Author: Yehuda Lieberman, LCSW-R, QCSW, DCSW

August 13th, 2020

Dear Therapist: I am a 15-year-old...[boy]...in what many consider a...[prominent high school]...I consider myself a nice person. Perhaps I am a bit shy. I am often the subject of...[sharp]...lines by the...[guys]...in...[school]...There is a...[tendency]...of everyone trying to show how...quick and smart they are, and for whatever reason I am the punching bag. Maybe cuz I’m an out of towner? I can’t usually think of a good response.. …
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Author: Yehuda Lieberman, LCSW-R, QCSW, DCSW

August 13th, 2020

Dear Therapist: A year ago, my 20-year-old daughter told me she wants to speak to psychologist because she’s feeling anxiety. She insisted on speaking only to the top and most expensive ones....We don’t have an extra dollar but I don’t let money get in the way of necessities and over the past year and a half shelled out over 10 grand. My daughter never had any trauma and she doesn’t discuss her problems with me. The psycho …
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Author: Yehuda Lieberman, LCSW-R, QCSW, DCSW

August 13th, 2020

Dear Therapist: A friend of mine who recently sat shiva made a comment to me about how some people were so helpful and supportive and others not so much. As professionals I was wondering if you could give your suggestions on how to properly be menachem avel [comfort mourners] and be supportive of those who have suffered a loss?   Response: Every person mourns differently. According to the Kübler-R …
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Author: Yehuda Lieberman, LCSW-R, QCSW, DCSW

August 13th, 2020

Dear Therapist: I’m wondering if therapy can help a person who is in a difficult situation that can’t be changed. I understand if someone is depressed with life therapy can help them feel better but if someone is dealing with a reality that is bad is there a point of going to therapy? I understand the question is broad but I would prefer not to go into my own personal details. Either way there are many such examples, financial, famili …
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Author: Yehuda Lieberman, LCSW-R, QCSW, DCSW

August 13th, 2020

Dear Therapist: I have a younger sister (age 24) who I care about very much. She had a rough childhood as far as being picked on in school and since she is a nonconformist got in a lot of trouble. Her relationship with my parents has also been very up and down with a lot of negativity and hurt feelings. She has a small part-time job that she gets no satisfaction from. To me she is clearly depressed and she admits as much. She is very smart and no …
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Author: Yehuda Lieberman, LCSW-R, QCSW, DCSW

August 13th, 2020

Dear Therapist: We had been having some difficulties with our 7 year old son through the beginning of the school year. He had just been very angry and...[disrepectful]...In general he seems to have trouble expressing what is bothering him and seems to act out instead. Over the 3 months in which he was not going to school there was a noticeable change in his behavior for the better. My husband and I looked at each other one day and it hit us how w …
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Author: Yehuda Lieberman, LCSW-R, QCSW, DCSW

August 13th, 2020

Dear Therapist: One of my teenagers is busy with "streaks." It seems that that is the only way he feels he...[succeeds]. He will be very occupied...[for instance]...that he hasn't missed...[prayers]...in “x” amount of days. Then when he misses he will completely fall apart and miss...for days at a time. It seems to be all or nothing for him. It is unclear to me exactly how much, but this...[strategy]...does seem to be being pushed by …
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Author: Yehuda Lieberman, LCSW-R, QCSW, DCSW

August 13th, 2020

Dear Therapist: We have just been informed that my daughter's (13) sleep-away camp will not be opening this summer. She had a miserable few months because of the quarantine and lock-down and was so hoping for camp. Our family is in the city and there may be day-camps open, but the experience is not close to comparable.  She is now devastated. What can we tell her? How will she get past this?    Response: I know that your concerns a …
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Author: Yehuda Lieberman, LCSW-R, QCSW, DCSW

August 13th, 2020

Dear Therapist: I have gone through a lot the past few months and after reading this column thought that it would be a good idea to see a therapist to help me deal with my issues. I thought it would be a simple process but when I contacted a respected local therapist, she told me that I would need to see her twice a week and she also recommended that my family go through a regimen of weekly therapy sessions. That’s quite a lot, not to menti …
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Author: Yehuda Lieberman, LCSW-R, QCSW, DCSW

August 13th, 2020

Dear Therapist: Friends of mine have often commented that I don’t trust anyone. I never really took it seriously but since I got married and my husband has also mentioned it I have started to see it may be a pattern. He pointed out that even with my so called friends I don’t really get close to them and trust them. How would I know if this is an issue and how would it be addressed?   Response: To respond, I think that we can look …
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