About
Esther Israel
I am motivated to translate research to improve the greater good. I am committed to disseminating the current scientific thinking on social science and policy. I strive to educate others as to the lived experiences of people with mental illness, the cultural barriers to improve the collective mental health of Utahans, and the challenges of earning a living in the mental health profession.
I provide talk therapy and other mental health services by working collaboratively and constructively with clients to make changes that are beneficial, accessible, and efficient for all.
My ongoing research project is about academic termination from the perspective of the graduate student.
I have volunteered extensively as a mental health professional and also write about my experiences as a mental health caregiver.
Privacy and being the author of my own life stories is important to me, and the reason I do not participate in social media. Therefore I created this website so you could find me and enjoy my work. I think that what I do is very important and interesting, but unknown and not easily accessible to most people outside of the mental health professions. Enjoy perusing my website where I will continue to upload my writings and videos, some free and some for pay. If you are interested in working with me, you can email me at thehokeypokeybook@gmail.com or call or text my Google voice (801)923-8569.
Esther
I have a variety of experience working with individuals and groups. My undergraduate degree is in English Literature from Touro College, and I hold two masters degrees; the first in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, and the second in Clinical Psychology from the University of Utah. During my formal studies, I received training in rape crisis and sexual assault counseling, Feminist Multicultural Theory & Practice (individuals and groups), psychodynamic theories and techniques, Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), sex therapy, assessment and conceptualization. I also conducted human sexuality research. After my schooling, I trained in and taught Motivational Interviewing and Theories and Methods of Sex Therapy. I received basic training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
I have the privilege of working with children, adolescents, adults, seniors, couples and families who experience worry, sadness, not belonging, and/or struggling with the paradigm in which they were raised and/or are currently navigating. Because of my own experiences and the training I’ve sought, I view those across from me in an historical and cultural context. Are you the person you have been raised to become? How did you get to where you are now?
In my role as mental health therapist, I seek to provide opportunities to examine the identities we are and have been given and wish to be, the links these identities engender and the societal assumptions about our identities that resonate and/or cause distress. I extend a place to be seen and accepted, by honoring our paths and considering our spaces of moving with experiences and emotions. I like to be a part of a therapeutic journey with people striving for self-compassion and making sense, participating in and bearing witness as we gain valuable perspectives and shed viewpoints no longer serving a purpose.