Healing What Still Hurts *

As children, we tend to dream of a future filled with joy, love, connection, and fulfillment.

We envision a life full of excitement, good health, and opportunities for growth. But

often, as we get older, life happens—and it can hurt deeply. Like an ocean wave that

crashes unexpectedly, knocking us off balance and pulling us under, we struggle to stay

afloat. These “waves” come in many forms—a loss, a separation, a divorce, a betrayal,

social isolation, illness, or trauma—all events that can leave lasting echoes.

For many, childhood or young adult pain lingers, unaddressed, only to resurface in

adulthood. For some of us, these painful experiences unfold as adults. Regardless of

timing, the weight of the unhealed past weigh us down heavily in the present.

Sometimes our pain comes from more subtle experiences, yet ones that drain the joy

from our lives–-a sense of emptiness or lack of meaning or direction in life.

If you’re a teen or adult grappling with the pain, confusion, overwhelm, loneliness,

anguish, or deep sadness that traumatic experiences evoke—let’s talk. Past traumas,

when unresolved, have a way of bleeding into the present, coloring our present

experience of life in powerful ways. As a psychologist, I provide a structured space to

work through pain and other emotions, whether from past trauma or ongoing life

challenges, so they have less influence over your present. I am passionate about

working with people who want to address unresolved issues and live with greater

intention.

My approach in therapy is rooted in connection. I listen deeply, validating patients’

experiences as a first step toward healing. One of my most cherished moments came

early in my career at a New York VA hospital, when a veteran’s wife, moved by the

changes she’d seen in her husband, said, “You gave me my husband back.” In that

instant, I felt the full weight of what therapy can offer—the ability to restore someone’s

sense of self, and in doing so, transform the way they relate to themselves and to

others. Therapy is an invitation to deepen self-awareness, strengthen identity, and live

in greater alignment with our values and goals. It’s about understanding the past, fully

engaging with the present, and stepping with intention into a more purposeful future.

*This appeared as a column on the Our City of Weston Magazine, September 2025 issue