Counseling – Adversity, Loss and Healing
Do you want to relieve your pain, get back into life, regain your strength and confidence, feel more in control, be more energized, laugh again, feel joy? Are you ready to get unstuck and rebuild your life?
Loss and pain can stimulate growth and change.
As a social worker and positive psychology coach, my passion is working with you to create your best life possible.
Working with me will help you gain renewed purpose, meaning and joy. You will reclaim your life through and despite your challenging circumstances. With my particular interest in overcoming adversity, I support you through your grief as you struggle to cope and come through intact, regain your balance and incorporate your new reality into a newly designed life.
I combine supportive counseling as you work through the powerful intense emotions of grief, along with tools and exercises to support you as you struggle to cope, readjust and eventually begin to heal.
Situations that warrant a ‘rebuild’:
Divorce/relationship break-up
Death of a loved one
Illness/disability
Retirement or empty nest
or
Any critical life transition or loss
We can work together:
in person. Offices in: Manhasset, Long Island; Upper West Side, Manhattan by phone or Skype – convenient from anywhere
We obviously don’t choose our negative and painful circumstances but we can choose our responses. We’ve only got one shot at this thing called life. Choose to make it as good as possible.
“Your life is an occasion. Rise to it.” (movie- Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium)
Parenting
Having worked in the school system for many years, I continue with my other love: parenting. I run many parenting workshops, the main one being How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk, based on the classic and timeless book of the same name. This is a skill¬-based program that empowers parents to manage their children’s behavior in a respectful manner and promotes improved communication skills. The four main areas covered are: Acknowledging Feelings; Engaging Cooperation; Alternatives to Punishment; Encouraging Autonomy. I offer free introductory one-night sessions and a 4-part weekly series for $200.
“What I took from this workshop was priceless and treasured techniques, awareness and approaches to help foster the type of healthy relationship I am trying to build with my child.” (J.G.)

Other parenting topics include:
Building Resiliency in Our Children
Emotional Intelligence and Character Strengths -¬ the Non-¬Academic Keys to Success
The Importance of Play
Non-Helicopter Parenting
I offer these one-nighters and series in schools, doctors’ offices, JCCs & Ys, adult education centers, expos, as well as in my offices in Manhasset, Long Island and Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
Speaking
If you would’ve told me 10 years ago that I’d be doing public speaking, I’d have said you were crazy. But yes, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and love it. It is a privilege and an opportunity for me to share what I care about, what I’m passionate about.
Topics of well-being include:
Resiliency
Grief and Growth
Meaning and Purpose
Filling Your Bucket – Self Care
Aging Well
Venues include conferences, health expos and fairs, JCCs & Ys, senior centers, health clubs.
Women’s Group
I lead a monthly group (in Manhasset and Manhattan) where deep conversation, connection, openness and sharing occur. As perpetual care-givers and often sandwiched in as the cream of that oreo cookie, a small group of women come together to talk about themselves outside of their ‘role’.
In The Face of Stress and Challenge
Feel the Joy of Life
Are you ready to shift to more joy and reduce anxiety?
- Fill your bucket with more joy and positivity!
- Connect with interests that inspire and move you.
- Feel more energized in your daily life.
- Become more resilient and cope better.
Be part of a group that understands and supports you!
“Harriet’s sessions help me focus on all the beauty in the world that there is and keep those images as a tool to leading a positive and happy life! I look forward to Harriet’s monthly sessions as a strong camaraderie between positive minded women helping each other to find ways in making our daily path in life a smooth one”! (T.S.)
Book Clubs
As a book lover, I’ve been fortunate to be able to continue facilitating parent book clubs in the schools. I lead them from the perspective of growth and personal development. They are uplifting, stimulating and empowering. Currently I’m facilitating 5 parent book clubs in schools in Queens.
“Thank you for taking the book club beyond just discussing the book and letting us look into our lives more deeply.” (N.D).






