My clinical practice includes general-adult practice and a specialty practice in families, children and adolescents. I have received specialized training in all these areas. Many of the psychologists who are now working in the community were taught and/or supervised by me during their internships and as a faculty member of several local universities. I have presented workshops extensively and authored several articles. 1. My general adult practice covers a variety of issues. Many of these issues resolve around anxiety, depression and personality problems. I received special-training treating adults in the four-year, Adelphi University Postdoctoral Training Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis. I have been on the clinical staff at several psychiatric hospitals and a community-based mental health center in addition to my private practice. 2. I have a clinical specialty in families, children and adolescents. During my internship at the Bellevue – New York University – Medical Center, I specialized in children/adolescents for nine months. Later I completed the Ackerman Institute for Family Therapy, three-year training program. I am a board-certified specialist in Family Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. I have been on the clinical staff of several child care agencies and a community-based mental health center, and have been the director of clinical training and acting clinical director. Much of my treatment of children and adolescents focuses on depression, anxieties or behavioral problems. I believe that when working with children, the psychologist’s task is to find the way in which they communicate comfortably, whether it be through direct conversation, drawing or play. Once this link is established with the child, the therapist listens and understands what the child is saying and then plays back this understanding to the child. The next task is to help the child find alternate solutions or better ways of handling life’s traumas. I actively involve parents in their child’s treatment with the understanding that they are with the child during the week much more then the time I spend with the child. 3. I provide marital and couple therapy. This is a key part of family psychology. Being married or living as a couple is difficult and it requires hard work. Initially people are attracted to each other by strong feelings of love. Starting from that attraction they have to learn to make their relationship work. Over years these lessons have to be reworked a number of times. Attachment in relationships frequently ebbs and flows. It takes a strong commitment to keep the relationship viable. When not dealt with successfully, annoyances and disappointments transform into resentments. If these are stored, the pressure from them causes fractures in the relationship that, after reaching a critical point, can lead to the collapse of the relationship. It is important to obtain professional help when marital problems are present before little problems grow into big problems. If there are big problems and you are committed to improve the relationship you should consult a professional. Remember, you started the relationship with a commitment and it is possible to salvage a troubled relationship if you can get back to that commitment. In couple treatment I seek to form an alliance with the couple and understand their unique strengths and difficulties. When couples become stuck, they frequently attempt the same solutions to their problems over and over even though these efforts have not worked in the past. Rather than solving the problem their opposing positions become further entrenched. As the psychologist, my task is to understand their interactions and how they become stuck. Then I help the couple find alternative solutions that are workable.
Affairs
Affairs occur when someone goes outside the marriage in an attempt to solve problems in the marriage. This places a terrible strain on a marriage, possibly stretching it to the breaking point. Problems in most marriages can be solved with hard work if there is a re-commitment to the relationship, the marriage and the family. Staying Together for the Children
Ending a marriage is probably hardest on the children. The couple should not stay together for the sake of the children – this may be worse for the children. However, parents should work hard and attempt to solve the marital problems and thus keep the marriage viable – do not walk away from your family because confronting these problems requires hard work. When a marriage is Over
When a marriage is over and divorce is inevitable I provide an array of services designed to contain conflict, reduce stress and limit the negative impact on the children. Research has indicated that the negative impact on children is caused by the manner in which the marital conflict is played out rather than the divorce proper. |