Interview with Dr. Gayle R. Berg, Ph.D.

Being a psychologist, can you give a brief idea of what you do on a daily basis? At this stage of my professional life, most of my working time is devoted to seeing individuals in my private practice. There, I diagnose and treat adolescents and adults who have mental health problems. I see individuals who are suffering from common mental health problems like anxiety, depression and phobias as well as more serious ones such as bipolar illness, personality disorders and/or intimacy/relationship problems. I also treat individuals who are confronting some kind of challenge or life-altering event that requires change in how they lead their life. Life transitions, as they are referred to, include life changes such as leaving home, the death of a loved one/pet, a career change, a diagnosis such as cancer, Parkinson's, or Alzheimer's disease, a car accident, a trauma like 911 or any life threatening or challenging circumstance that one may encounter during the course of their lifetime. In addition, I see couples and families for a variety of issues including infidelity, divorce, death, parenting issues, family conflicts and fertility issues. On any given day, hour-by-hour, I see a variety of both men and women from all walks of life suffering from any of these issues and utilize psychotherapy, hypnotherapy (or a combination of the two), as well as couples therapy in their treatment. In addition to working in my private practice I serve as a consultant on a few boards such as the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention L.I. Chapters Board, Boston University's Sargent College Advisory board, and the universitys Board of Overseers. On any given day, I may be attending meetings, having conference calls, or researching something that is relevant to the issue at hand. In addition, throughout the years I have been and continue to be a mental health advocate. I could be in Washington or Albany or a local legislators office educating and representing the concerns of those with mental health problems in an effort to increase access to quality mental health care to those who need it. For 15 years I ran the New York State political advocacy committee (PAC) for psychologists in our state and was involved in the passage of legislation designed to improve access to quality mental health care. I am also involved in a few foundations and other non-profit organizations where I advise on social policy issues and make decisions regarding allocations for worthy projects. I'm hoping to set aside some time to write a book, smell the roses and whatever else materializes along the way. I'm a firm believer in "life is what you make of it" and I try to live it on a daily basis! Earlier in my career I worked in a hospital setting where I helped to design and implement an innovative (at the time) partial hospitalization program for diagnosed psychiatric patients suffering from significant mental health issues such as schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, and bipolar illness. The idea was to provide a multifaceted treatment approach in enabling these patients to live outside of the hospital setting. Back then, treating patients with chronic mental illness outside an institution and in their own communities to live their lives to their fullest potential was a novel idea! I also supervised staff and students as well as did some counseling and teaching at

a university. Can you give a general overview of what cases you are usually deal with? Keeping in mind that I am in a private practice setting in a suburban neighborhood specializing essentially in adult mental health and life transitions, the kinds of issues that people come in with may include any of the following: an adolescent leaving home for college; an upset housewife or husband who has just discovered their spouse is having an affair; an elderly man whose beloved wife has died; an adult who has social anxiety; a depressed man who is isolated and living alone; a middle-aged adult who has just been diagnosed with cancer; an angry couple that is considering getting a divorce; an individual who has a fear of flying and/or public speaking and needs to do so for their job; a person who is experiencing panic attacks for which there is no physical basis; an unhappy housewife who has had lifelong bouts of depression; a mother whose child has been diagnosed as having :special needs; a couple who is having problems conceiving a child; a person who has just moved here and is having difficulty adjusting to being here;.the list just goes on! The kind of cases or issues a psychologist will deal with is highly dependent upon the setting they work in and their particular area of specialization or expertise. Psychologists work in a variety of places such as hospitals, clinics, schools, businesses, laboratories, prisons and courtsjust to name a few and what they do in each place will vary in emphasis. For example, the focus in one setting may be more on assessment and testing, whereas in another it may be on designing and implementing research projects or consultation, teaching and /or supervision of students and staff. The applications of psychology to the problems that arise in everyday life are innumerable offering diverse options for where and with whom a psychologist works! As people come to you with their problems, what is the most common block in their life? Themselves! People typically get stuck and blocked because they have not yet resolved within themselves their own mix of feelings regarding whatever it is that they are blocked from doing. Usually they are too afraid to face head on their feelings and /or in taking the requisite constructive actions necessary given the circumstances they are up against. Some don't recognize what their mix of feelings truly are, others are fearful and/or unwilling to do what they "know" they should or could do. Typically this occurs when we are divided inside about what needs to happen. Oftentimes we allow our fears to rule the roost and wind up trading off facing them at the expense of something else that we needed and/or wanted as well. This trade off always comes at a price to ourselves!

How do you encourage people to get through their tough times? By providing them with HOPE! However it's less about cheer leading and encouragement per se, and much more about providing a safe space for the person to tune in to themselves their needs, fears and problems with a person who can be with them during this process of self exploration and reflection in a respectful and nonjudgmental way. By engaging in a collaborative constructive relationship that promotes and fosters emotional growth. By creating a relationship with the person that enables them to activate their unique personal capabilities for healing. In a nut shell; by being there for them in a very authentic way. How do you bring someone from their lowest state back to their normal, happy self again? If only I had such magical powers! Id wave my wand and it would be done! At the end of the day it will be the person themselves who will arrive at a happier place in life not anything specifically that I do to influence that. However, that being said, bear in mind that feelings arise within a person--what and how we feel is what WE FEEL--so in the end it will be up to the individual as to whether they feel like their normal happy self! It's not to say that the things we may speak about in session don't play a role in promoting positive changes. They certainly can and do! Some individuals may need to take some medication in combination with psychotherapy and/ or hypnotherapy. Others may not. It's not a one-size fits all, but rather a tailor made approach that resonates with the unique needs of the individual and creates the conditions they need to achieve their goals. The relationship connection is key and in many respects it s less about what is said and more about what is experienced in the context of the therapeutic relationship that enables people to feel better. For some, this might mean creating a toolbox of strategies for coping whereas for someone else experiencing the nonjudgmental safety of an objective person to validate their plans is all thats needed. Human beings are complex and each person brings a unique set of strengths, weaknesses and circumstances that requires very different things to promote change or personal happiness. A well-trained psychologist is a specialist in being able to apply scientific principles to human behavior and to tailor them to the unique needs of a given individual in a highly specific and personal way. In this regard, there are no general cases but only individual ones requiring a skilled practitioner to be flexible and knowledgeable enough to utilize the requisite mixture of techniques and interventions in a highly specific way. This enables the person to awaken their own healing process and to continue their inner growth and emotional development. The short answer is: by creating a safe emotional relationship and fostering the conditions that enables them to face and to cope with themselves and their lives in a

way that leaves them happy enough with who they are and how they are living it! You have to see people dealing with despondency on a daily basis. How does it make you feel and how do you make it not effect yourself? Actually there is no way to bypass having it affect you if you are going to be an authentic person in a real relationship with someone! However you can't take their problems home with you either. You need to be able to strike the right balance between being empathic and compassionate and closely connected with the person while at the same time not becoming too distant or lost or eaten up by their problems and pain. In addition, having a good life balance is key-- as it is with any profession or job. We all need to take time away from our work and make the time for other things in our life such as recreation, exercise, personal health needs, family, friends, our relationships and/or whatever else we may need to be happy enough to lead our lives in the way that we want to! I love what I do and I view the sadness, suffering, and pain as a necessary and important part of the territory. Its part of being human and the human condition. Although for some people, these paths may be the roads less travelled for others it is the place where they just happen to be. Despite their hardship or pain I feel honored to be able to meet them where they are at and to take the journey with them as they venture forward to a better place! Many more times than not, I go home feeling moved and in awe of the human spirit and its capacity to endure even the most painful of circumstances! What's your biggest piece of advice to those who feel as if theyve hit rock bottom? Well the one good thing about hitting rock bottom is that there's no other place to go but up!!! Surviving the fall paves the way for the healing process to actually begin! It's necessary for them to take the time they need to figure out how they can get back up again and continue to live their lives in the best way that they can given their particular set of circumstances. Each person needs the emotional space and time to face the impact of their fall and to cope with its consequences. Probably the most important thing will not be something that I actually say, but will be my willingness to be with them through this part of their journey and the hope that is fostered as a result of our connection!