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Dr. Jon Weingarden, PsyD

Practice Owner / Doctor of Psychology


I am proud to be serving my home, Pittsburgh, as a psychologist. I've been in the field since 2010 and founded WPS in 2020. WPS contracted with additional therapists in 2024, becoming a group practice.


While I consider myself a general practitioner, I have several areas of specialized experience:

  • Bipolar Disorder: 7-years working in Bipolar research and treatment utilizing Interpersonal Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT) at UPMC's Depression and Manic Depression Prevention Program (DMDPP) and Light Therapy for Bipolar Disorder at UPMC's Women's Behavioral Health Program.

  • Trauma and Personality Disorders: during supervised training during my doctorate at UPMC's Adult Trauma Inpatient Recovery Program and later serving as a covering director of the program. During this time, I also received supervised training in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Seeking Safety trauma informed treatment.

  • Eating Disorders (Anorexia) and Feeding Disorders (ARFID - Avoidant / Restrictive Food Intake Disorder): As a senior program director at UPMC's Western Psychiatric Hospital, among other programs, I served the inpatient eating disorders treatment program. During this time, I updated the DBT treatment, added an Eating and the Self psychodynamic group therapy manual (based upon Focal Dynamic Therapy), and developed a site-specific CBT-E manual including treatment of ARFID as it occurs within the presentation of anorexia.

My approach to therapy is integrative, perceiving psychology through a relational dynamic lens: our problems, personality and symptoms can and should be understood within an interpersonal context. We are social beings, and must be understood in our social context. This also means we must take a person-first perspective: understanding the person-first, as an individual to understand the symptoms rather than focusing on symptoms-first. This drives interventions, whether psychodynamic or cognitive behavioral. Additionally, I believe our internal, intrapsychic, world is made of parts seeking homeostasis, and my work often incorporates parts-work - exploring ambivalence or mixed feelings, and seeking new, more sustainable homeostasis as part of therapy.


*Dr. Weingarden is currently only accepting self-pay clients and evaluations or specialized skills training, new supervisees and group therapy practitioners, and requests for lectures and consultation. If you wish to use insurance, please schedule with one of Dr. Weingarden's colleagues under the "team" drop-down. The session fee is $250 for a 50-minute session.



Publications

Presentations

  • Weingarden, J (2021). Uncertainty, transference, and reasons therapists might fail. Antioch University, Lecture Series.

  • Solai, L., and Weingarden, J. (2018). Behavioral Management in a Nursing Home Unit For Residents with Chronic Serious Mental Illness. Kairos Presentations, Webinar.

  • Tew, J., Weingarden, J., and White, C. (2017). Plan, Do, Study, Act Cycle in Quality Improvement Research. Clinician Educator Showcase, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA.

  • Weingarden, J. (2017). Agitation in Inpatients with Major Neurocognitive Disorder: Translating Interventions Between Inpatient, Outpatient and Home Settings. Geriatric Education Meeting, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC, Pittsburgh PA.

  • Weingarden, J. (2017). Geriatric Psychiatry Inpatients: Preventative Interventions for Outlier Patients.

    Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA.

  • Weingarden, J. (2016). Understanding Agitation in Students with Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Best Practice Interventions. Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.

  • Weingarden, J. (2015). Interpersonal Stew: What You Put In Is What You Get Out (Aggression In College Athletes). Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.

  • Weingarden, J. (2014). Integrative Psychotherapy, Theoretical and Practical Bases. Chatham University, Pittsburgh, PA.

  • Weingarden, J. (2012). Differences in Interpersonal Psychotherapy Problem Foci Between Individuals Suffering from Unipolar and Bipolar Depression. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Poster Presentations, Pittsburgh, PA.

  • Weingarden, J. (2009). Group vs. Individual Housing and Enriched vs. Non-Enriched Housing on Socialization in Rats. Denison University Poster Presentations, Granville, OH.

  • Weingarden, J. (2007). Relationship Between Nicotine and Depression in College Students. Denison University Poster Presentations, Granville, OH.https://counselorbrief.com/qa/5-ways-to-maintain-professional-boundaries-while-building-client-rapport-in-mental-health/

Specialty
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