finishing my doctorate in clinical psychology.

 

Dr. Baca is a clinician and educator with 28 years of experience. He holds a doctorate and master's degree in clinical psychology and a master's degree in social work. He has supervised graduate and post graduate students and has taught classes in the marriage and family therapy graduate program at Christian Theological Seminary. He has had his work published in a number of publications concerning Imago Relationship theory and practice. He has presented national workshops in the area of marital therapy, working with character problems, object relations, envy, and pedophilia.

Dr. Baca was trained by Drs. Harville Hendrix and Pat Love as a Certified Imago Relationship Therapist and Couples Workshop Presenter respectively. He has worked in a variety of settings including a private practice in Santa Fe, New Mexico prior to moving to Indiana. His experience includes private practice in forensic psychology as well as a long term commitment to the theory and practice of Imago Therapy. Topics of interest for him include object relations theory, gestalt techniques, and Imago Therapy.  He has also consulted with private and public agencies and organizations in the areas of staff development, program development, and training. He loves helping couples blossom relationally by helping them understand themselves through their partner's experience of them.

Dr. Baca specializes in the following areas: couples and groups. He believes much like Harville Hendrix, that the wounding was relational and the healing must be relational. His humor, candor, honesty, as well as his clinical acumen are the cornerstones of his clinical skills. He is also an excellent teacher which includes clinical supervision of other social work and marriage and family therapy clinicians.

Dr. Baca and his wife, Rev. Shermie L. Schafer, also a Certified Imago Relationship Therapist, conduct couples Imago Workshops together. They work extraordinarily well together as prior workshop participants have stated:  "you have found your calling…please continue to bring happiness into the lives of others. You and Shermie are an excellent team." --Jim and Donna. Another participant stated, "Charlie and I are deeply grateful to both of you for all the energy you put into this past weekend." She also quoted her spouse as saying, "They are not only excellent presenters, they genuinely care which is what makes them so very effective." --Vivian and Charlie.

Dr. Baca, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker received his doctorate in clinical psychology from the Union Institute, his masters degree in social work from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an MA in clinical psychology from Central Michigan University. He has taught courses in cross cultural issues in marriage and family therapy, abnormal psychology, and other topics in undergraduate and graduate programs.

Dr. Baca is a bi-lingual Hispanic with centuries old roots in New Mexico. He loves tinkering and working on his sports car.

 

Dr. Baca’s Clinical & Educational Services

Dr. Baca works exclusively with couples regardless of the couple’s sexual orientation. He discovered after many years of his own personal work including psychoanalysis, that the greatest opportunity for growth lay in his relationship with his spouse. Dr. Baca echoes Dr. Hendrix who claims that love, by its nature, calls us to return to very early developmental stages in our childhood, as the basis to experience and express the essence of love with another.

"My theoretical clinical orientation propelled me in the direction of the Imago work. I believe whole-heartedly that the marital/couple arena was the fertile soil for couples to heal their individual woundedness. In addition to couples therapy, I also conduct couples weekend workshops based on Dr. Hendrix’s model of Imago Relationship Therapy. I provide clinical consultation to seasoned singles and couples therapists who wish to understand and integrate object relations theory with direct and successful intervention actions. I also conduct training seminars on a variety of subjects and in a variety of venues. I provide workshops on cross-cultural issues. Finally, I offer training workshops on integrating object relations theory with practical, effective treatment interventions."  --Dr. Baca.

 

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