OCD

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

Pious Actions or OCD? With Pesach quickly approaching, everyone is getting ready in their own way. Some cook the food, some make creative representations of the plagues and some prepare Divrei Torah. Pesach can be a time that coincides with many challenges and developing “Me Time” may be necessary. Pesach can also be particularly challenging Read More …

Shanee Markovitz was born in Israel and grew up Southern Florida. She is currently in the honors program at Stern College for Women. Shanee is a big proponent of destigmatizing mental health and being open about it. Her own experiences, including her mother's suicide, have led her to get involved, speak out, and make a difference. She has written popular articles on numerous sites including the Forward and is in the process of writing a book about various mental health topics. She speaks in public forums about the effect mental illness has had on her life and the wisdom she has attained from her struggles, as well as the impact mental health has on individuals and communities. She is devoted to seeing the stigma of mental illness disappear during her lifetime. She would love for you to join with her on the quest to destigmatize mental illness and support those in need.
Shanee Markovitz

A huge part of the stigma surrounding mental illnesses involves the notion that a person living with a mental illness will be unsuccessful. This claim is simply not true, and I chose eight accomplished and/or famous people who live with a mental illness and also fight the stigma and #breakthesilence to prove it.