The Body Keeps the Score Series: Prologue One of the books my clients refer to most when they come to work on trauma and PTSD with me is The Body Keeps The Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. I remember reading his article entitled “The Body Keeps ...read more
Seasonal Affective Disorder: Help and Self Help
Help for Seasonal Affective Disorder Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that occurs cyclically, usually in winter. Many of my clients who suffer from SAD find that as the fall equinox passes, they begin to have symptoms. SAD sufferers react not just to the cold, but also ...read more
Why Join an Adoption Therapy Group (vs. Adoption Support Group) for Adoptees?
Why Join an Adoption Therapy Group (vs. Adoption Support Group) for Adoptees? The easy answer is that you want change, and you want to have powerful support and accountability along the way. In an adoption support group or adoption therapy group, most people learn that while healing is good ...read more
Adoptee Rights Legislation in Albany A5494/S3419
Historic Adoptee Rights Legislation Passes in Albany The Clean Bill of Adoptee Rights was voted on and passed in the legislature on Friday. Now it goes to the Governor’s Office for signature. I want to thank Assemblyman David Weprin and Senator Velmanette Montgomery for sponsoring this ...read more
PTSD and healing: quoted in article on Ariana Grande
Another opportunity to get the word out, everyone deserves the support they need to move towards healing and I was quoted to this effect in this article in Well + Good. ...read more
Adoptees and Mother’s Day
The second Sunday of May brings all kinds of celebration of mothers and motherhood, and for adoptees this can be glorious or challenging, or both. May rolls around and the card stores fill with aisles and aisles of Mother’s Day sentiment, and it can be hard to find ourselves represented, with all ...read more
What if I Don’t Want to See the Child I Gave Up for Adoption?: My Letter to the Editor
In response to this piece in the Ethicist, I had a lot of thoughts and feelings, not only for the adoptee in this ethical dilemma but also for the adoptive mother and for birth mothers in general, who really do face such stigma. I wrote a letter to the editor which was not published, but I do ...read more
A great article on search, reunion and open records in the wake of NJ’s new laws
I wanted to share this excellent article on search, reunion and open records which takes a nuanced look at all of these issues. Kudos to staff writer Lindy Washburn for a lovely piece. Read the article here: ...read more
Being With What Is: The New Year Edition!
As we move into the final stretch of January this new year, the rush of podcasts, blogs, articles and videos about goal setting and resolutions and having the best year ever is slowing. Every year it seems there are more calls to improve, resolve, set goals, don’t set goals but set intentions, ...read more
Why Gestalt Therapy for Adopted Adults?
I am passionate about gestalt therapy as a grounding theory for the treatment of adopted persons because gestalt therapy takes a fundamentally relational approach. I have found in my practice that the issues that adoptees face, whether they conceive of them as internal problems (I’m depressed, I’m ...read more