My Clinical Practice

Working with children and adolescents has been my greatest professional challenge and pleasure. It requires great sensitivity both to the struggling child or adolescent as well as to concerned, worried or overburdened parents.  My focus in treating children and adolescents in my practice is rooted in an understanding of child development. For me, this foundational understanding is an outgrowth of my earlier work as a clinical researcher conducting observational studies of young children both at home with their parents and in school with teachers and playmates.

By advising parents, promoting healthy psychological development and providing clinical intervention, when necessary, I work with children and adolescents to foster optimal psychological adjustment. Typically, with younger children, I provide parent guidance as an adjunct to child therapy. With older adolescents, this guidance is tempered to respect the teenager’s burgeoning request for privacy and confidentiality. Often, I work with parents on family issues that impact their children such as family relocation, marital discord, separation, divorce, and parental illness or death.
Consultations with parents and their children also can be academically-focused as they consider what schools will best meet the psychological and academic needs of their child, whether entering elementary, middle, high school or even college. Sometimes, consultations provide guidance to parents in decision-making around complicated issues such as individual academic needs, gap years and medical leaves.

A significant part of my practice involves working with adults, including young adults, who struggle with depression, anxiety, mood disorders, self-esteem, sexual identity, relationship issues or career problems. Treatment modalities depend on the patient and the presenting issues, but can include short-term problem-focused therapy, individual psychodynamic psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, couples treatment or family therapy.

As a child of an economics professor and a sculptor, I have always had an interest in the interplay of intellect and creativity in people’s lives.  In my practice, I work with people who are artists themselves—dancers, actors, musicians and visual artists—or are the spouses or children of artists. I also have worked closely with educational institutions for both visual and performing arts.

CREDENTIALS

Board Certified Psychoanalyst, 1996
American Board of Professional Psychology

Postdoctoral Certificate in the Psychoanalytic Treatment of Children, Adolescents and their Families, 1986
The Child and Adolescent Analytic Training Program of the Postgraduate Center for Mental Health, New York

New York State Licensed Psychologist, 1982

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology, 1982
Yeshiva University, New York

Specialist’s Certificate in School Psychology, 1978
Yeshiva University, New York

Master of Science in Clinical and School Psychology, 1977
College of the City University of New York

Bachelor of Arts, Psychology and Sociology, 1975
George Washington University, Washington, D.C.