Who I Am
I have always been interested in how the human psyche works, and intrigued by the connections between the psychological and the spiritual dimensions of human experience.
I am a NYS Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and National Certified Counselor (NCC) by the National Board of Certified Counselors.
I graduated from SUNY Stony Brook in 1972 with a BA in psychology, but it was not until 1997 that I obtained my MS in Mental Health Counseling from Long Island University. I then completed a 3-year post-graduate training in Gestalt Psychotherapy from the Gestalt Center of Long Island. I am now a member of the Executive staff and training staff of that center.
My personal philosophy when working with clients is that we all contain a core essence that is divine in nature. From the myriad of experiences in our lives we make 'adjustments' to survive, that often compromise the experience and expression of our core essence. In order to re-experience this essence, it is not enough to 'act as if'. We must re-experience our grief, pain, anger, and sadness that were used to protect us along the way. I often tell my clients: "the only way out is through" to support them in their growth process.
My 2 personal passions are the intensive retreat work that I lead, created by Jerry Jud and Elizabeth Jud thirty years ago, and still very much alive at Shalom Mountain Retreat and Study Center in upstate New York; and working with men and the male journey. I was once told by an astrologer that my work was to "redeem the masculine spirit". My hope is that, I have, in some small way, been faithful to that vision.
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