Shul counseling center costs little, does much for many

By Ryan E. Smith
Published on May 15, 2012

Even a rabbi needs a little help sometimes, which is why Rabbi Harold Schulweis of Valley Beth Shalom (VBS) was inspired decades ago to promote the creation of a counseling center run by temple volunteers.

Divorced by 30

Published on May 3, 2011

Sascha Rothchild, 33, describes the feeling leading up to the end of her first marriage as a sort of underlying malaise.

Counselors in demand as college applications soar

By Rachel Heller
Published on October 31, 2008

A growing number of families are turning to private consultants to allay the competition that marks modern college admissions, local consultants and school officials say.

Dear Abby of Cyberspace

By Leda Siskind
Published on November 1, 2007

For a while this past year, several thousand girls between the ages of 10 and 14 read my words every day by logging on to Allykatzz.com, an Internet site for "'tween" girls that provides a safe alternative to MySpace and Facebook.

Sheket, b’vakasha!

Published on February 22, 2007

Letters to the Editor

News from the hood, eruv in the air

Published on February 15, 2007

Letters to the Editor

Premarital counseling gets short shrift in Jewish L.A.

By Shoshana Lewin-Fischer
Published on February 8, 2007

Premarital counseling can be a time for honest reflection and sharing, but frequently the lines of communication can get buried under layers of tulle and wedding cake.

A match made in D.C.?

Published on February 8, 2007

One of the primary reasons many groups give for the limited availability of premarital counseling programming is the lack of available funding.

Order in the McCourt; Professionally Speaking; Youth and Priviliege

By Norma Zager
Published on November 2, 2006

Jamie McCourt, Los Angeles Dodgers' president and vice chair, was honored with the prestigious Woman of the Year award

Wanted: someone to help suffering Jews

By Amy Klein
Published on October 12, 2006

Who will provide spiritual care for the needy?

Rabbinical marriage counseling works—up to a point

By Marc Ballon
Published on October 5, 2006

Although rabbis can play a positive role in brokering a reconciliation in couples with relatively minor problems, they are generally ill-equipped, both educationally and often temperamentally, to grapple with spousal abuse, depression, bullying and other serious issues that can destroy marriages and souls.

Rabbi Carron brightens prisoners’ darkest days

By Nick Street
Published on September 21, 2006

With any luck, Daniel will be spending Rosh Hashanah on the outside. It's likely he'll soon be making the transition from jail to the recovery program at Beit T'Shuva, a nonprofit that works with at-risk youth.

Suit Filed Over Police Shooting of Israeli

By Jim Crogan
Published on February 23, 2006

Police claim Deri was a suspect in a multiagency task force investigation into drug-trafficking, gangs and organized crime. But Jarchi insisted their claims are absurd.

The Fastest Therapy in the West

By Teresa Strasser
Published on January 19, 2006

Welcome to The Ten Minute Method, a new form of condensed counseling offered by a Chatsworth therapist that promises to be both fast and affordable at $18 a session.

Unmarried Counseling

By Teresa Strasser
Published on December 1, 2005

My neurosis is like a Ferrari. I can go from 0 to 60 in under four seconds.

Interfaith Couples ‘Prepare’ for Bliss

By Michael Jackman
Published on February 10, 2005

The rose-colored glasses often worn by couples headed for the bimah can easily hide some relationship blemishes. So when the glasses come off after the honeymoon, the new vision of the future can be a bit shocking.

Out of Darkness

By Rabbi Sharon Brous
Published on January 20, 2005

I once counseled a young man through what he later understood to be the most profound and transformative moment of his life: He was abandoned, without explanation or apology, by his beloved fiancée. After a crushing year, he came back to tell me that he realized, in retrospect, that his heart had to be broken, shattered to pieces, in order for light to be able to come in. As he spoke, I envisioned a beautiful clay vase, intricately painted on the outside, but dark and empty inside. This man realized, through his suffering, that the life he had thought was whole had actually been hollow, a realization that opened up for him the possibility of healing, of growth, of new relationships -- both with future partners and with God.

Exploring Judaism’s Healing Potential

By Nancy Sokoler Steiner
Published on January 20, 2005

Rabbi Donald Goor, senior rabbi of Temple Judea in the West Valley, has identified a deficiency within the Jewish community: There's not enough emphasis on care of the soul.

"In my rabbinate, I see so many people who walk around wounded. They function very well in life, but they carry pain."

This weekend, Goor and approximately 100 others will explore how Judaism can heal this pain when they meet at the third-annual Partner Gathering, convened by the Kalsman Institute on Judaism and Health. For two days, leaders of the Jewish Healing movement from around the country will discuss how to help those facing illness, loss and other life challenges.

To Live and Teach in L.A.: A Difficult Job

By Sarah Price Brown
Published on December 23, 2004

Eight-year-old Danielle dashes to the front of her third-grade classroom and shows off her drawing of an equilateral triangle.

And They Lived Happily Ever Apart

By Mark Miller
Published on November 4, 2004

Being together day after day for 14 years sadly lost its luster.

The Mickey Rule

By Sam Shmikler
Published on September 30, 2004

My brother Mickey works with teens and adults as a mental health counselor. Mickey began his counseling career while he was a
teenager.

Kibbutz Camp Offers Hope to Survivors

By Eric Silver
Published on October 16, 2003

In Kibbutz Negba, a dozen Israeli teenagers attending a summer camp in the guesthouses of this Negev kibbutz were asked to model small trees, and then decorate them with photographs of themselves.

The Agonizing Toll of Sexual Addiction

By Julie G Fax
Published on March 6, 2003

One Friday night 33 years ago, when Yisroel Richtberg was 12 years old, an older boy sneaked into his dorm room at his Chasidic yeshiva in Israel, pulled off Richtberg's pajama pants and raped him. The same thing happened the next Shabbat.

The Rabbi, Divorced

By Howard Kaplan
Published on October 10, 2002

Four years ago, Perry Netter feared his divorce from his wife, Esther, would end his career as a rabbi. Sitting in his office at Conservative Temple Beth Am in Los Angeles, he said he knew that people want their rabbi married. Congregants like to gaze upon the rabbi's family as the ideal Jewish family.

Best & Worst of Times

By Julie G Fax
Published on July 13, 2000

It's been a month of extremes for the National Conference of Synagogue Youth (NCSY) on the West Coast. As the Orthodox youth group basks in the joy of moving into its own building, it is also reeling from the shock of a scandal involving an East Coast regional director allegedly abusing teens.

Counseling Centers

Published on September 30, 1999

Conejo Valley Counseling Center: 100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Suite 110, Thousand Oaks. (805) 379-2273: "You and Your Aging Parent," now forming.

The Good Lieutenant

By Tom Tugend
Published on June 26, 1997

"When I started this work two years ago, I was like a young child," says Cheli. "Now, many times I feel like an old woman."