About me
Helping People of All Ages Has Been a Lifelong Passion and I Have Spent Most of My Life Doing So in a Variety of Ways.
My love of children led me first to the field of education as an elementary school teacher, where I could help children as well as their families. Through my experience as a teacher with special needs children at the Kennedy Child Study Center at Saint John’s Hospital, and volunteer work at Thalians Community Mental Health Center and Cedars Sinai Outpatient Cancer Center, I developed an intense desire to deepen my understanding of people and help them more comprehensively, beyond intellectual development. My background in education and understanding of how people develop, learn and think proved to be invaluable to my work as a psychotherapist.
I returned to school to pursue my first love, psychology, delving deeply into understanding the developmental and psychological needs of children and adults. I was passionate about the psychotherapist work immediately and, after receiving a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and a Ph.D. in Clinical Child Psychology, I went on to work in community, private and educational settings. I have also been able to satisfy my long standing interest in medicine by helping people coping with the emotional impact of illness, their own or a loved one.
My current teaching at UCLA Medical School has expanded my medical knowledge, which better enables me to help those coping with illness. As a therapist, it also gives me an opportunity to teach medical students the psychological aspects of doctoring and medical illness.
My enthusiasm for helping people thrive in their lives and all kinds of relationships (parent /child, work, romantic, friendship, etc.) continues unabated to the present day with my work as a therapist.
Background Information
FORMAL EDUCATION
- Certificate in adult psychoanalytic psychotherapy from the Institute for Contemporary Psychoanalysis
- Ph.D. in Clinical Child Psychology from The Graduate Center For child Development and Psychotherapy (1994)
- Receipt of MFT license License # MFC29541 (1992)
- Masters Degree in Marriage, Family and Child Therapy from Newport University (1987)
- California State Life Teaching Credential (1971)
- B.A. in Social Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles (1966)
CURRENT WORK /STUDY
- Private practice 1992 to present
- Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCLA Medical School, 2005 to present
- Institute For Contemporary Psychoanalysis : Advanced Adult Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Program, 2005 to present
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES
- Los Angeles Child Development Center; low fee, long term psychotherapy for children
- The Parent Connection, Inc.; Director of Education, teacher of Breakthrough Parenting classes, individual parent counseling
- Thalians Community Mental Health Center; Warm Line counselor offering telephone help for the normal developmental issues occurring from birth to age 5, leader of infant/toddler and parent groups
- Cedars Sinai Outpatient Cancer Center; created support team program for volunteers to function as a liaison between patients and the psycho-social staff.
- Consultant to The Stephen S. Wise Temple Parenting Center; helping families cope with medical issues
- New Start Community Mental Health Clinic; offered seminars on adolescent development and treatment, gave practical workshops on techniques for working with children, adolescents and their parents
- Elementary School Teacher – LA Unified School District
(1) Master Teacher – UCLA teacher training program
(2) Teacher – continuing education for teachers
- Teacher – Kennedy Child Study Center, Saint John’s Hospital
Services
ADULT PSYCHOTHERAPY
- Anxiety and Depression.
- Relationship Difficulties.
- Coping With Illness in Yourself or a Loved One.
- Life Transitions.
- Social Difficulties.
- Work or Career Issues.
ADOLESCENT PSYCHOTHERAPY
- Anxiety and Depression.
- Peer Relationships and social anxiety/shyness
- School
- Developmental Lags
- Divorce or Death of a Parent/family member
- Illness
- Compliance With Parental Authority
CHILD PSYCHOTHERAPY
- Depression, Anxiety and Mood Changes.
- Peer relationships and social anxiety/shyness.
- School.
- Developmental Lags.
- Divorce or death of a parent.
- Illness
- Compliance With Parental Authority
- Parent Consultation.
- Divorce or death of a parent