My ‘Calling Card’ as a Psychotherapist
I used to teach my graduate students who were training to be therapists that it would be good if every therapist carried a one-page summary of their identity and approach. This is mine.
Age. I am quite old but very experienced, and notwithstanding age, very active – including either swimming or gym every morning.
Perspective. I love psychotherapy. I attribute so much of my good life to my own psychoanalysis, and believe in the power of therapy to help or cure many emotional conditions and relationship problems – but regrettably, like in all medicine, not always.
Orientation. Existential///psychoanalytic////systemic (family therapy)/// cognitive-behavioral — where what is most important is choosing a way of therapy that is most likely to give real help.
Further Translation: Therapy needs to be geared to the truths and realities of a given person’s and family’s life situation. It combines getting better at fighting back to change bad situations and learning to let go and yield to what cannot be changed.
Acceptance versus Confrontation. I work with a mixture of both – caring for people and empathizing deeply with their pain and worries, and talking straight and holding up a truthful mirror.
Cases. Individual, Marriage, Family, and combinations, also Supervision of psychotherapists emphasizing the therapist’s use of themselves and their own inner experiences while doing therapy with their patients.
Length of therapy. Varies – though I am prejudiced for depth therapy if possible. I call a halt to therapy if we are not making progress.
Languages. English and Hebrew
Fees. Similar to Sharap in hospitals but for a 45-minute session, with a significant reduction possible by agreement.
I welcome difficult cases where a person or a family want to fight for health.
