Years ago, after some early college majoring in psychology, I pulled up my roots and became an unrepentant New Yorker.

I’ve always believed that we can get more out of life if we’re willing to change. And I know now that change is possible in the deepest sense you can imagine.

My training continued here in Manhattan with a B.A. in Psychology from Columbia, then a Masters in Clinical Social Work from New York University. Next step: my own private practice, where I’ve treated patients with a wide variety of problems for nearly two decades.

The issues that bring my patients into treatment are usually highly specific. A difficult transition in life. On-the-job stress. A recurrent form of anxiety. And I’ve noticed that when they improve in that one area, they often report an ability to solve problems and enjoy more in other areas as well. How can that be?

Three Key Things I Believe In

After looking into the matter, I believe it reflects what is called neuroplasticity” — the brain’s wonderful ability to literally rewire itself from top to bottom through a process of concerted thinking, learning, and acting.

It’s the same process that shapes a child’s abilities in the first place. And that, I think, helps explain why warmth and caring on the part of a therapist — much like that of a good parent — is essential to successful treatment. As one review of more than 500 studies of the effect of therapeutic empathy has concluded, “the evidence is nothing short of amazing.”

A cool, judgemental attitude is something you’ll never get from me.

One final thought: as a therapist I always enjoy seeing patients become energized and optimistic, especially when relationship issues are involved. We human beings are constructed to get most of our fulfillment from how well we relate to others.

If you’re having a difficult relationship on the job or in your private life, or if you’re scarcely having any relationships at all, give me a call. You were meant to do better. And that’s a fact.