A team of world-renowned trauma experts, licensed clinical therapists, doctors, and rabbonim.
Dr. Ken Adams is a licensed psychologist and internationally recognized expert in treating trauma-induced intimacy and addictive disorders and the author of Silently Seduced and When He’s Married to Mom.
In 2010, Dr. Adams was part of a focus group set up to advise the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on developing criteria for security clearance of federal employees, specifically advising on matters related to sex addiction and personality disorders. Dr. Patrick Carnes wrote in his review of Ken’s first book, Silently Seduced, “Author, Ken Adams, is one of those rare combinations of competence as a writer, clinician, and researcher.”
Chananya graduated with a Masters of Science in Human Services from Post University, and a Masters of Arts in Psychology from The New School of Social Research.
Chananya has worked with a wide variety of issues including depression, anxiety, parenting-related issues, religion-related challenges, career challenges, relationship issues, OCD, eating disorders, and ADHD-type issues. His counseling style is interactive and question-based, with honest and thorough constant feedback.
Yaakov has been practicing individual and group therapy for five years. His private practice has been built around Internal Family Systems and other modalities, and their applications together.
After completing his MSW from Rutgers University, he worked at a community outpatient mental health center providing group and individual therapy as well as in-home family therapy in both English and Spanish. Yaakov believes we all have the ability to heal ourselves, and feels honored to help others in their journey through their inner worlds.
Motty received his MSW from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University, and is a level 1 certified IFS therapist as well as a certified life coach.
Having been part of Kesher in Israel, Motty has spent over 20 years working with individuals and their families on their healing journey. Being trauma informed allows Motty to help survivors work through their pain and struggles. His empathy and curiosity nurture a warm, safe and supportive space for his clients.
Shlomo received his BA in psychology from Touro University and his MSW from Barry University. Shlomo specializes in people.
He has clinical experience in treating symptoms of depression, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma, guilt, shame, self exploration, and chronic pain/illness. In his practice, Shlomo utilizes psychodynamic principles and targeted behavioral changes to guide his patients through the process of self discovery.
Shmuel received his degree from Bellevue University, and is currently concluding his PhD degree. His goal as a therapist is to help you learn skills for leading a more fulfilling and functional reality.
Shmuel uses an empathetic and individualized approach to help people of all backgrounds navigate life issues and make positive, meaningful changes. He works with individuals, couples, and adolescents on relationships, intimacy, parenting, life transitions, self-esteem, childhood traumas, traumatic events, and anxiety. After many years as a pastoral counselor, Shmuel came to understand that the best way to help others heal was first to do the work himself.
Elchanan graduated with honors from Long Island University with a Masters of Social Work. He currently maintains a private practice in Passaic, NJ, working with adults, teens and parents.
With deeply compassionate and goal-driven treatment, he focuses on anxiety disorders, ADHD, loss and grief, and challenging family dynamics. Elchanan is trained in IFS, EFT for couples, and EFIT, and incorporates CBT and DBT modalities. He also provides professional development, trainings, and presentations for schools and organizations in the US.
Our supervisors guide, advise, and supervise our clinical team in the treatment of trauma and our retreat experience.
Rabbi Russell is a psychotherapist in private practice in Jerusalem. He holds an MSW from Rutgers and completed the clinical externship at the Ackerman Institute for Family Therapy in NY.
A popular author and speaker, he has presented on many mental-health topics throughout the world. His expertise is in working with the Orthodox Jewish community on marriage, struggling adolescents, teens & their families, and the treatment of trauma, in particular sexual abuse. He is considered an authority on the challenges of ‘at risk’ children & teens.
Rabbi Avrohom Bleich is the Rabbi of Congregation B’nai Yisroel – Bais Yehuda in Oak Park, MI.
A native of New York, Rabbi Bleich and his family spent 23 years in Modiin Ilit, Israel, where he founded and led a yeshiva, before returning to take on the Rabbinate in Oak Park. He studied in Yeshiva Karlin Stolin and Yeshiva Shaarei Simcha in Yerusholayim, receiving ordination from several leading authorities. Over the decades he has counseled, taught, lectured and written on a wide range of Torah topics.
Dr. Janina Fisher is a licensed clinical psychologist and a former instructor at Harvard Medical School, and an international expert on the treatment of trauma.
An Advisory Board member of the Trauma Research Foundation, she is the author of three books including Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors. She is best known for integrating mindfulness-based interventions into trauma treatment, and is the creator of Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST).
Dr. Jacob Ham is a clinical psychologist and Director of the Center for Child Trauma and Resilience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.
He trains and consults others in treating children, families and adults who have experienced family trauma, and collaborates on research in child traumatic stress and psychotherapy.
Dr. Frank Anderson earned his bachelor’s in chemistry from the University of Illinois and his M.D. from Rush University, completing his residency in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
He worked as a staff psychiatrist at the Trauma Center at the Justice Resource Institute under Bessel van der Kolk. He specializes in single-incident and complex trauma, dissociative identity disorder, and PTSD, with training in sensory motor psychotherapy and EMDR. After meeting Richard Schwartz, founder of Internal Family Systems, he integrated IFS into his work and now teaches a five-day intensive on IFS, Trauma and Neuroscience. In 2013 he became chairman of the Foundation for Self Leadership, where he serves as executive director.
Sarah Bridge has been counseling children, adolescents, and adults for over 28 years across hospital settings, community behavioral health and private practice.
For the past 14 years, Sarah has worked and lectured with Pia Mellody, training mental health professionals on Post Induction Therapy (PIT). She works as a Lecturer/Trainer for PIT Intensive Professional Trainings for The Meadows in Phoenix and Wickenburg, AZ, and consults with therapists nationwide and internationally.
Rozi Wax has been a licensed therapist for almost 40 years, trained in Somatic intervention, EMDR, CBT, Gottman, NLP, and the Safe & Sound Protocol.
She obtained her Master of Arts in psychology in 1982 from the University of Notre Dame and works with adolescents and adults specializing in anxiety and trauma, including childhood abuse and domestic violence. A skilled couples therapist, Rozi serves on the board of directors for Nefesh, the International Network of Orthodox Mental Health Professionals.
Sergio Ocampo serves on the Board of Directors of Dr. Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing Institute and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, and EMDR trained.
Specializing in anxiety, depression and symptoms of trauma, his work applies Somatic Experiencing, Narrative Therapy, Affective Neuropsychology and EMDR. He researches and writes about how early life adversity affects the nervous system. Speaking four languages, his motto is: Anxiety and Depression are not a life sentence, but a temporary discomfort.
The Fresh Start team is fully dedicated to your journey of self discovery and healing, creating the emotional and physical environment you need to better understand your past.
