Roots
Michigan, Calvin College, and Carl Jung
Dr. Otte grew up in western Michigan, the youngest of five children, born into a family of teachers and ministers. He graduated from Calvin College, a Dutch Christian Reformed college known for high academic standards. After graduating, Dr. Otte was accepted into one of the first doctoral clinical psychology programs (Psy.D. degree) certified by the American Psychology Association (APA). His focus in graduate school was on psychoanalytic and family systems theory, with a particular interest in the theories of Carl Jung.
A turn toward spirituality
From addiction work to a deeper practice
Many members of Dr. Otte's family suffered from the disease of addiction, so, naturally, this became a focus of his therapy. He has always had a private practice specializing in the treatment of depression, addiction, and Bipolar disorder. After 15 years of practice and several personal and family crises, Dr. Otte began focusing on integrating spirituality in psychotherapy. This was a natural transition for him, given his family history and religious upbringing. He will tell you, though, that spirituality is not synonymous with religion, and that bringing spirituality into his practice profoundly changed him as a therapist.
Beyond private practice
A career across many settings
Besides his private practice, Dr. Otte has maintained part-time clinical work in various settings. He directed an Employee Assistance Program for Texaco in the 90's, worked at Denver County Jail for several years in the early 2000s, and has worked in several area hospitals performing psychological evaluations. He currently works at Good Samaritan Medical Center half time conducting evaluations.
How he works
Warm, irreverent, and still in love with the work
Dr. Otte brings a warm, irreverent, and compassionate approach to therapy. He will tell you that, even after 35 years, he still loves therapy and continues to learn from the people he works with. For the majority of his clinical career he has offered group psychotherapy alongside traditional individual work, and he continues to provide psychodynamic group therapy for those brave enough to embrace the challenging and powerful modality. Most of all, Dr. Otte is awed by the power of the human spirit, and believes that all people, no matter how damaged, can, with a little willingness, be healed and live happy, productive, fulfilling, and healthy lives.