MIMI GELB, MS, LMFT, CST

I took a circuitous route to becoming a therapist.  Born and raised in Brooklyn, I graduated Brooklyn College with a degree in Speech and Theater. As my dreams of becoming an actress on Broadway quickly faded, I was fortunate to get a job as the personal assistant to the artist Peter Max.  Not only was I surrounded by beautiful colors and designs, but I was also exposed to the global community and its needs.  His charity, Global Works Foundation, has given millions of dollars worth of art to almost every major cause, and I loved being a part of it. Working with Peter for many years inspired my love of art and influenced me to learn how to draw and paint. Painting is still one of my favorite hobbies.

 

During this time, I also volunteered for The Hunger Project.  The goal of the organization was simple and clear: to end hunger on the planet. After a few years, I realized that instead of just making the world more beautiful, I wanted to make a difference.  I moved to San Francisco to work with the Hunger Project’s director of fundraising.  One weekend, I took a course at More University called “Basic Sensuality,” which changed my life.  I was able to understand myself more clearly and perceive how I could be a better partner in a relationship.  I enrolled in many other classes at the university, and focused on sensuality and communication between men and women.

 

This education led me in a new direction that would allow me to help others. After exhausting all the classes at the university, I decided it was time to take what I had learned back to the East Coast.  With permission from the university, I started teaching some classes in New York.  It was in one of these classes that I met my husband.  We have now been happily married for over thirty years. While raising our two children, I worked part-time for Peter Max, while also working as a Community Health Educator for Planned Parenthood.

 

I always knew that one day, when my children were grown, I would return to school. I am an example of the saying; “it’s never to late to pursue your dream.” I received my Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Long Island University while working at VCS, Inc. in New City, NY towards my licensure.  I love VCS, Inc., a mental health and family service agency, because the organization helps so many people in our community who otherwise would not be able to afford therapy.  I have been a Board Member at the agency for the past few years. 

 

Couples therapy is probably the hardest type of therapy to be practicing.  I see couples who have no hope, are angry with each other, and have been blindsided by infidelity.  So many of them could have saved themselves so much grief if they had seen a therapist earlier in their relationship.  I work with them to repair their connection, to create a better sex life, learn how to communicate what they’re feeling without alienating their partner, and to help them create a relationship based on trust and mutual respect.  I also have a pre-marital course to help couples communicate better, resolve conflicts and have even more fun in bed, as well as constructive ways to prepare for future challenges and conflicts.   

 

I have taken two advanced courses in Emotional Focused Therapy, and a year course in the Developmental Model of Couples Therapy at the Couples Institute, and it has transformed my work with couples.  I help couples see their entrenched patterns and learn how to do things differently.  I have also been taking courses on sexuality for many years and am an AASECT (American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists) Certified Sex Therapist.  

 

It is a privilege to do the work that I do and I get a great deal of satisfaction making a difference in people's lives.

 

Certifications:

• Long Island University MS, MFT

• NY  State Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

• Cognitive Behavior Therapy

• Emotionally Focused Therapy

• The Couples Institute - Developmental Model of Couples Therapy

• AASECT Certified Sex Therapist