The Five Towns Wellness Center held their first networking event on Sunday, September 14. Their team of clinical therapists invited school faculty, Rabbis, psychiatrists, and psychotherapists to meet for an elegant evening of professional collaboration in their newly renovated professional office in Cedarhurst. The incredible turnout pointed to the dedication of those in the professional community to learning about local resources in order to provide the best possible service.

The Five Towns Wellness Center was established with the goals of providing a high standard of individual, group, and family counseling, and also to support local mental health professionals through supervision and networking. As evidenced by the warm and positive energy at the event, it seems that many local clinicians supported that vision.

Each member of the 5TWC team shared a short message with their attendant colleagues. Dvorah Levy, LCSW spoke of the healing power of connection and the innate need we have as humans to share with someone when life events impact us. Motti Shanet, LCSW compared the role of therapists to that of potters. They may need to take broken shards of people who feel broken, and help them become whole again. Karen Herrmann, LCSW urged the audience of helping professionals to never underestimate the importance of simply providing a safe space for people. Aside from providing evidence-based treatment, sometimes therapists are able to make an impact through being empathic and present. Sara Schwartz-Gluck, LCSW welcomed each professional to view others as collaborators in creating a community environment in which seeking mental health care is safe and comfortable. When dedicated clinicians join through networking, they become more aware of the other specialists who are practicing in the neighborhood, and gain the ability to make referrals that address specific needs. To that end, all attendees were welcomed to introduce themselves and their work to the crowd. It was astounding to see that many of them had worked with one another for years, over phone or email, but had never before had the opportunity to meet in person. The phrase, “It’s so nice to finally put a face to the name!” came up quite a few times over the course of the evening.

The team at the Five Towns Wellness Center looks forward to hosting more networking events in the future as they work to support local individuals, families, organizations, and professionals.

For more information about the services they offer, please see 5TWC.com.