Meridee Rilen, PsyD, LP, Founder
meridee@affinitypsych.com
Hello! I’m Dr. Meridee Rilen, founder of Affinity Psychological Services. I’m a psychologist, licensed in both Minnesota and California, where I offer individual therapy and couples therapy. I am also a coach and consultant for entrepreneurs and executives who want to strengthen and grow their businesses through deepening insights into themselves and others in their organization.
I hold an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Yale University and a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The California School of Professional Psychology. In addition to private practice, I’ve held clinical positions at Stanford University and Kaiser Permanente Medical Center.
How I Work
I’ll admit it – I am obsessed with information-gathering in the self-improvement space. My personal libraries are chock full of books, podcasts, videos, webinars, journals, etc. And this non-fiction work represents over 95% of my information-intake in the world.
I am super intentional in surrounding myself with a range of perspectives and theories on a wide variety of topics including emotional well-being, leadership, communication, culture, relationships, change management, parenting, and on and on. There is so much incredibly useful information out there! It’s important to be aware, though:
There is no right way, and there are only a few definitively wrong ways. Seriously.
Every human, relationship, family, or organization is too unique to believe that there’s one thing that will work for everyone. Therefore, you’ll find that I have an approach more in line with: “If it works, use it. If it doesn’t work, let it go.”
That’s what I’m here for – to help you figure out what, specifically, will be useful to you in this exact situation in this exact moment of your life. You are a capable, successful human who is used to figuring things out on your own. I understand that it’s new and stressful and uncomfortable to recognize that you need different strategies right now.
My job is to work with you to: first, figure out what needs to be different; second, understand why it needs to be different; and third, learn how to make it different. With the right tools and information, I believe you are capable of reaching your goals, and we will make sure you believe that as well!
What Sets Me Apart As a Therapist?
I am chatty, a quick thinker, and I’m endlessly optimistic. I think both systemically (big picture) and systematically (details), which means I will quickly help you to put the pieces together so that you can see both the forest and the trees.
If you want to feel challenged and pushed towards your goals, I provide a lot of authentic, informed feedback to help you get there. I will see the good in you and be compassionate about your struggles, while holding you fully accountable to the changes you need to make in order to get where you want to be.
I believe that we can always do better, individually and collectively. I am highly invested in my own personal process, and I get the privilege of living out those values collectively in ensuring that Affinity as a whole is also constantly improving.
If these are the kinds of characteristics and experiences that resonate with you, then there’s a good chance you and I will work well together!
