Ronald C. Naso, PhD, ABPP

Psychologist/Psychoanalyst in Stamford, CT

A trained clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst currently licensed in Connecticut and New York as well as in all participating states via APIT, Dr. Naso has been practicing psychotherapy and performing comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations for more than thirty years.  He received his B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from New York University, and currently serves as National Examination Chair of the American Board and Academy of Psychoanalysis as well as its Past-President. Dr. Naso achieved Diplomate status with specialty board certification in Psychoanalysis granted by the American Board of Professional Psychology.  He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and Division 39 (Society for Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychology in North America).

Dr. Naso is Adjunct Professor--Postgraduate Programs in Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy at the Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology at Adelphi University. He also served on the workgroup that authored the child section of the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual (PDM-2) and contributed to the educational and training standards for psychoanalysts developed by the Psychoanalytic Specialty Council. 

Dr. Naso has authored or co-edited numerous books and journal articles on psychoanalytic topics. He is an Associate Editor of Contemporary Psychoanalytic Studies; serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Infant, Child, and Adolescent Psychotherapy, Metalepsis—Journal of the American Board & Academy of Psychoanalysis, and Journal of Clinical Psychiatry and Psychology; and is a Contributing Editor of Division/Review and the Journal of Psychology and Clinical Psychiatry.


My philosophy...

Psychotherapy offers an opportunity for personal growth and development as well as for learning more effective strategies for managing the stress and adversity in life.  It is an inherently collaborative process that requires an empathic, highly trained therapist and a client willing to enter into a therapeutic relationship which, by definition, is different from those relationships he or she has formed in the past.  The process is conversational, reflective, and begins with a desire for self-understanding.  My therapeutic approach is empathic and nonjudgmental.  I focus on providing insight about those factors that perpetuate emotional suffering and self-defeating behavior as well as identifying and developing ways to live a more engaged and creative life.  It is my belief that a lively working alliance facilitates coping and healing.  Only in a therapeutic relationship experienced as safe does one entertain new perspectives and make choices less determined by the legacy of the past.