ABOUT ME
Being a therapist for me is a calling.
When I am sitting with a client, I am in my zone, feeling like I am exactly where I am supposed to be, doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing.
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I come to being a therapist after several other careers. I was a lawyer in New York before I moved to Israel, an Administrative Director for 2 different non-profits, and the COO of a medium size digital marketing company.
I learned a lot from these careers, but none were fully fulfilling. I kept getting subtly nudged toward becoming a therapist by different experiences in my life. Finally, when I started reading psychology textbooks for fun, I decided it was time to go and get a degree and become a therapist. That was about 15 years ago.
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I believe that everyone has a path to walk that is their own unique path to shine their own light, in so many different ways. And so many people are held back from finding what their path is by difficult experiences from childhood, and belief systems that are harmful rather than supportive. I help people shed the beliefs and behaviors that are holding them back and causing them distress. I work with my clients to help them find meaning in their lives, to do what they truly want, and to come to terms with the parts of their lives that are not exactly what they want, but can’t be changed, at least right now. There is so much beauty in the lives that we live, with our families, our friends, our colleagues and most of all with ourselves. Therapy helps us to uncover that beauty, see it, and appreciate it.
I have lived over 30 years in Israel, and I have raised my children here. I know what it’s like to go through the school system, the army, sherut leumi, and university. I know what it’s like to face tragedy here.
I am a spiritual seeker, and have lived a life exploring various streams of Judaism, which has been deeply enlightening and satisfying. I am currently studying vedic wisdom, and am on the path to become a vedic meditation teacher.
I bring all of my life experience to my practice, as well as, of course, my training. In addition to receiving a degree in counseling and family therapy from the Family Institute in Jerusalem, I completed 500 hours of supervised training in their clinic over 3 years, 2 years of which were in the domestic abuse division, where I received invaluable training on complex trauma and sexual abuse. I have advanced training in Internal Family Systems and EMDR, in group therapy, and training in CBT, mindfulness and guided visualizations. Ongoing training is crucial and every year I learn something new or expand upon a modality I have already learned.
My approach varies based on what my clients need, and the issues they bring into therapy. We are all different, so we need different things. That being said, there are a few basics that underlie every treatment. Therapy is a safe and nonjudgmental space where the client can bring anything that is bothering them, and know that I will meet them with understanding and compassion, and help them to develop an understanding and compassionate voice within themselves. We carry with us belief systems that we learned in our childhoods, and often a problem can be traced to a belief that is no longer serving us as adults. We are all resilient, and have the ability to change and move forward in our lives in whatever direction we choose. Therapy should feel good overall, you should want to come to therapy, and you should see changes, even if they are subtle, within 6 weeks of starting therapy.
