ABOUT

The Corona virus had professionals reorganizing to offer online therapy. Prior to this crisis, I had presented at international conferences over the years about the benefits of transitioning to the Internet and have been working exclusively online for over 11 years. I hosted the first therapy groups online in 2010 and transitioned my private practice exclusively to the Internet in 2011. I am an internationally known telemental health, treatment specialist and a pioneer in online therapy. I continue to educate treatment professionals about, and to advocate for, transitioning to online psychotherapy and support via the internet.

From 2005 to 2011, I was a case manager in the Impaired Professionals’ Program at Ridgeview Institute in Smyrna, Georgia and, as a trauma specialist, conducted the Trauma Survivors' Group at that institution. Before coming to Ridgeview, I served as a Mental Health Officer in the Medical Corps of the Israel Defense Force (reserves) in a mobile unit for the treatment of combat reactions and trauma (PTSD) for fourteen years. I also had a contract with Israel Ministry of Defense for treating victims of terrorist attacks.

I made Aliyah in 1978 and for twenty-seven years, I was a Senior Staff Therapist at The Child and Family Clinic of the Kibbutz Movement in Kiryat Tivon providing therapy for children, adolescents, couples and families and the supervision and training of child-care workers. I taught courses in Psychology at Seminar Oranim and in the academic department of the University of Haifa at that same institution. I was a counselor at the Psychological Counseling Center at Haifa University and supervisor of social workers at the masters' level.

Today, I provide supervision for an online crisis chat for youth in distress for "Keedum Noar" of the Jerusalem Municipality and online continuing care for treatment programs in Tennessee, S. Carolina and Georgia. In 1993, I founded The Israel Counseling and Treatment Center of the North, a private clinic which provided: ambulatory services for drug, alcohol, food, gambling, work, sex and relationship addictions; codependency, family and individual counseling, legal assistance, diagnosis and referral to primary care facilities in Israel and abroad. My eating disorders' treatment program became the largest and most successful ambulatory facility in Israel.

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Georgia (LPC #004678) and Florida (TPMC19) and by the Israeli Government's Anti-Drug Authority to be Director of a licensed treatment facility and by the Israel Ministry of Social Services as Coordinator of Supervision. I was Clinical Director at "Gesher L'Chaim", Israel's first, twelve-step treatment facility and instrumental in advocating for the efficacy of the Anonymous Fellowships: AA, NA, OA. Education: B.A. in Psychology from New York University. M.A. in Counseling and Psychology from the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. and a Ph.D. in Counseling and Psychology from Oregon State University. Post-doctoral work in addiction treatment from Mercer University and Charter Medical. Website: www.onlinegrouptherapy.com