I Believe
We all come with baggage -- the difference is, how do you carry it?
About Cheryl Gerson
I am a couples counselor, an individual psychotherapist, and a group therapy leader. In private practice in New York City for over 25 years, I’m licensed in Clinical Social Work, a Board Certified Diplomate and have an Institute certificate in psychoanalytic psychotherapy.
I’m also a human being: married for over 50 years, both a mother and a stepmother, and a happy grandmother.
I think you’ll agree that there are times when life looks pretty bleak. You’ve hit a wall and there seems to be no way around it. Maybe your relationship is all a big mistake . Or you find yourself in a bad situation you’ve been in before, time and again. Maybe you should just give up.
Should you ?
This is the choice point which brings normal people into therapy. Your old solutions aren’t working on your present problems. You can give up, cash in, move on to the next, and hope a change of venue will resolve your struggle. Or you can dig in, re-invest, and take the risk of challenging some old beliefs or behaviors.
The latest science does tell us that our brains can change. What a concept!
Throughout my experience as a therapist, I’ve been able to help "hopeless" couples re-discover each other. I’ve helped "stuck" people free themselves. I’ve encouraged parents to find the most useful ways of dealing with their kids. I’ve sat with grief for as long as necessary, until the person’s own life-force is rekindled.
If any of these things ring true to you, I’d be very glad to hear from you. See my website for more details.
Cheryl Gerson Success Stories
It's Not the End
Couples dealing with infidelity
Jane and Michael thought their marriage was probably over. She had discovered that he had made use of call girls off and on, and felt utterly betrayed.more
It could have been tempting to blame him and identify him as the "bad" partner, deserving to be left. But they had a long history of good marriage.
It was tricky for her to accept him "back" without excusing his behavior, but she was up for the effort. And he was willing to examine himself, to shore up his ability to deal with his impulses.
At this point in time, their marriage is stronger and more intimate than it was before his "fall."
Sometimes a Break-up is Best
Women in complicated relationships
When I met Alice, she was living with with an addict who, although technically "in recovery" was nevertheless unable to maintain a satisfying relationship. Most of the time he was out of work; he was still married to a woman he hadn't seen in many years.more
She was loyal; she really wanted to make it work. She empathized with his pain and encouraged him in his efforts to get or create work. She paid his bills and nursed him when he was sick. When at last she realized that he really was not going to be the man she wanted, when she realized that she'd had all she could take, she still felt terrible guilt about leaving him.
Our work together, and some help from good friends, finally accomplished the task of moving him out of the house. Then we spent time letting her experiment and learn what she could expect from a good relationship.
And then one of those good friends introduced her to Dan. Now she recognized him as a person she could spend her life with happily. They've been married for several years.
I had the good luck to see her again, some time after we'd terminated therapy, and learned that they are still delighted to be married to one another.
Directory
Author
