KleinmanPsych / Mark J Kleinman, PhD, PC

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Wishing everyone a happy, safe, healthy, enjoyable weekend, Shabbat Shalom and Happy Passover!!

REGAINING YOUR SLEEP IN THE AGE OF THE CORONAVIRUS: The bombardment of daily news about the pandemic has made all of us highly anxious and fearful. For good reason. Life as we’ve known it has radically changed. Healing, restful sleep has been one of the first casualties. There are so many things in our lives that we cannot control anymore. But sound sleep is one part of our lives where we CAN regain control. Sleep quality depends on many factorsdaytime energy expenditure, da...Continue reading

TODAY’S DOSE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WISDOM: On average, more than 20 percent of patients won’t come back for a second session. That’s why first sessions REALLY matter.... That first meeting with a new patient can determine whether or not they continue with treatment. Our return rate after a first session is over 98%. So how do I make sure that our first session is so powerful and so effective that you leave with hope, commitment and motivation to do the work? Creating a warm, inviting environment Listening, not lecturing Understanding, not judging Getting to know you as a human being first, before focusing on your issues and struggles Call/text us to experience what we can offer YOU!

There's so much we don't understand about sleep. (Ask five researchers exactly why we need it every night and you'll get five different answers.) But the thing we know for sure is that it's vital. You can go weeks without food, but sleep deprivation starts messing up your body almost immediately. Virtually all animals have cycles of rest connected in some way to the 24-hour rhythm of sunrise and sunsetwe're the only species that tries to get around this. People need differen...Continue reading

Dr. Martin Luther King was a man who gave feet to his faith. He worked for the good of the common woman and man, for justice and equality for all. This Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we must do our best to follow in Dr. King’s footsteps.

Short-term memory loss is often associated with growing older but it is not an inevitable consequence of the aging process and it is not always an indication of an underlying, neurological dementia progression. It may be the result of poor cognitive processing secondary to treatable psychological conditions such as depression and/or anxiety. Research suggests depression causes you to have a harder time recalling details. For example, you might remember a family dinner but not... everything that was served during the meal. You’re also more likely to struggle with prospective memory remembering to do future tasks like taking your medication. With depression, your memory can also tilt toward a negative bias, where it’s easier to recall negative memories compared to positive ones. Anxiety typically affects your working memory. Working memory helps you remember the info you need for your day-to-day life. When anxiety impacts your working memory, you have trouble concentrating or you make mistakes more often. Working memory is also the likely culprit when you forget where you parked, can’t remember what you planned to buy at the store or misplaced your keys. While we don’t talk about memory loss as a symptom of anxiety and depression as often, especially in combination, it can have a major impact on your life. (Memory loss is a symptom of many mental illnesses.) Bottom line: If you or others around you notice short-term memory loss, have yourself properly evaluated and treated by a Psychologist, Neurologist or other qualified mental health professional.

Months of anxiety, grief, and loneliness can easily create a spiral of negativity that is hard to break out of. That’s because chronic stress changes the brain. And sometimes when we’re low we have no interest in doing the things that could actually make us feel better. To enjoy our lives in 2021, we need to snap out of destructive habits and get our energy levels back. In some cases, that may initially mean forcing yourself to do the things that will gradually make you feel better. If you are experiencing more severe symptoms, however, you may want to speak to a professional about therapy or possibly medication. Here are six evidence-based ways to change our brains for the better:

There’s an emerging view that psychiatric or psychological disorders are not due to chemical imbalances in the brain and instead are a disturbance in brain circuits. This perspective, neurobiologist David Anderson explained in a recent lecture, treats the emotional brain more like a computer than a bowl of chemical soup. Chemicals like serotonin and dopamine still matter, but flooding the brain with these chemicals with something like Prozac is an inelegant solution. Instead, circuits should be targeted.

Wishing all of you a year of health and fulfillment!

From the middle of the Medical Mile, To the center of your life, We’re Staten Island’s home for Warm, caring, insightful and experienced therapy.