From My Heart...Now Is The Time To Hire A Psychotherapist

Here is a note I shared with my friends…

I think most of you know I am a psychotherapist since 2011. I've been in the field for many years before as a social worker in many different roles. So I say this as a professional who is devoted to the most amazing career and a friend....please hire a psychotherapist today. You do not need to be in crisis to talk to someone.

There is something magical about having one hour a week just for you about you. You can say anything and say it any way you want. Unless you are a danger to yourself or others, we take whatever you share to our grave.

You can change your mind a moment after you said it and that's fine. You can stop talking at all when you want. You can cry, scream, laugh or vent. Many therapists offer video or phone sessions and will work with you if you don't have insurance to find an affordable rate.

Search psychologytoday.com to find a therapist (you can filter for insurance if you have it or a speciality). Search openpathcollective.org for therapists holding opening for clients $30-60/session. This is the time to try even one session from your home or your car or anywhere you can get some privacy. There are services that are text and email online (like BetterHelp and TalkSpace).

If you had a bad experience with a therapist before or just have a bad stereotype of psychotherapy, now is a good time to refresh that narrative and find the right match for you. The techniques they use are less important than the connection you feel with them. Search for someone you want to talk to. Give it 3 sessions to make up your mind.

Try it. You have nothing to lose but great insight and specific coping skills to gain.

From my heart to yours - hire a psychotherapist today.

We Were and Are All Coping

What strange times we are living in! So much of this experience is unprecedented. So much is still unknown. And, especially in the beginning, information was changing daily.

And yet many of you are doing ok, managing and maybe even learning to take advantage of a unique experience in small, progressive ways.

While I needed time myself to absorb it all and see how I felt and what I needed - and then what I wanted to do with my energy - I was able to stay connected to the pulse of my clients and my colleagues in NJ, NY and FL. I learned about the range of emotions and the range of experiences that people were having.

I observed how quickly we shifted to shame. Whether we were self-shaming or shaming others. Those on the couch celebrating in the occasional showers were shaming the hyperactive achievers posting their workouts and healthy meals on social media. And visa versa.

When in reality, we were and are all coping.

I didn’t notice anyone changing. Instead I saw an acceleration and intensification of each person’s personality and attitudes. So if you were scared before, you were terrified now. If you were disengaged from your life, you were disassociating from your body and the occurrences in the world now. If you were self absorbed before, then you were selfish and opportunistic now. If you were kind before, you were giving all you had and maybe too much now.

What have you learned about life in these unusual times? What have you learned about yourself? Write it down so you don’t forget. Get one new habit and start practicing it now to move toward that newly clarified value.

Pace yourself and above all, be kind to yourself. “Forgive and reset” as we often discuss in sessions together. Forgive yourself for being human and reset - each moment you can - back on track with your higher values. Self compassion serves to get you to your higher level goals in the long run.

Are you noticing more and more our interconnection to every living thing? Notice the impact that authentic human caring has on the small notes that make up the big symphonies.

Give yourself patience, kindness and empowerment.

Welcome Florida Residents!

I am very excited to welcome Florida residents to my practice!

Rothbart Group, LLC is now serving New York, New Jersey AND Florida via encrypted video sessions and phone sessions!

Many of us in the field - me included - have long advocated for more national recognition of our professional license. Once you go through all the education, the clinical hours under a supervisor and pass the licensing exam, it would be wonderful to serve anyone in the United States of America that was a match for your practice.

The biggest issue for me is that I work with very dynamic people who sometimes find themselves moving to different parts of the country for work, college, relationships or to broaden their horizons. It feels very clinically inappropriate to stop our work when they don’t want to end our work.

1. My practice is fully virtual so all my clients see me online or by phone.

2. Anyone struggling with emotional regulation to the point that they might be at risk for safety issues are referred out to another practice that would better support their imminent concerns.

With both of those factors in mind, when someone moves, our work should stay consistent and reliable to match their needs.

I am thrilled to share that Florida now is paving the way to a new frontier that will have a real impact on their citizens!

So while I am only licensed in NY and NJ, I have permission now to provide teletherapy to Florida residents.

“During the 2019 legislative session, Florida passed Chapter 2019-137, Laws of Florida, which establishes standards of practice for telehealth services, including patient evaluations, record-keeping, and controlled substances prescribing. The law also authorizes out-of-state health care practitioners to perform telehealth services for patients in Florida. Signed by the Governor on June 25, 2019, this law became effective on July 1, 2019.

Out-of-state health care practitioners must be registered with the Florida Department of Health to perform telehealth services for patients in Florida. The out-of-state telehealth provider registration is for health care practitioners licensed outside of Florida ONLY. Florida licensees can already provide telehealth services to patients in Florida that they can treat in person.

See this website for more info: http://www.flhealthsource.gov/telehealth/”

So, thank you, Florida! And thank you to the team that processed all the verifications to accept my practice under this law!

I look forward to providing the same excellent care to folks that are a match for the services I provide. Ready to reach some goals? Feeling overwhelmed, stuck, depressed or anxious at the thought of moving into your next chapter? Let’s get to work together!