Dr. Miriam Frances Abety earned a doctorate degree in clinical psychology. She is a former director of a mental health community co-occurring substance abuse and mental health residential program, past supervisor for Domestic Violence and Outpatient Substance Abuse programs, and has several years' experience working in a mobile crisis unit. She has extensive experience (close to 25 years) working with women's issues such as: trauma, domestic violence (both with the abuser and the abused), substance abuse, empowerment issues, and, crisis counseling. She has also worked through the spectrum of mental health disorders, from the chronically mentally ill to those who may be unable to handle a loss, are going through life stressors, or who feel anxious and depressed. Also, her work has included the LGBT and trans-gendered communities. She has a humanistic approach to therapy and may use narrative therapy as well as other strategies to help the individual feel, and become, empowered. She strongly believes that each individual is worthy of compassion and dignity, starting with the forgiveness of self. At present, she is also a trauma therapist for federal and state inmates presently in half-way housing in need of trauma and substance abuse therapy.

 

Dr. Abety is also an educator who was awarded an Endowed Teaching Chair in 2011, and emphasizes the need for psycho-educational awareness on such topics as: self-esteem, empowerment, acceptance of self and others, wellbeing and identity.  She encourages all to become proactive in their life script. Although we may not have the power to change things, we are in total control of how we deal with life's surprises and challenges. She believes in giving homework, but only if you are willing and committed to work on the assignment.

 

On a personal note, she lost her mother to Alzheimer's more than ten years ago, and is very interested in helping others cope with the issues caregivers and their family members face when sandwiched between the care and needs of the elderly and the day-to-day functioning of the family system.  Making decisions alone are hard enough, ensuring self-care is essential if you and yours are to survive this long and slow process.

 

Certifications include motivational interviewing, Employee Assistance Programs, Domestic Violence, Trauma, Crisis Counseling, Suicidology, and many more. She continues to learn through professional development and is a certified supervisor for mental health licensees. 

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Her Blog on this website, "The Perils of Papito" is child-friendly and the hyperlinks are intended to give the parent more information on the given topic. 

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Fluent in English and Spanish, marginally fluent in French.