It was 1990 and I knew I could be living a better life. I was in an abusive marriage and knew that for my overall health and wellbeing I needed to make a change. I did some research to find out what I should do and how I could get help, as divorce would be the probable outcome. I knew nothing about divorce; my own parents had been married for 50 years. Even more important was my love and concern for my four-year-old daughter. Divorce was going to be difficult and I felt I didn’t have the emotional skills to navigate it on my own. I discovered, through hours of research, that hypnotherapy was a direct approach with an impressive rate of success.

​

My research led me to Dr. Sidney Rosen. He had been a student of Milton Erickson, the forefather of hypnotic therapy. I met with Sidney and he guided me through the process with the least amount of pain and heartache. The appointments were just short of amazing. With his help, I was able to connect with my whole self and make a far more educated decision on how to change my life path.

​

My experience with Dr. Rosen enabled a new part of me to awaken. My interest in hypnosis as a resource for my future had taken shape. I started to seek out workshops and began reading everything available on the subject. It became a passion that helped me in every aspect of my life. I soon married a wonderful woman who had three young children and we blended our families. Together we had a daughter. Being a father and step-father to five children has also given me insight into coping with challenges that I would not have otherwise.

​

During this time my career was in Finance and in the 1990’s I worked for a Middle Eastern bank. In the aftermath of 9/11, I and a younger partner founded a private equity firm. We owned many companies together, here and abroad, until he passed away from ALS in 2013. It was then that I determined to think about a different career path. I began training with Dr. Steven Gilligan, a student of  Milton Erickson. Dr. Gilligan is now viewed as a world leader in Ericksonian Hypnotherapy. I had attended many of his workshops for years and was becoming certified as a hypnotherapist. I also studied with Dr. Jeffrey Zeig, the founder of the Erickson foundation. If I added my time with them together, it would be equivalent of 10 years of graduate school. I discovered that I had a talent for reaching people and facilitating change and that it brought me enormous joy.

​

In 2015, I decided to attend Fordham University. During my time at Fordham, I spent a year as an intern at an all-boys catholic high school. I helped students see the hope in their lives and make significant changes. It was a rewarding experience. I also spent a year at the Phelps Memorial Hospital, first in their inpatient psychiatric ward and later in their outpatient counseling center, which provide me with an in-depth exposure to the current medical treatment model. I soon graduated with a Master’s in Social Work so that I could continue to help people thrive by changing their way s of thinking, knowing and doing.

​

I have successfully altered the course of my life using many of the approaches I have learned through my years of study. Fortunately, I came to this later in life, after I had accumulated a lifetime of experiences that have given me the strength and insight that’s required to be an effective therapist. My goal now is to bring those learnings, understandings, and skills to help others learn how to live their best life.