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 No
one needs to be alone when facing life's difficulties. Proven methods
of psychotherapy can help empower you to turn your life in a positive
direction. Penny Blazej can be your guide during your journey. She
will customize a treatment plan to accomplish your goals. Your plan
will depend on who you are, your cultural background, your spiritual
beliefs, your current support systems and your medical condition(s).
Penny uses her creativity, spirituality and honesty to help you. Her
therapeutic style is direct and interactive while maintaining empathy.
Penny is trained in a wide range of therapeutic techniques to help
in your journey - all to empower you to make the changes you want.
Techniques like: psychosocial, psychoanalytic, interpersonal, cognitive/behavioral,
Christian therapy, mind/body relaxation, pain control, hypnosis,
EMDR, and trauma/crisis interventions.
She may suggest different types of treatment environments, like
individual, couple, family and/or group, to create the most suitable
setting for you and your situation. Various community resources
that will support your growth and provide needed education may be
recommended. Additional professional referrals will be made if necessary.
Penny's goal is to create a powerful team that will support you
in attaining your goals.
Penny is a national board certified clinical social worker and a
licensed psychotherapist. In private practice since 1997, she is
a graduate of Columbia University, with dual masters' degrees in
Clinical Social Work and Public Health. She provides counseling
to geriatric/elderly, adult and adolescent clients. Penny focuses
her practice in seven areas: teenagers, enhancing relationships,
bereavement/grief therapy, adult survivors of sexual abuse, elder
care decisions, clinical supervision for social workers and coping
with chronic illnesses:
- Adolescents/Teens – Penny has over 15
years of experience working with teens. Her experience was obtained
in working for institutions like: in-patient adolescent psychiatric
hospitals; community hospitals; alternative high schools; hospices
and private practice. She currently sees teens individually and
in groups.
- Bereavement/Grief Therapy – Penny has
over ten years experience in helping people deal with their losses.
She has worked for hospices, hospitals and nursing homes assisting
families with end of life decisions. One of her specialties is
working with terminally ill children and their families. She has
facilitated bereavement support groups at Yale University, Cancer
Care, Christian Counseling Center and various churches. She has
provided crisis de-briefing for 911 Attack on America and
Paradise Fire victims. Penny is part of the Community Emergency
Response Team (CERT) for Valley Center where she trains other
members on the psychotherapy of trauma. She has written numerous
articles and is an international presenter and writer on the subjects
of grief, bereavement and trauma.
- Sexual Abuse – Penny has been honored
to work with adult women who have been sexually abused as children.
She gently facilitates the healing process allowing the client
to select which topics they want to address and set the pace of
work. She has also facilitated a long term Sexual Abuse Group
for women.
- Chronically Ill – With advanced training
in Mind/Body medicine and Hypnosis, Penny is able to teach pain
control to those who are chronically ill. The result is significant
increase in quality of life and decrease in the use of medications.
Penny also helps clients to develop new positive roles in life
while honoring the limitations that their illnesses create.
- Elderly Care Decisions – Penny has worked
in community hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation
organizations, home care agencies and assisted living centers.
She has experience in negotiating with hospital/medical systems
to get treatment approval from managed care providers. She also
aids in addressing Alzheimer’s/dementia diseases, selecting care
facilities and making treatment decisions. Penny helps families
develop care plans for their elderly loved ones, providing support
to the elderly family member who is undergoing significant role
and environmental changes. Additionally, she assists in developing
a medical team, enhancing communication with that team and providing
support therapy for family members.
- Clinical Supervision for Social Workers –
Penny is an approved Board of Behavioral Science Clinical Supervisor,
which empowers her to sign off on the needed clinical hours for
licensure. She has provided supervision for various hospital staffs
as well as individuals. She also helps social workers prepare
for their licensing examinations
Penny has your best interest at heart. If she is not qualified
to address your issue, she has a strong network of therapists with
a wide variety of specialties that she can refer you to.
Licenses:
- California (21570)
- New York (05327)
- Board Certified Diplomat in Clinical Social Work (29294)
Certifications
- Clinical Social Workers in Gerontology (NASW-CSW-G)
- Hypnosis
- EMDR
Organizations:
- California Society for Clinical Social Workers
- Emergency Management Institute (CERT Trainer)
- Executive National Public Health Organization
- NASW Referral Organization (past Vice President)
- National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
- National Hospice Organization
- President's Cancer Panel
- The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis
- The Marquis Who's Who of American Women
Publications:
- "Remembering Katie” (Cover Story) Winter edition
- National Hospice Organization Magazine
- “How to Deal With Anger”, Feb. issue of The Bereavement
Magazine
- “A Glimpse of a Mother’s Grief”, Feb. issue of Elisabeth
Kubler-Ross International Newsletter
- “Getting Over It?”, Summer edition of Thanatos
- "Trauma's Memory: Return of fire season can trigger
unpleasant recollections” September 1, 2004- Valley Roadrunner
- "After the smoke has cleareds” April 14, 2004-
Valley Roadrunner
- Cited in: "Experts offer advice for dealing with grief
during the holidays” by Joel D. Amos, Jamuary 3, 2007- North
County Times
- Cited in: "It's too early to tell how Dungy's 'holding
up's” by Tim Sullivan, December 28, 2005- Union Tribune
- Seventeen scientific publications
For more information go to:
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