Month: May 2017

Marcia Kesner, LPC, LMHC, NCC
Marcia Kesner, LPC, LMHC, NCC
Marcia Kesner is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Mental Health Counselor with offices in Brooklyn, New York and the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
Marcia Kesner, LPC, LMHC, NCC
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The Torah (Devarim 24:5) teaches that the first year of marriage should be a period of special joy. It relays that even in a time of war, the groom must stay home and bring happiness to his bride. In practice, reality is not far away from this ideal of having an especially joyous first year of marriage. Read More …

anonymous
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I Live The Stigma The emails are coming in fast and furious, nearly quicker than I can respond. Thing is that it’s late and I’m falling asleep, so let’s finish this off. Just email me her number and I’ll give Sarah (name is changed) a call tomorrow to put things in motion. Then one last Read More …

Hannah Goldberg
Hannah Goldberg
Child Mental Health Advisor at Refuat Hanefesh
Hannah Goldberg grew up in Denver, Colorado. She completed her Bachelor’s in Nursing at University of Wisconsin-Madison. She received a Master’s of Science in Advanced Practice Nursing from the University of Illinois-Chicago, where she trained as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. Subsequently, Hannah received her second master's degree from the University of St. Francis, where she trained as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Currently, she works at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles in outpatient psychiatry, where she treats children and adolescents with a broad range of mental illness. In her practice, she frequently sees mental health stigma as a barrier to the care that so many desperately need, and she is excited about this opportunity to alleviate stigma and cultivate awareness within the Jewish community!
Hannah Goldberg
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Nowadays, it seems everyone has ADHD. In fact, this has been termed the “ADD generation”. What’s the difference between someone who actually has ADHD and someone who is accustomed to multitasking and constant entertainment?

Ariel Mintz, MD
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Ariel Mintz, MD
Dr. Ariel Mintz grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After spending two years learning in Israel, at Derech Eitz Chaim and Shaalivm, he earned his BA in Psychology at Yeshiva Univesity in New York. He went on to obtain his MD at Oakland University William Beaumont School of medicine and trained in adult psychiatry at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. He completed a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic and is a practicing psychiatrist in Cleveland, Ohio. He has received awards for his research, academic performance, and service to the Jewish community. He has a supportive and talented wife and three wonderful children. He is very passionate about destigmatizing mental illness and bringing comfort to those who are suffering.
Ariel Mintz, MD
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This week’s Torah portion (Behar-Bechukotei) promises several rewards for going in God’s ways and keeping his commandments. The midrash (Torat Kohanim 26:2) explains that going in God’s ways refers to toiling in Torah. This is a mitzvah regardless of how many times you have already learned the same text or concept. Another midrash (Kohelet Rabbah 3:10), Read More …

Aryeh Goldberg MD MA
Aryeh Goldberg MD MA
Aryeh grew up in Toronto, Canada. He studied in Yeshivat Har Etzion in Israel and completed a bachelor's degree in Philosophy at Yeshiva University. He received his medical doctorate from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine and pursued a master's degree in Medical Humanities and Bioethics from Northwestern University's Graduate School. He is currently at UCLA's Semel Institute for Neuroscience and the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital. He is committed to decreasing societal stigma around mental illness and to promote mental health awareness and access throughout our communities.
Aryeh Goldberg MD MA
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What is Borderline Personality Disorder? Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) refers to a cluster of behaviors and psychiatric symptoms characterized by instability and impulsivity.   People with this disorder may report chronic feelings of emptiness, fear of abandonment, unpredictable mood swings, unstable relationships and frequent changes in their values, life goals or self-perception. They often engage Read More …

Avi Gordon, PsyD
Avi Gordon, PsyD
Vice President at Refuat Hanefesh
Avi J. Gordon, PsyD, grew up Toronto, Canada and is currently a pre-Doctoral Intern at Faulk Center For Counseling in Boca Rio, Florida. He is a Clinical Psychology Doctoral Candidate at Loyola University of Maryland and obtained his M.A. in Psychology from Columbia University. Avi’s clinical experiences at college clinics and outpatient mental health centers include anxiety, depressive, and personality disorders, as well as complicated grief, relationships, and various identity and developmental factors. His research interests include emerging-adult religious and spiritual identity. He is passionate about the mission of Refuat Hanefesh and spreading mental health education and awareness in an effort to ensure access to care for those who may need it. When he’s not working, he can be found rollerblading, playing music or ice hockey. Avi can be reached at avigordon@refuathanefesh.org
Avi Gordon, PsyD
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They say Trump is a narcissist, Clinton suffers from antisocial personality disorder and Britney Spears has borderline personality disorder. Is it really true? How do we make sense of these terms being passed around and what does it actually mean to have a personality disorder?

Moshe Winograd
Moshe Winograd
Outreach initiatives Coordinator at Refuat Hanefesh
Moshe Winograd grew up in Brooklyn, NY, and earned his PhD in Counseling Psychology from Seton Hall University. He received Semikha from RIETS in 2011. Moshe resides with his wife and children in Boca Raton, Florida and is doing a post doctoral fellowship at Mental Health Center of Florida. He is an adjunct professor of psychology at NYU and has previously taught at Brooklyn College. His clinical and research area of focus is Perinatal Mental Health, and he intends to work with couples, families and individuals experiencing difficulties related to pregnancy and women's health. Moshe is looking forward to engaging with the diverse Jewish community in a variety of initiatives to reduce stigma related to mental health.
Moshe Winograd
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Pregnancy loss, whether an early term miscarriage or a late term stillbirth, can be devastating for both men and women. On a clinical level this can lead to anxiety, depression, and PTSD.   What Have I Lost? Part of the difficulty in coming to terms with the loss is not having the same relationship with Read More …

Ariel Mintz, MD
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Ariel Mintz, MD
Dr. Ariel Mintz grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After spending two years learning in Israel, at Derech Eitz Chaim and Shaalivm, he earned his BA in Psychology at Yeshiva Univesity in New York. He went on to obtain his MD at Oakland University William Beaumont School of medicine and trained in adult psychiatry at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. He completed a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic and is a practicing psychiatrist in Cleveland, Ohio. He has received awards for his research, academic performance, and service to the Jewish community. He has a supportive and talented wife and three wonderful children. He is very passionate about destigmatizing mental illness and bringing comfort to those who are suffering.
Ariel Mintz, MD
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This week’s Torah portion (Acharei mot- Kedoshim) conveys the procedures of Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. The Ohr Hachaim comments that without this opportunity we would all be damaged and pained by the burden of our sins. God granted us a cleansing procedure to free ourselves of guilt.   The burden of guilt Many Read More …

Efrem Goldberg
Efrem Goldberg
Rabbi Efrem Goldberg is the Senior Rabbi of the Boca Raton Synagogue in Florida, the largest Orthodox Synagogue in the Southeast United States. He serves as Co-Chair of the Orthodox Rabbinical Board’s Va’ad Ha’Kashrus, as Director of the Rabbinical Council of America’s South Florida Regional Beis Din for Conversion, and as Posek of the Boca Raton Mikvah. He serves as Vice President of the Rabbinical Council of America and as Chairman of the Orthodox Union Legacy Group. He has delivered the invocation to the U.S. House of Representatives and has been invited multiple times to meet with the President and White House staff.
Efrem Goldberg
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When I was a young rabbi, I encountered someone with depression. I vividly remember thinking to myself, why can’t he just snap out of it? What does he mean when he says he sleeps most of the day and can’t concentrate on anything? We are all tired and dealing with stress. Just resolve to get Read More …