Author Archives: Neal Brodsky

By Neal H. Brodsky, MPA, LMFT My father, now 93 was a tank gunner in World War II who battled his way up the coast to liberate Italy. Time after time, he would fill in as a replacement for someone … Continue reading →

As I visit with 80-year-old Gracie, the woman who was a “second mother” to my wife as a maid in my wife’s New York home in the 1960’s, I am getting a lesson in history. I learn about how Gracie’s … Continue reading →

I am a family therapist raised during the McCarthy and Civil Rights eras. I saw people lose their jobs because of their beliefs and I grew up with the stories of others who went to prison, were hurt or even … Continue reading →

One year after the Newtown shootings the question “Could it happen again?” has been answered.  Twenty-five times, guns have been used to kill or maim in schools and colleges across the United States. We wonder about the signs that might … Continue reading →

In family therapy practice, I’ve been struck lately by the genius of my clients in moving forward at just the right pace. Sometimes people will choose to make great quantum leaps, changing jobs, altering relationships, saying and doing things which … Continue reading →

Many of the best things in my life have come from what seemed liked disaster. From divorce nearly two decades ago came recommitment to love and a career as a therapist. From a family member’s struggle with drugs came the gift … Continue reading →

It hurts to be alone when you are feeling pain and that is why it is so important to reach out for support, providing an opportunity for the pain to be communicated and released. When you choose contact over isolation, … Continue reading →

I really get annoyed when things in my life don’t seem perfect — and lately I’ve been noticing that this need for perfection interferes with my ability to experience pleasure.  There are the little irritabilities — the powerlessness over slowing … Continue reading →