April 17, 2010

Fan Mail
After 32 years of counseling I have had to destroy the oldest files in which I found letters of thanks which I had forgotten. Some were amusing, some were heart warming and all were welcome to me. I gain a great deal of satisfaction knowing that I have been able to help so many Long Islanders. Here are some excerpts from the letters. Since I can not share the names of my clients, I will just identify them by the cities in which they live.

Bohemia “When I was in labour with my son I thought of you.” An East Islip resident even had a memory of me in a more intimate setting.

Centereach “Your suggestion to have the kids run around the house three times when they are getting rowdy wonderfully replaced my holding a wooden spoon over them for hours.“

Brentwood “ I didn’t believe that active listening would improve my marriage, but it did!”

Farmingville “Thank you for the happiness that you have brought to us through the years.”

Great River “Will see our daughter now? You helped us so much when we come to you.”

Brightwaters “I never thought I could forgive my husband for cheating on me. Our marriage is stronger now that we have worked through that heartache.”

Hauppauge “My wife no longer drinks every afternoon. She has become a hospital volunteer due to your encouragement.”

Babylon “Prescription drugs as pain killers created a zombie, but you helped him with some meditative skills which worked. Now we have a life again.”

Sayville ”Bless you”

Cuthogue “I think of you often.”

Holtsville “You are the best.”

Bay Shore “You helped me to get past my anger.”

East Setuket “I did not think I could go on after my father died. I am grateful for your support.”

Brookhaven “I went to a NYC opening! I never thought I could be around people!”

Coram “I don’t know how you did it, but I am over my phobias in just one session!” { I don’t know how I did it either; this is unusual for anyone to do.}

East Moriches “Thank you for understanding the trauma I experienced after I was raped.”

Center Moriches “Your like a mother to me.”

Bellport “You remind me of my Aunt.”

Islip Terrace “I think you have a direct link to God.” {Wow! that really puts me on a pedestal. Can I live up to that?}

Lake Grove “How did you know exactly how I felt? It helped to be so understood.”

Blue Point “He no longer comes in drunk every night. He’s been on the wagon for years now.”

Mastic “We went to the specialist you sent us to for dyslexia. I have learned to live with it and no longer feel crazy.”

Calverton “My husband is not dead. I found him, he ran away with another woman.”

Medford “I should have listened to you sooner. I finally went to a psychiatrist and got medication for my depression. I feel so much better.”

Bayport “I no longer think that my wife is sulking when she is quiet. She is just quiet!”

Holbrook “ Thank you for the referral for my Bipolar. What a lifesaver to identify what was destroying our lives.”

Miller Place “ Since you are not a doctor, I ignored your advise to check my blood sugar levels. I fell off the roof and may never walk again.”

Patchogue “We are a family again.”

Central Islip “I remarried. I never thought I would be able to trust again.”

Manorville I should have taken your advice to remain with my first husband. He was the best. He has remarried and it is too late for me now.”

Port Jefferson Station “Thank you for being there.”

Selden “I have a great job. Thanks for your referral.”

Commack “It was so discreet of you to play cupid. She is prefect for me. We got married.” { I found a way to bring a couple, who were made for each other, together without losing the privacy of either. It took a bit of planning.}

Ridge “Who would have thought that just buying an alarm clock would stop our bickering over getting up in the morning.”

Port Jefferson “I told my lecherous father-in-law to never come into my home again.”

Smithtown “You gave me the strength to leave my husband. It feels so good not to be battered anymore.”

Oakdale “We have found peace at last after our daughter’s suicide.”

Stony Brook ”We will never forget our baby, but we can finally go on.” (Death of anyone is difficult but losing a child is the most tragic.)

Mastic Beach “No one understood that a miscarriage is a loss, but you did.”

West Sayville “I wanted to kill my wife. When you said that it hurts like a knife cutting out my heart, I was relieved enough to not do it.”

Setuket “I am trapped in this marriage. My husband has me followed.”

Ronkonkoma “My parents don’t understand me.”

Shirley “Can I bring my friends in to see you?” (From a teenager who liked me.)

I hated to shred these comments from my clients. My office is too small to hold everything forever. Therefore, I offer a tribute to those who sent them to me.


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