By Jparis123 September 12, 2015
I would NOT recommend Fredda Ackerman as a therapist. She's completely unprofessional and only has her monetary interests at heart, not your actual mental well being. Don't waste your time, find someone else who actually cares. ...read more
By StevenGreenspan at Citysearch February 09, 2012
I have just completed a course of therapy with Ms. Arnold. I am so pleased with my treatment from beginning to end. Joanie was able to hone in on my issues and warmly and compassionately help me to understand the root of them.\t\nAfter we were able to do that, I was able with her help to find other ways to live my life and other ways of behaving with people. \t\n\t\nI feel like a changed person and my life is much happier. I am also equipped with many more tools for living a successful life. ...read more
By Ms. S. Huffington September 28, 2011
Dr. Stango is excellent with you children, teenagers and adults. He has a kind manner yet the kids can't pull the wool over his eyes. He's very easy to speak to for anyone. I highly recommend him and would say he specializes in teenagers with any type of problems. ...read more
According to licensed clinical social workerYochanan Berkowitz, the most common problem his clients face is stress. Stress can come from many sources in life, says Yochanan Berkowitz, and it takes several different forms. Yochanan Berkowitz notes that people often experience stress from common, everyday things like family conflict, employment uncertainty and damaged self-esteem. However, Yochanan Berkowitz says there are many ways to manage and reduce stress. Yochanan Berkowitz explains that stress can be relieved through therapy, counseling and, in more severe cases, medication. But there are other defenses against stress, says Yochanan Berkowitz, that are more natural and less clinical. Diet and exercise, explains Yochanan Berkowitz, are two good old-fashioned standby treatments for stress. Consistently eating nutritious foods, says Yochanan Berkowitz, improves the body's constitution and makes it easier to withstand stress. Don't skip meals, recommends Yochanan Berkowitz, particularly breakfast. Many people with stressful lives, notes Yochanan Berkowitz, tend to be very busy. Yochanan Berkowitz says that busy, stressed people are always looking for a way to save time. But Yochanan Berkowitz reports that skipping meals is a bad way to save time. Instead, Yochanan Berkowitz suggests keeping stress levels lower by avoiding junk food, processed food and fast food. Yochanan Berkowitz says that these junky foods are prepared and dispensed in environments where hurry and stress are commonplace. Also make sure to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, saysYochanan Berkowitz, as a regular part of daily meals. Be sure not to snack on junk food between meals, says Yochanan Berkowitz. If you get hungry before your next meal, Yochanan Berkowitz suggests satisfying the appetite with a healthy snack like yogurt or a piece of fruit. It is easier to avoid junk food, says Yochanan Berkowitz, by preparing and packing your own food for work or school. Responsibly choosing what you eat and eating right, says Yochanan Berkowitz, enhances well being and gives you a better sense of control over your own life. ...read more
By Yochanan Berkowitz January 26, 2011
Yochanan Berkowitzis a licensed clinical social worker that has conducted professional research into the causes and cures of the holiday blues. Yochanan Berkowitz presents his findings in time for the holiday season. Analyzing data collected from his own practice and from the National Mental Health Association,Yochanan Berkowitzhas discovered that holiday depression is likely more common than most people realize. Common reasons for holiday depression are fatigue, family tensions and financial limitations, reports Yochanan Berkowitz. Another major cause of the holiday blues, he adds, is unrealistically high expectations. According to Yochanan Berkowitz, all holidays bring a kind of insistence with them. This is particularly true of the winter holidays, which occur amidst short cold days and long nights. With a culture of revelry built into the holidays, people begin to feel pressure to feel wonderful, points out Yochanan Berkowitz. All the holiday signs, songs, messages and parties are geared toward being joyous, charitable and extroverted. Though these are laudable sentiments, Yochanan Berkowitz's research shows that they can backfire when applied in excess. Yochanan Berkowitz gives an example he calls New Year's Eve Syndrome. People tend to invest such high expectations into New Year's Eve that it is almost never as good as it is supposed to be. The best defense against this form of the holiday blues, suggests Yochanan Berkowitz, is to pace oneself and set aside time for private reflection. "Many people tend to sentimentalize and idealize past holidays," explains Yochanan Berkowitz, "and trap themselves into trying to reproduce a perceived perfection that has been embellished over time." Unrealistic expectations can be very troublesome. Yochanan Berkowitz cites Dr. Hinda Dubin of the University of Maryland Medical Center, who makes a lucid point about holiday blues. Dr. Dubin's suggests that people must be frank with themselves about how much they can accomplish during the holiday season. Holiday fun is not worth undue physical and psychological strain, concurs Yochanan Berkowitz. Another important factor influencing holiday depression is environmental rather than personal, reports Yochanan Berkowitz. With wintertime bringing shorter days, the ensuing reduced daylight hours have been linked to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). People tend to eat and sleep more during wintertime, comforting themselves against the short days and dark mornings. Yochanan Berkowitz and researchers at the National Mental Health Association describe SAD as a disorder caused by the dramatic decline of sunlight hours during wintertime. "Sunlight provides the human body and mind with many benefits," reports Yochanan Berkowitz. "The seasonal deprivation of sunlight can interfere with normal brain chemistry." Yochanan Berkowitz points to additional research that isolates a tiny and important gland close to the center of the human brain called the pineal gland. Citing a recent study published in Woman's Day Magazine, Yochanan Berkowitz explains that the pineal gland produces a hormone called melatonin that has appreciable sedative qualities. According to Yochanan Berkowitz, the gland is modulated by light traveling from the eyes through the brain. The more light the pineal gland receives, the less melatonin it will produce. High or irregular melatonin levels are associated with SAD, concludes Yochanan Berkowitz. Yochanan Berkowitz states that the segment of the population most susceptible to SAD is women between the ages of 20 and 40. People with SAD tend to experience a change in their food preferences, with a higher reported inclination toward high-carbohydrate foods and other comfort foods. Yochanan Berkowitz hypothesizes that the consequent decline in consumption of healthy foods like fruits and vegetables can exacerbate the symptoms of SAD. "People with SAD tend to be more significantly affected by cloudy, gray or stormy days," says Yochanan Berkowitz, "even in the summer time." Researching a study by Dr. Norman Rosenthal, Yochanan Berkowitz found that people with SAD suffer from a variety of physical ailments, such as backaches, headaches, infections and seemingly permanent flu symptoms. The most commonly accepted cause of SAD is light deprivation. Noting that success in treating SAD has been experienced through the use of phototherapy, Yochanan Berkowitz explains that phototherapy is the prescribed application of artificial light meant to simulate the sunlight absent during the winter season. Yochanan Berkowitz adds that SAD is not limited to wintertime, but since light levels are so much lower in winter it makes SAD more prevalent. In his therapy work with SAD clients, Yochanan Berkowitz calls upon several different therapies to treat SAD, depending upon the patient. For further information, Yochanan Jonathan Berkowitz can be reached at646-338-5424, by email atberkj1517@yahoo.comor by visiting his website atwww.familiesheal.com. ...read more
By Yochanan Berkowitz January 26, 2011
Jonathan Berkowitzbelieves that the world we live in is all to often a fast-paced, nonstop stress fest. However, Jonathan Berkowitz also acknowledges that it can be a real task to take time off, let alone find hours in a busy day for some relief from anxiety. That is whyJonathan Berkowitzemploys a technique called progressive relaxation or PMR (progressive muscle relaxation) to ease the pain of life's daily grind. PMR, Jonathan Berkowitz explains, is a method of relaxation that employs physical relaxation as well as mental relaxation. The physical aspect of relaxation, continues Jonathan Berkowitz, is really just a balance between tensing and relaxing muscles. In this article, Jonathan Berkowitz details the way in which different muscle groups are singled out in the process. First, Jonathan Berkowitz informs, a muscle group is singled out. Jonathan Berkowitz explains that certain muscles in the group are chosen, and then they are tensed up. Immediately following the tension the muscles should be relaxed, Jonathan Berkowitz instructs. Jonathan Berkowitz says that the tensions should last about half the time of the relaxation period. When deciding which muscle group to start with, Jonathan Berkowitz suggests choosing an area of the body you are more comfortable with. Most of the time, Jonathan Berkowitz points out, it ends up being the face. Individuals are more comfortable relaxing their faces because they are used to doing so throughout their daily routines, Jonathan Berkowitz asserts. The main thing is to make sure the eyes are closed during the whole process, Jonathan Berkowitz adds. According to Jonathan Berkowitz, it's essential for an individual to close his or her eyes to fully focus on relaxing. Jonathan Berkowitz also suggests lying down or sitting in an extremely comfortable position. Jonathan Berkowitz says the most important thing is that you find a setting you feel most at ease in. Itisa relaxation session after all, reminds Jonathan Berkowitz. Next, the mental part comes into play, continues Jonathan Berkowitz. Individuals are charged with the task of understanding the difference between the feelings of tension and relaxation. It is quite common for people to feel uncomfortable and doubt that the method is working, cautions Jonathan Berkowitz. Even so, it is important to keep trying, explains Jonathan Berkowitz. It is only through practice that someone can truly learn the difference between these two sensations. The more a person understands about the sensation of relaxation in the different muscle groups, the higher the effectiveness of treatment will be, Jonathan Berkowitz concludes. To contact Jonathan Berkowitz, call 646-338-5424 or emailberkj1517@yahoo.com.For more information about the services offered by Jonathan Berkowitz, visitwww.familiesheal.com. ...read more
By Jonathan Berkowitz January 26, 2011
Mental health care referral can be a scary process for many people. Going to a doctor or medical setting to get assessed for mental health services may be more scary than the mental illness. Although a doctor or qualified mental health provider will still have to approve the services, it is quite easy... ...read more
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder occurs in people who have suffered a significant trauma such as a victim of a violent crime, or a soldier who has been deployed to a combat zone. Often times, suffers of PTSD find themselves reliving the trauma which makes it difficult and stressful for them to mov... ...read more