I work with people in a nonjudgmental, empathic manner (we’re all human!) to help clarify what is desired in life, love and work, and to sort out, understand, and resolve what's getting in the way. I am always looking to make a connection in individual therapy and, as a Certified Imago Relationship Therapist, to foster that connection within couples.
I obtained an MSW from the Columbia University School of Social Work in 1972 and a PhD in Psychoanalysis from Heed University in 2000.
My specialties include: eating disorders, addiction, trauma, relationships, anxiety, depression, parenting, couple therapy and creating and acclimating to wealth.
My career started over 40 years ago in the addictions field which helped me learn how and why people can become disconnected from themselves and their feelings as well as how substances can be coping mechanisms. I started out with a strong 12-Step orientation that over time expanded into a Harm Reduction approach to my work. I am a founding member of the Committee on Psychoanalysis and Addictions Treatment at Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Study Center.
Food is a troublesome issue for so many, whether it’s too much, too little, constant obsessing and otherwise being taken over by torturous thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. I help people untangle themselves, one step at a time.
Wanting to know and understand in the deepest way what makes people tick, I attended the Center for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies and became certified in psychoanalysis in 1989. I was the recipient of the Miriam B. Spotnitz Award for outstanding achievement of a CMPS research project for my graduation thesis.
After the traumatic events of 9/11, I was moved to broaden my scope of treatment informed by techniques and theories that help undo the grip of trauma: Somatic Experiencing Therapy and EMDR.
As I have worked with individuals over the years, it has become evident to me the extent to which relationships, early and current, underlie the anxiety and depression that people often say brings them to therapy. In 2006 I trained in Imago Relationship Therapy and became a Certified Imago Relationship Therapist.
Virtually every couple and individual I have seen who have children struggle with parenting, and to that end, I provide assistance on how to resolve the fraught emotions that all of us carry in an effort to be a good-enough parent. I wrote about mothers' separation issues here and dealing with kids' anger here.
My zeal in the psychoanalytic field has led me to get involved in teaching and training therapists to become psychoanalysts. I am the former Director of Training, a training analyst, supervisor, and instructor at the Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Study Center in NYC. I regularly teach, write, and present on topics of interest to the therapy community. Here are my upcoming presentations.