About
Learning to listen
I learned to listen at a very young age in South Africa, where my father, a human rights lawyer, my mother an oncologist, and my two much older brothers were all compelling storytellers.
My journey
Medical School
At medical school in Johannesburg, I learned the profound importance of listening to the stories of my patients.
drama School
After medical school, I left South Africa to train in acting at the Drama Studio London. It was there that I met the man who has been my husband, for over thirty years.
Narrative Medicine
I completed Residency Training in Psychiatry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, and have taught Narrative Medicine at Columbia University, and co-founded a storytelling company called Narativ.
SOME OF MY CORE BELIEFS
Our deepest wounds are also our greatest gifts.
At 24 years old I received a diagnosis which meant I would likely live only two more years. Little did I know then, that facing mortality at a young age would prove to be the great teacher of my life.
People are more alike than different from one another.
While we all face different circumstances, we are profoundly connected through our shared humanity.
The stories we tell shape our lives.
We have a choice in how we story our lives. There are things that have happened to you, and only you, and telling these stories allows others to understand your unique experience.
We can be playful no matter the circumstances.
Laughter is a great healer.
Gratitude requires daily practice.
It takes practice to be grateful for life and all it brings.
My offerings
Individual Therapy and Relationship Guide:
As a therapist and guide I aim to build an authentic relationship with the individuals who sit across from me. There is no formula for doing this. Each person who consults me is unique, and I need to be flexible, finding a way to create a relational space that is safe and connected.
For some people this will mean my being quiet and reflective, and for others, personally open and interactive.
Talk TherapyProjects and Public Speaking:
I am a doctor and therapist, and also a performer, teacher and storyteller. I have performed in venues across the world, and to all kinds of audiences, from a theatre on a London West End stage to a funeral parlor in Alexandra Township in South Africa; for audiences of people with intellectual disabilities in Croatia to sex therapists in New York City.
Speaking