MY MINDSET

 

My love of psychology began as a child.  Growing up in an immigrant neighborhood in New York City, I was fascinated by all of the different cultures and their different beliefs. 

 

I became interested in the mind and how it influenced what we believed about ourselves and our lives.  I was especially fascinated by how it controlled every aspect of our bodies - our ability to see, move, think, breathe, heal, etc. - mostly with no conscious effort on our part.

 

By the time I was in high school, I decided to become a Psychologist! 

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Naturally, my specialty became Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT).  The focus of CBT is helping people understand how their limiting beliefs create their reality by influencing how they interpreted their experiences and their lives.  I saw how changing limiting beliefs helped many people significantly change their lives.

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MY CAREER PATH

 

I am a former Lieutenant Commander who spent four years on active duty as a Navy Psychologist and consultant to the Marine Corps’ 1st Special Forces Group.  It was during my first year in the Navy that I was tasked with teaching Stress Management to the medical staff.  Soon I began facilitating groups for my patients on stress management as well.  

 

I remained on inactive duty for seven more years while working as a Behavioral Medicine Psychologist and Hospital Psychologist for Kaiser Permanente in California where I also taught stress management to the medical staff and patients. These experiences led me to become an expert in stress management and to create trainings for organizations to increase their knowledge of stress management. 

 

I became a Certified Master Trainer through ATD (formerly ASTD). Some of my clients include State Farm Insurance, The American Heart Association, The American Lung Association, Cisco Systems/Small Business Development Center, West Valley Public Health, SCORE and Raytheon Technologies.
 

I was hired by General Electric and Walmart to facilitate Veteran-Corporate Integration trainings designed to give new-hire veterans information and tools to transition successfully into the corporate environment.  The characteristics that make one successful in the military are not necessarily the same ones that make one successful in the corporate world. So, new skills were needed.  I continued working with veterans as a Trainer for the National Veterans Training Institute.
 

I have also published numerous articles and has been an invited lecturer across the country on topics such as Stress Management, Professional Development, Leadership Skills, Change Management, Goal Setting, Emotional Intelligence and Transition Management. I have published two books - The Art of Loving Life and The Young Person’s Ultimate Guide to Managing Stress.  
 

After 30 years as a Psychologist, I am an expert at stress management/visualization/meditation.  I am currently a Member of The American Institute of Stress, a Member of the Colorado Supreme Court Character and Fitness Committee, a Board Member of Central Park United Neighbors and a Board Member of Sister to Sister International.

 

MY PHILOSOPHY

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My background as a Navy Psychologist shaped my philosophy that people can improve their lives quickly.  My experience of working in the medical field expanded my knowledge of mind-body medicine and how to work with individuals as whole beings. 

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Stress affects everyone.  No one is immune to it.  Not even me.  There were times in my life when stressful events occurred suddenly and other times when it came on gradually and built up slowly until it became undeniable.  I have personally had to create stress management plans for myself to deal with the stress in my own life.  So I know both personally and professionally that there is a mind-body connection and that stress management techniques work.