I love my work. It gives me a way to encourage depth and individuality, and to help people get past the difficulties limiting them.
From my earliest days, I’ve been interested in people and in their differences. My mother was an immigrant; my father wasn’t. My father was extremely emotional; my mother wasn’t. In college, my fascination with people at first led me to study literature. I was graduated from college summa cum laude, and then earned my Masters degree in English. But by then I wanted real life experience so I became a reporter.
I worked for a local newspaper, and then edited and free lanced for national newspapers and magazines. But, I was more interested in the people behind the stories than in the stories themselves so I made a career change.
I began teaching literature and writing at Raritan Valley Community College, and earned tenure. Often, students came to my office and said they felt stupid, or inadequate. That wasn’t true but I couldn’t help as directly as I wanted to so when my own children were in high school, I returned to school to become a therapist.
After earning an MSW at Hunter College in NYC, I worked at a clinic, and then opened a private practice in Flemington more than twenty years ago. I have worked with people of all ages and diagnoses. At the clinic I ran a group for men who were court ordered to treatment because of domestic violence, and a group for women who were sexually abused as children. I have continued the group for women in my private practice.
I love helping people improve their lives and satisfaction. When people feel clearly seen and understood, they find it easier to know what they want and to move toward it. That’s what I aim for. Clients tell me that therapy helps them feel more alive, and able to deal with what’s been bothering or limiting them.
I see individuals and couples, and I run groups. I regularly run the one for women who were sexually abused as children. My approach is holistic. I see people, not symptoms, and I’ve been trained in mind body therapy to see the connections between how we feel and think and our bodies, even how we breathe. There are many kinds of therapy now, and I keep up with the field, cognitive behavior therapy, emotionally focused therapy, dialectical behavior therapy. But my focus is always on the person I’m with. I listen deeply and together we come up with a way to achieve their goals.
I guess at heart I’m an optimist who believes in people’s potential. I love helping people improve their lives and satisfaction. Research shows that finding a therapist who is right for you is one of the most important determinants of successful treatment. I hope I can be that person for you. Call or e mail me and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
