On Friday November 13, Irit Felsen will give a presentation, entitled “Managing Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress in the Older Adult Population“, at the Oscar and Ella Wilf Campus for Senior Living in Somerset, NJ. The presenation is intended for mental health professionals and case managers working with older adults. The prevalence of traumatic histories among the elderly is high. There… READ MORE>>
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Irit Felsen presenting at Oscar and Ella Wilf Campus for Senior Living in Somerset, NJ, Nov. 13/2015
Posted by on November 11, 2015
Article written by Irit Felsen published in The Times of Israel on November 10/15
Posted by on November 11, 2015
Another article written by Irit Felsen was published in The Times of Israel on November 10, 2015. The article, entitled “Helping Holocaust Survivors Cope in Uncertain Times“, can be found at the following link: http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/helping-holocaust-survivors-cope-in-uncertain-times/ .
Recording of Irit Felsen’s lecture to the Claims Conference available online
Posted by on November 2, 2015
On Thursday 10/29/15 Irit Felsen presented a teleconference lecture entitled “Helping Our Clients During Times of Unsettling World News”. An audio recording of the lecture is available online free of charge at https://www.cubbyusercontent.com/pl/Instant+Meeting+2015-10-29.webm/_6f1f54b7ad58496f97314d7ddaba12de The lecture was a part of an ongoing monthly lecture series provided online by the Claims Conference for service providers across North America, Australia and the UK… READ MORE>>
Irit Felsen presenting in the Claims Conference teleconference, October 29/15
Posted by on October 20, 2015
On Thursday Oct 29 beginning at 1 pm, I will be giving a talk entitled “Helping Our Clients During Times of Unsettling World News” during the next teleconference of the Claims Conference. More information, including directions of how to connect to the teleconference, can be found at http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=db9190cf3354f272fa9c7a934&id=3d419152ce&e=adbddb621d. For any questions, email Chavie Brumer: Chavie.brumer@claimscon.org. If you are joining the… READ MORE>>
Irit Felsen presenting at Museum of Jewish Heritage in NYC, Oct. 15/2015
Posted by on October 10, 2015
On Thursday Oct 15 beginning at 10:30 am, I will be giving a talk for the speaker’s bureau at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, Living Memorial to the Holocaust (http://www.mjhnyc.org). The talk will be titled “Intergenerational Transmission: Inheriting Historical Trauma” and will address the various aspects of strengths and vulnerabilities that have been observed in studies of the children of… READ MORE>>
Irit Felsen starting teaching again at Yeshiva University, for Fall 2015 Semester
Posted by on August 26, 2015
During the Fall 2015 semester, which began today, Irit Felsen is teaching a graduate level psychology course at Yeshiva University in the Bronx, as part of the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology. The course is “Couples and Family Counseling” (Course #6440).
Diversity, inside and out
Posted by on August 23, 2015
In recent years, cultural competence with regards to diversity has come to the foreground of the social discourse in general and in mental health services in particular. It is important to remember that cultural diversity does not necessarily mean only differences associated with ethnicity, religion, wealth, level of education and other aspects of socially-constructed identity. Some people who appear to… READ MORE>>
Liking the body you have
Posted by on August 13, 2015
Dominique Browning wrote a piece in the last weekend’s New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/09/fashion/im-too-old-for-this.html?emc=eta1) that captures something we mothers, psychotherapists, older women, would like so much to be able to impress upon our daughters and other younger women. It is the perspective that comes with age, that their young bodies are beautiful, as they are, and that they should celebrate their… READ MORE>>
Comment about movie “Infinitely Polar Bear”
Posted by on August 8, 2015
Yesterday I watched the movie “Infinitely Polar Bear” at the Lincoln Plaza Cinemas in NYC. This a a touching, poignant movie based on a real story. Maya Forbes wrote and directed the movie, in which she tells the story of her family, a father who was the son of a prominent Boston family, a black mother, and their two young… READ MORE>>
My comment submitted to the White House conference about PTSD and Aging
Posted by on August 8, 2015
Recently the White House hosted a conference on aging. There are very interesting and important resources that were made available online for the public following the conference. One of the particular documents is The Healthy Aging Policy Brief (http://www.whitehouseconferenceonaging.gov/blog/policy/post/healthy-aging-policy-brief), which includes specific sections that address important topics such as promoting health and preventing disease and injury; optimizing cognitive health; optimizing… READ MORE>>
Guidebook for clinicians treating aging Holocaust Survivors released, based on keynote lecture by Irit Felsen
Posted by on August 8, 2015
“Caring for Holocaust Survivors with Sensitivity at End of Life: A Guidebook for Clinicians” is available online free at http://hospicenyc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/2013-Holocaust-Booklet_FNL_1.pdf . You can also download a copy from this link. The booklet, developed with funding from MJHS Foundation and Targum Shlishi, is largely based on a keynote lecture by Irit Felsen, Ph.D. Her lecture was part of an MJHS-sponsored educational… READ MORE>>
The recent White House Conference on Aging
Posted by on August 2, 2015
Recently the White House held a conference on aging, which addressed important issues related to how Americans plan for a dignified and secure retirement, care for elderly relatives, and what are the paths to enhance healthy aging and continued vital engagement as people age. There is a lot of useful information about the discussions that were held on the White… READ MORE>>
A treatment for PTSD that builds on the veteran’s strengths
Posted by on August 1, 2015
Recently on CNN.com, there was an interesting article about a unique treatment program for military veterans suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). The article, which can be found at http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/21/opinions/costello-ptsd-veterans-say-not-crazy/index.html, raises important issues in the struggle to understand the terrible mental anguish that is often the cost of exposure to the horrors of war and other traumatic experiences where… READ MORE>>
Second office, in Englewood NJ, opened for Irit Felsen, LLC
Posted by on July 26, 2015
Effective immediately, Irit Felsen has opened a second office, in Englewood, NJ. In addition to the office in Mountain Lakes NJ, Irit Felsen will now be accepting patients at the office in Englewood, NJ. The new office is on the main street in Englewood (Grand Ave in Tenafly which becomes Engle Street in Englewood). The office is easily reached from… READ MORE>>
Irit Felsen’s presentation at Renaissance Weekend in Jackson Hole
Posted by on July 23, 2015
On July 2, Irit Felsen gave a presentation entitled ” Resilience: Facing Adversity, Living Life Well” at the Renaissance Weekend in Jackson Hole, Wyoming (more details are available at http://www.renaissanceweekend.org/weekends/detail.htm?id=46). A set of slides summarizing the presentation can be downloaded here: IritFelsenatRenaissanceWeekend.pdf The presentation focused on the different definitions of resilience and on lessons learned from people who have endured difficult… READ MORE>>