We are excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Eric Beaudoin to the role of Clinical Director at Cornerstones of Maine. Eric truly understands the mission, methodology, and spirit of Cornerstones. We are looking forward to his stewardship of our clinical program.

Eric took a position at Cornerstones immediately after completing his clinical internship while looking for post-doctoral training in advanced psychotherapeutic technique. He was one of our very first staff members and a part of the team when our doors opened in 2016. Supervised and mentored by our founders, Dr. Altschule and Dr. Gelles, Eric received immersive training in individual, family, and group psychotherapy. He additionally continued didactic training in Transference Focused Psychotherapy, Mentalization Based Therapy, and other psychotherapeutic techniques. Over the last seven years, Eric’s clinical work has deepened and he has become an exceptional therapist with a personalized therapeutic style. He has proved to be a leader and mentor to the rest of the clinical team.

Born in Maine, Eric had the peaceful childhood life of a Mainer, but like so many, he yearned to see the world beyond the woods. He stayed in Maine for his Bachelor’s at the University of New England, but in 2008 he traveled to the other side of the United States to attend a doctoral psychology program at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Los Angeles. After graduating with his doctorate he returned to Maine. While providing a grand adventure, the big city had given him a new appreciation for a simpler life. In Maine, Eric sought out post-doctoral experiences but was dissatisfied with the available options. He turned to cold-calling the friendliest faces he could find on Psychology Today’s website. After ten or so calls with no responses, he ended up on the phone with Dr. Altschule who casually chirped, “Well, I’m starting a program. Let’s have lunch.” Ten minutes into lunch he was sold on the clinical vision and expertise of Dr. Altschule. He was at Cornerstones on the day we opened our doors and the ensuing first years of the program, which were an exercise in persistence for the Cornerstones team as they patiently worked to turn Cornerstones into the well-regarded program it is today.

Eric is a strong believer in the deeply-relational milieu-based therapeutic work of Cornerstones. He also subscribes to an integrated theoretical approach to clinical work. Eric reports that this approach is based in psychodynamic conceptualization, such as transference-focused psychotherapy, with adaptations given the milieu model and the necessity of a short-term scope of intervention. Eric ascribes much of his clinical success and the approach he has developed to the Cornerstones residents and the many lessons he has learned from them over the years. As he notes, “The residents remind me of how I struggled in my formative years. What could easily be perceived as petulance, laziness, or entitlement is more intimately understood by me to be fear of rejection, mourning of childhood’s end, and the shame of failure.” He also makes it clear that Dr. Altschule’s supervision was integral to helping him become the clinician he is today, “Josh taught me how to be both a connected and engaged real person and a clinical therapist at the same time, as well as how to work clinically within a real relationship.” Dr. Altschule is moving out of the role of Clinical Director into the role of Executive Director, which he will share with his co-founder, Dr. Gelles.