When Dr. Beth Weiner of Greenwich was a little girl, she and her brother made some recordings on old cassettes. Years later, Weiner listened to them and realized her career path was set long before she realized it.
You hear me talking to my brother and playing some skits, and Im play-acting the role of a psychologist. You can hear my grandmother in the background saying, You really sound like a psychologist,' Weiner said while she sat comfortably in her office chair. Outside, a white noise machine masks any discussion that might slip past the clinical psychologists closed door. She smiled and finished the story. I think she might have been right.
Weiner practices in Greenwich, treating children through adults. She said the soft black leather couch has gotten plenty of use over the 18 years she has been in practice in town. A small bookshelf holds simple toys for the children she sees.
As much as she loves helping people with their stresses and mental health issues, Weiner said mentoring with a passion for psychology is equally important. To that end, she is the administrator and program director for four master's programs at the Westchester Graduate Campus of Long Island University located on the grounds of Purchase College, SUNY in Purchase, N.Y. She oversees the School Psychology, School Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling programs. She also teaches in her field.
Weiner said the school, which also offers programs in Teacher Education, MBA and Library and Information Science, is an enigma to people who dont realize that a Long Island University campus is so close. When I first mentioned the job to my husband [a Greenwich native], he expressed some concern about the distance. Then I explained that the Westchester Graduate Campus is only six and a half miles from the center of Greenwich, said Weiner.
She recommended the campus for people looking for a career change who want to stay close to home. Most courses are offered in timeframes that make them more available to working adults. She also commended the feel of the smaller campus. Weiner explained, We are part of this very large university with access to its resources, yet we are so small that everyone from the receptionists to the professors all know the students as individuals."
When did you first know what career was right for you?
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