Today we’d like to introduce you to Rena Essrog.
Hi Rena, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My journey as a therapist began over 30 years ago, but the seeds were planted long before that as both of my parents worked in the helping fields. I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland where my father was a Rabbi and my mother was a teacher. After graduating college, I worked at a residential treatment center for teenage girls, where I saw firsthand the devastating effects of emotional neglect, abuse, and trauma. Many of the girls came from fractured families and turned to destructive behaviors as a way to cope. Their stories deeply impacted me and sparked a passion to make a difference in the world, which led me to Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, outside of Philadelphia, where I earned a Master of Social Service Degree in 1995.
After completing my master’s degree, I began working at a Jewish Family and Children’s Service in Philadelphia and later in Southern New Jersey where I provided therapy to children and adults and eventually became the director of the counseling department at Jewish Family of Children’s Service of Southern New Jersey. Over the years, my clinical work has evolved from helping children to supporting adults, families and couples. My desire to further develop my skills working with couples led me to complete advanced training in couple and family therapy at Council for Relationships in Philadelphia in 2007. In the early 2000’s the internet and specifically Facebook started to become popular, and smartphones were developed which made pornography and online relationships easily accessible. I began to hear more and more couples bring up concerns about their partner reconnecting with old boyfriends or girlfriends online as well as viewing online pornography. At that time, as the director of the counseling department at my agency, we sponsored a program on sex addiction and after that training I decided to pursue my certification as a sex addiction therapist (CSAT) to more effectively help my clients who were experiencing problematic online and in person sexual behaviors. I opened up my own private practice in 2014 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey to work with pornography and sex addicts and their partners. In 2016 my family relocated to Southwest Florida and I have continued to work with individuals and couples impacted by problematic pornography use, sex addiction, and betrayal trauma caused by affairs and porn/sex addiction.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I believe most journeys have their twists and turns. I pursued my advanced training in couple and family therapy and sex addiction treatment while I was working full-time and raising my two sons. When I was in the couple and family therapy training program I needed to see clients in the evening and it was really difficult to go from my regular day job to additional clinical work working with clients without being able to see my husband or my son. I remember my husband would pick up my older son and drive to my clinical placement so I could come out to the car and see him for a few minutes because he would be asleep when I got home. That was definitely hard.
It was also really challenging to start a private practice in New Jersey in 2014 and then move two years later to a new state where I did not have any professional contacts and try to reestablish my practice. I initially worked for in a group practice, an employee assistance program, and a psychiatrist seeing therapy clients until I could build up my own practice in Florida.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I own my my therapy practice specializing in pornography and sex addiction, love addiction, and betrayal trauma which is located in Fort Myers, Florida but I can see clients virtually via a HIPAA complaint telehealth program. I continue to be licensed in New Jersey so I can also work with snowbirds.
I was trained as a sex addiction therapist by Patrick Carnes who developed the theory and original treatment protocol for sex addiction therapy. I hold certification from the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals as a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT) which was founded by Patrick Carnes. I also engage in on-going training and supervision with Alexandra Katehakis who is an expect in the field of pornography and sex addiction, love addiction and betrayal trauma. She has written numerous books on sex addiction including Erotic Intelligence which focuses on how to have hot and healthy sex while recovering from sex addiction and Sexual Reflections which is a workbook developing your sexual health plan.
I am also trained in Eye Movement Integration which is a trauma processing protocol which focuses on specific eye movements to help reduce the charge around a traumatic event, sensation or negative belief.
I offer personalized therapy services where you are seen, heard and responded to in a timely manner. I am most proud of developing a successful practice in a new community where I didn’t know anyone when I moved here.
What makes you happy?
I love being able to help people. It makes me really happy when clients tell me they are doing better and no longer need to see me on a regular basis!
Personally, I love being able to do yoga or workout. And, I love spending time with my family. I have a great niece, Tess, who lives in New York and I cherish my time with her. She is named after my mother.
Pricing:
- Initial evaluation $200-300 50/75 minutes
- Subsequent appointments $200 for 50 minutes
- I will provide a reduced rate based on financial situations supported by documentation
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.evolvecenterforhealing.com/
- Facebook: evolvecenterforhealing LLC
