Dr. Brian Esterling, NC Psychologist 2085, FL Psychologist PY9451

Dr. Brian Esterling is a licensed psychologist with more than 30 years of clinical and administrative experience. He holds licenses in North Carolina and Florida - NC Psychologist 2085 and FL Psychologist PY9451 - indicating his credentials as a practicing psychologist in those states. His career began on the faculty at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC, where he provided outpatient care and supervised psychiatric interns during their clinical rotations.

He later served as Clinical Director for a national managed care organization, overseeing best-practice treatment planning and therapeutic techniques across a network of over 5,000 practitioners. That role covered a wide range of treatment settings, including inpatient hospitalization, partial and intensive outpatient programs, and standard outpatient care. Currently, he serves as the Chair of a graduate psychology program at a major online university based in Florida.

Clinically, Dr. Esterling works with people facing depression, anxiety, self-esteem and motivation challenges, career concerns, addictions, relationship and family issues, grief, anger, and other life transitions. His therapeutic approach blends client-centered principles with solution-focused strategies, emphasizing that individuals are the experts on their own lives and can be supported to achieve their goals. He helps clients identify a clear roadmap for therapy and the practical steps needed to reach desired outcomes, using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness techniques, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused methods to explore how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact.

Originally from the Midwest, he resides in south Florida. His academic training includes an undergraduate degree in Psychology and Biochemistry from Rutgers College in New Brunswick, NJ, a Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL, and an MBA from Pfeiffer University in Charlotte, NC, reflecting an interest in how financial models can support quality behavioral health care. Outside of his professional life, he is a competitive rower and a devoted father who enjoys time with his wife and children, traveling, home improvement projects, and restoring and maintaining a classic sports car.