I’m a pretty old lady, so I’ve had time to do a lot of different things in my life.

😊

My life has consisted of many experiences and endeavors.
While much of that time was spent as a piano teacher, I have also been a church organist, jazz pianist, and every other type of musician there is. I also worked as a pastry chef in New York and owned my own catering business locally ("Deena’s Cheesecakes” in case you were wondering.)

I have raised two children, one of whom has a developmental disability, and the other who has ADHD. I adore both of them and believe they are the best thing since sliced bread! While each of my experiences and endeavors have been different from one another, what they have in common is that I have found all of them engaging and rewarding.

Work and family aside, I have an abiding interest in people and cultures. I have spent
much time abroad, learning the languages of the countries I was in so I could be fully immersed in the culture and the lives of those I was close to. Culture and people are something I find endlessly fascinating.

Personality tests tell me that I am a “turbulent, introverted explorer,” – characteristics that it would seem would not go together (“introverted-explorer?”) but after having led the life I have, I would say it applies well to me.

When I turned 65, instead of retiring, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and
leapt into a new career. I went back to school and, fulfilling a lifelong dream, earned my Master of Social Work degree and became a therapist. I have found counseling
to be incredibly rewarding. I love every person who walks through my door, from the energetic and turbulent young college
students to the older women who have decided that now is the time to move forward and take control of their lives.

As someone who has also struggled with my mental health, nothing surprises or shocks me. I have no problem with trauma, strong emotions, or just being stuck.
I feel like I have seen it all and experienced most of it. This has enabled me to relate,
connect, and help others with their persistent issues.

Starting at this age as a therapist has had interesting, if unanticipated, benefits for
both me and my clients. I am fresh and enthusiastic because I am a beginner in this
field. But I have also lived a long time and my extensive life experience gives me insight into the many, and varied, issues that bring people into therapy.