Herbert Jay Rosenfield, ACSW, LCSW, BCD
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Director
Helping You Solve Life's Problems™ since
1980
Herbert Jay Rosenfield, ACSW, LCSW, BCD
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Director
| Cheshire | Meriden | Danbury | ||
| (203) 271-1234 | (203) 639-1234 | (203) 790-1234 |
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25 years of doing any job or profession is an accomplishment and significant
milestone. We spoke with Herbert Jay Rosenfield, the founder and Director of
the Adolescent & Family Counseling Center, which is celebrating the 25th
anniversary of its founding, February 1, 1980. In addition to Herb Rosenfield,
Intake Coordinator Linda Rosenfield, LCSW, his wife, and Kathleen Lieberman,
LCSW, the practice's part-time professionals includes mostly Cheshire residents:
Marty Ernstoff, LMFT; Dorothy J. Jackson, LCSW; Cynthia M. Davis, LCSW; Lynn
M. Krieg, LPC; and George H. Meyers, Med, CAGS. . Two other former Cheshire
residents are Office Manager Renee Freitas and Wendy Sauer, LCSW, who coordinates
the practice's Danbury office, and Bryon T. Remo,
MEd, LMFT, in Danbury and Cheshire, completes the professional staff.
We asked Rosenfield to share his personal and professional observations from
the vantage point of his 25 years in private practice here in Cheshire and
as a Cheshire resident for over 27 years. What remained the same and what has
changed during that quarter century?
Regarding changes within his field, he offered, "When I began my practice,
practicing part-time from my home while a school social worker at Washington
Middle School, the divorce rate had escalated in the '60s. I began practice
with offering social groupwork such as 'Children of Divorce' and 'Divorce Support
Groups' for women." Although there certainly is disruption and distress
caused for children of all ages when their parents split up, he continued,
he finds it is healthier for kids to have their parents get divorced than to
grow up with parents who are each very unhappy, perhaps fighting with each
other constantly, and taking their frustrations out on their kids. "The
divorce rate has stabilized -- at a huge 50% failure rate; parents are more
aware of the powerful impact on kids. They are handling it better and seeking
out professional assistance to mitigate some of the potential damages."
While there are more people engaged in receiving counseling and on psychoactive
medications today, Herb indicated, there is still an inadequate degree of general
understanding of and empathy for emotional disturbances, including depression,
anxiety, and bi-polar disorder. He applauded the presence of earlier personal
safety and sexuality education is public schools. "But," he stated
, "despite the high profile news about the despicable sexual molestation
and abuse cases by a relatively few priests, coaches, teachers, and entertainment
celebrities, there is regretfully little dialog and news about the more frequent
and more damaging sexual abuse -- incest -- within family units. The vast majority
of my dozens of clients who have been childhood victims of sexual abuse --
perhaps 95% of them -- initially have been sexually victimized by members of
their immediate or extended family members!"
Rosenfield indicated that, in Cheshire, some very positive assets have continuity:
Cheshire continues to be a good place to raise our kids; we have a volunteer
fire department that is outstanding in its commitment and effectiveness; beginning
with preschoolers, the Cheshire Park & Rec and the independent organizations
have offered outstanding athletic, arts, and recreational services; the Human
Services Department continues to offer teenagers and their families counseling
services and has excellent emotional and social growth-oriented activities
and programs; Cheshire continues to have an investment in open space and in
recreational facilities; Town voters, even when it may mean increased property
taxes, have repeatedly approved the funding of infrastructure upgrades; and
the excellent Town Managers and the numerous longtime loyal and competent Cheshire
employees have created a trust and they have overseen an open process of dialog
that usually results in good decisions and implementation.
He noted a number of worthwhile changes that make him proud of Cheshire: Town
has done an excellent job in renovating Town Hall and Cheshire High School,
two very visible edifices that represent Cheshire to anyone who drives through
town; Cheshire has continued to have an investment in open space and in recreational
facilities; and the Rail Trail has been a terrific boon to the community, as
we have become more aware of and active in large number of cardiovascular recreational
endeavors done of the trail.
When they moved from Worcester, living in the Town of Cheshire had attracted
him and his wife Linda in 1977 because the location was somewhere between "suburban" and "rural" and
they found that attractive. Rosenfield indicated. "I now have a sense
of loss every time I see another orchard or forested hillside ground-cleared
for a housing development." Rosenfield served on the Cheshire Youth Services
Committee for over a decade. He shared, "One frustrating continuity is
that the political system and populace still remain unaware of the realities
of how many of the Cheshire residents are struggling with economic, housing,
and emotional difficulties." He also remains frustrated that the Harmon
Leonard Youth Center is not primarily utilized for that “youth” purpose
and that there are not enough Town-offered activities for the non-athletic
child and teenager.
Another attraction to the couple was the Cheshire Public School system, noted
even then as outstanding due to excellent teachers, good facilities, and strong
academic and extra-curricular programs. Their sons were raised in Cheshire,
enjoyed and prospered from the Park & Rec services, and were educated in
the Cheshire schools. Matt played soccer, tennis, and dove for CHS and graduated
in 1993. Ric was part of the Ram Marching Band that performed in the Rose Bowl
Parade in Pasadena and in the 1997 Inaugural Parade in Washington. He graduated
in 1999. Both sons then had excellent undergrad experiences at Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, NY.
Rosenfield in 2003 recently sent a letter to then Superintendent David Cressy,
that he has now reissued to our new Superintendent, Greg Florio, and to the
Board of Education. In it, he made four recommendations. He strongly recommended
our creating a magnet "Talented and Gifted Program" that would draw
well-serve our Cheshire students who often leave for private or parochial education
because their needs are not being adequately met. Rosenfield offered that area
schools systems that themselves were not meeting the needs of T & G students,
would pay tuitions that would fill the rest of capacity and pay for part of
the costs of the program. His other suggestions were: make a strong, long-term
commitment to technology and the arts; develop a pilot or experimental program
for offering teenage pupils a track of later arrival and later school day scheduling
that more closely matched their bio-rhythms; and bring back the Transition/Readiness
Program between K and grade 1 for kids who need another year of maturation
to succeed in school.
Asked what he and his staff have planned to commemorate their25th, Rosenfield
indicated that the practice is offering “The Cheshire Employee Assistance
Program” ™ to all Chamber member firms, and offering current and
past client families a “Certificate of Appreciation” toward any
2005 programs, workshops, or presentations, such as “Understanding Sexual
Abuse” ™ by Cynthia Davis, and “From Rage to Reason”™ by
Martha LeRoi, or the regularly scheduled “Relax … and Live Better!” ™ relaxation
and stress management workshop, facilitated in Cheshire by himself and in Danbury
by Bryon Remo.
What Frequently are the Goals of Therapy?
And
“Helping You Solve Life’s Problems” ™ since 1980
ADOLESCENT & FAMILY
COUNSELING CENTER, LLC
The Republic Building
350 South Main Street
Cheshire, CT 06410-3160
Cheshire Meriden Danbury
203 271-1234 203 639-1234 203 790-1234
http://www.AFCCenter.Org/ Fax: 203 272-9094
Director: Herbert Jay Rosenfield, ACSW, LCSW, BC
© Copyright 2006 Adolescent & Family Counseling Center, LLC. May be
used without additional permission for personal use or by clinicians in assisting
their clients, leaving the A&FCC logo and this copyright information intact
on any copies made.
PARALLELS BETWEEN HEALTH ENVIRONMENTS
I recently have observed that there are significant parallels between the five different paradigms I have learned or created and I have shared with clients to help define “healthy settings” and “healthy behaviors” in parenting, self-esteem development, friendship and love relationships, employment settings, and in stress-reduction interventions. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been so surprised, since we human beings have certain needs that we deserve to have met, regardless of the setting or the nature of the relationship.
Click here to download a chart showing the parallels.
Herb Rosenfield, LCSW
© Copyright 2006 Adolescent & Family Counseling Center, LLC. May be
used without additional permission for personal use or by clinicians in assisting
their clients, leaving the A&FCC logo and this copyright information intact
on any copies made.
We welcome your questions or comments.
Email: Adolescent & Family Counseling
Center
Fax: (203) 272-9094
| Cheshire | Meriden | Danbury | ||
| (203) 271-1234 | (203) 639-1234 | (203) 790-1234 |
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