Jan 7
My ambition to become a psychologist traces back to my first experience in psychotherapy as an adolescent. The psychologist I saw then not only helped me during a turbulent time in my life, but her example allowed me to imagine that I could develop the capacity to work in the kinds of ways she did, helping me to make connections among my experiences while offering guidance in an empathetic, caring manner.
Today, an ever-increasing portion of social life takes place through digital media. Text messages, Skype, Twitter, and Facebook are just a few of the innovative environments where crucial social exchanges occur in people’s lives. From online dating to break-ups by text, It is becoming commonplace for personal relationships both to begin and end by way of technology.
Some of the strongest, most resilient people I have met are those who live with conditions such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and severe personality disorders. I have experience practicing psychotherapy with clients who struggle with severe emotional conditions in both inpatient and outpatient continuing day treatment settings, as well as private practice.
Coming out is usually not a single day marked in red on the calendar. It’s a process that unfolds over time, involving multiple changes in how you relate to yourself, other people, and the world around you. Each individual’s coming out story is unique, and therapy may help you author that story in ways that feel most authentic and comfortable to you.
The absence of a culturally-prescribed template for gay relationships provides an opportunity for gay men to define relationships in their own terms. While this opportunity holds potential for transcending narrowly defined, traditional relationships, it can also be fraught with uncertainty. Insecurity, jealousy, and controlling behavior are just some of the barriers to authentic, satisfying relationships.
This entry begins a series of reflections on the professional experiences I had prior to private practice. My first position after earning my doctorate was to work as a Staff Psychologist in a Continuing Day Treatment Program at Pesach Tikvah, a mental health agency that serves the Orthodox and Hassidic Jewish communities in Brooklyn.
I specialize in helping gay men develop more satisfying lives. The concept of life satisfaction is determined by each individual. Likewise, barriers to achieving a more satisfying life tend to be unique to each individual’s personality, life history, coming out experience, vulnerabilities and strengths.
The college years can be a time of great personal growth and development: becoming independent from family, revising belief systems, forming new relationships, establishing one’s place in the world. Sometimes these changes go smoothly, sometimes not.
Many people find themselves repeating the same cycles in relationships. Whether you experience repetitive conflicts with your partner or similar problems across multiple relationships, I may be able to help you break the cycle.
