Should I Give Up my Physical Office? Respond to Closing Office →

Karen Samuels, Ph.D., Flagler Beach, FL

https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.flapsych.com/resource/resmgr/publications/winter_fpa_final.pdf

When the quarantine began in March, many of us imagined it would be a matter of weeks before the danger had passed and we would re-open our offices. We were quick to provide hand sanitizer, antiseptic cleaner for every door knob and surface, ordered a forehead thermometer--on backorder for 2+ months--, and stocked up on disposable masks. We were armed and prepared to provide a safe, COVID-free environment for my clients and myself as soon as the coast was clear. Consider my personal journal entry March 29th: “cannot believe it has been a whole week of doing virtual online therapy, flipped the switch overnight!”. My other exclamations included the sea change of not driving for 10 days, and my relief working from the safety of home. A whole week! None of us imagined in the final weeks of 2020, we would see daily death rates in the US: “like 9/11 every day”. In mid-summer, it became evident that weekly runs to the office to water plants, pick up mail and clean the gathering dust made less practical and fiscal sense. After much consideration and consultation with trusted colleagues across the US, I drafted a letter announcing the office closure to my clients. Initially, many concluded I was retiring! Here is a partial excerpt: July, 2020 “All of us have been working so hard to cope with unexpected changes and losses as a consequence of our worlds being turned upside down in the age of COVID-19…. I’m happily surprised how well we’ve adjusted to virtual meetings. What a relief it has been to have a way to continue sessions while avoiding the potential risks posed by meeting in person. When so much of life is lived with a physical distance and behind the barrier of a face mask, being able to see each other’s face is a great benefit.” “I have so many wonderful memories of meeting and connecting with you in my office. The walls hold so many stories of healing and growth. I look forward to a time when it will be safe to invite clients into a new space. Until then, I look forward to seeing you via Tele-Health and so grateful for the technology that enables our work together to continue.” As we turn the calendar to 2021, much has been learned. I repeatedly revise my hopes and expectations about reopening a physical office. Like running a marathon, as the finish line approaches, it is announced the race has been indefinitely extended. With patience and resilience.

A Million Gray Areas: How Two Friends Crossed Paths Professionally and Personally, and Mutually Enhanced Their Understanding of Relationships of Race, Gender, Class, and Power

A Million Gray Areas: How Two Friends Crossed Paths Professionally and Personally, and Mutually Enhanced Their Understanding of Relationships of Race, Gender, Class, and Power

Aug 1, 2019   Harvard Business Press

A Million Gray Areas: How Two Friends Crossed Paths Professionally and Personally and Mutually Enhanced Their Understanding of Relationships of Race, Gender, Class, and Power

Chapter 12,

In Race, Work and Leadership: New Perspectives on Black Leadership, Eds. Roberts, Mayo & Thomas,

Disordered Eating, Eating Disorders, and Body Image in Midlife and Older Women

Disordered Eating, Eating Disorders, and Body Image in Midlife and Older Women

Aug 1, 2019   Current Psychiatry Reports,

Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2019

Age does not immunize women from body image preoccupation, weight and shape concerns, disordered eating, and eating disorders. We review the evidence for the reported increase in disordered eating and body image disturbance occurring in women in middle age and later life. We describe the contributing factors that relate to the unique experience of eating disorders (EDs) at midlife and beyond. We review evidence for several key factors in this observation, specifically the bio-psycho-social and relational components of later life EDs. We present treatment considerations, screening tools for evaluation, and treatment recommendations for this special population suffering with EDs.

Source: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/...

Eating Disorders in Women at Midlife and Beyond: A Bio-Psycho-Social-Relational Perspective (Chapter 12) →

An Integrative Approach:  Special considerations in older adults with eating disorders

Karen Samuels, Ph.D. and Margo Maine, Ph.D., FAED, CEDS, have co-authored this chapter in the new textbook: 

Eating Disorders in Special Populations: Medical, Nutritional, and Psychological Treatments

SAVE 20% when you order online and enter Promo Code LFS17
FREE standard shipping when you order online.

https://www.crcpress.com/integrative-psychological-medical-and-nutritional-Approach-to-the-treatment/Fries-Sullivan/p/book/9781498759366

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