More About Ken As a Therapist
I guess you could say I’m an old-timer and an eclectic. I studied psychology at both one of the most behavioristic schools and at one of the most psychoanalytic in America, the University of Iowa and then Adelphi Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies. I also studied with the father of family therapy, Nat Ackerman. I did my internship in a county mental health service which included working with family court and a state hospital and then worked for years at a faith-based counseling service, the Counseling Service of the Long Island (New York) Council of Churches. I also worked closely with one of the premier psychopharmacologists on Long Island.
Once in private practice, I was known as the therapist of last resort for children and adolescents who had been to a number of previous therapists without success. Working with kids and families is rewarding but draining. I must admit it took a toll.
Other groups with whom I worked extensively were transgender and gender-dysphoric clients and those who had difficulty accepting their sexual preferences. I have also worked with a number of people who have had issues with self-medicating and with couples having difficulty with their marriages.
My approach has always been eclectic, problem-solving oriented, and supportive. I believe that psychotherapy and counseling are vocations not just jobs. I also believe that counselors work for their clients and that it our professional responsibility to help clients make viable life choices that work for them rather than simply conforming to the expectations of others. In that regard, I have always respected my clients’ religious and political views as well as their decisions regarding medication. I encourage my clients to use other resources beyond my services; these include twelve-step programs like AA, bibliotherapy (reading books they find helpful), and joining groups and classes.
My fees are based on a sliding scale which is geared to each client’s ability to pay. It is my policy to not charge for the first session if we do not continue working together; that policy is based on my view that clients are consumers and have the right to shop and find the service they want.
As to my own life, I grew up in New England, went to boarding school at age fourteen and then to Princeton. After that, I did some grad work at Columbia and then taught for a few years. After marrying, I went to Iowa and then to Adelphi. We lived on Long Island until 2002, when we moved to Phoenix, AZ. Even though it tore us away from our son and other loved ones, it was a good move for us. After fifteen years there, my wife and I decided we preferred the quality of life in Tucson, a city we had been visiting regularly, and relocated here.
You are most welcome to contact me to set up an appointment or for further inquiries.