Uzi Ben-Ami, Ph.D. Tumblr Blog

Uzi Ben-Ami, Ph.D., is a Rockville, Maryland, psychologist with more than three decades of experience providing personalized, problem-solving orientation in individual, couple and family therapy. Areas of interest include children, Anxiety, Depression, parenting issues, Bipolar Disorder, computer addiction. Uzi Ben-Ami, Ph.D., has extensive experience assisting patients in Internet and sexual addiction. Uzi Ben-Ami, Ph.D., was born and raised in Israel and gained early training as an economist. Possessing a passion for helping others, he subsequently redirected his efforts toward psychology and pursued doctoral studies at the University of Maryland. His experience extends to a role as a certified school psychologist, and he has practiced neuro-linguistic programming. Dr. Ben-Ami is an avid reader who enjoys works by authors ranging from Eric Fromm to Ann Tyler. A classical music enthusiast, he is particularly drawn to composers such as Ludwig van Beethoven and Modest Mussorgsky. He has also traveled extensively to locales across Europe, including Greece and Spain.

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PTSD Symptoms and Treatment

Uzi Ben-Ami, Ph.D., is an experienced psychologist who works at his own practice in Rockville, Maryland. His specialties include several different psychological conditions, including PTSD, bipolar disorder, and gender identity disorder. Uzi Ben-Ami, Ph.D., works with clients in individual, couple, and family therapy modes as needed,, treating clients with various approaches, including cognitive behavioral therapy, DBT, CPT, family therapy, and interpersonal therapy. Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a diagnosis given to people experiencing symptoms following a traumatic event that go on for more than a month. Frequently, the symptoms of PTSD don’t begin to appear for months or even years after the traumatic event in question. There are several typical symptoms associated with PTSD like re-experiencing trauma through intrusive flashbacks or nightmares, emotional numbness and avoidance of reminders of trauma Also victims of PTSD may experience increased arousal or feelings of anxiety, anger, depression, sleep disturbance and distractibility.. PTSD is generally treated with psychotherapy and sometimes with medication, either together or separately. Major forms of. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, like DBT and CPT are frequently used to treat PTSD. Also eye movement training, (EMDR) and several modes of Interpersonal psychotherapy.

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Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety

Uzi Ben-Ami, Ph.D. has practiced as a licensed psychologist for more than 30 years. Uzi Ben-Ami, Ph.D. has received formal training in cognitive and dialectic behavioral therapy and has experience treating anxiety disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is one of the most popular therapeutic interventions for anxiety. Studies show that it can be effective in as few as eight sessions, with or without medication. It works by helping clients explore the negative thoughts that lead to their anxiety and replace these thoughts with others that are more adaptive. A CBT intervention starts with the forging of a trusting collaborative relationship between client and therapist. The therapist helps the client to identify the thoughts, feelings, and situations associated with his or her anxiety. The therapist then guides the client in identifying those specific negative thought patterns that lead to maladaptive anxious thinking and behavior. Once the client has named the thoughts that drive the anxiety, the client moves on to the process of learning to challenge those thoughts. This process includes reality testing of the negative thoughts and analyzing elements of one's self-concept that contribute to anxious thinking. The client also learns to test the likelihood of negative predictions coming true, and the seriousness of potential negative outcomes. Clients who have become comfortable with this process can then begin to replace negative distorted or unrealistic thoughts with more accurate and truthful ones. At this stage, the therapist may work with the client by introducing anxiety-provoking situations, often simultaneously introducing relaxation techniques that can make the thought replacement process easier to access in the moment. This process is a collaborative one requiring a strong relationship between client and therapist. It also involves a fair amount of client “homework,” as the client must practice thought-challenging and replacement outside of sessions, but the reward can be long-term relief of previously debilitating anxiety symptoms.

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Identifying Anger Issues in Children

Uzi Ben-Ami, Ph.D., is an experienced psychologist working out of his office in Rockville, Maryland. Over the course of a career spanning more than 30 years, Uzi Ben-Ami, Ph.D., has treated a variety of patients, including children, for a number of psychological issues, most frequently depression and anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mood disorders and anger control issues and childhood Bi-Polar Disorder. Diagnosing psychological issues in children can be complex. A classic example: when considering a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), one must remember that many of the symptoms present in ADHD are at times no more than a child’s age normative behavior. Anger issues are another complex matter, as mood swings and sensitivity are very common in children. However, there are a few signs that may indicate more serious emotional issues in a child. For instance, though temper tantrums are common among infants and toddlers, frequent screaming and crying outbursts beyond the ages of nine or ten may suggest more serious psychological issues. Uncontrolled anger that begins to pose physical or an emotional threat to the child or to others is another sign that a mental health professional may need to examine the child. The goal of the evaluation is to identify the emotional underpinnings of the outbursts. The danger of a tantrum may be physical, but can also be extended to include damaged friendships and family relationships, as well as poor school performance. Arguably the most telling sign of an anger issue is that the emotional outbursts frighten and anger the child himself. The child does not wish to be angry all the time but feels he has little control over his emotions, which only exacerbates the problem. A parent or guardian observing any of these behaviors in their child should consider reaching out to a psychologist or family physician.

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The Young Life of Ludwig Van Beethoven

University of Maryland graduate, Uzi Ben-Ami, PhD, was the chief psychologist Jewish Social Service Agency in Rockville, Maryland between 1980-1992. As a lover of classical music, Uzi Ben-Ami, PhD, is fond of the music of Beethoven. Born into a musical family in the city of Bonn in 1770, Ludwig Van Beethoven's parents consisted of a moralistic mother and an average court singer for a father named Johann van Beethoven. His father was an inveterate drunkard, but he was still the driving force behind the young Beethoven’s introduction to music. Unfortunately, it was a brutal introduction, and neighbors told stories of the young lad weeping while standing on a stool to reach the clavichord his father was teaching him to play. Beaten mercilessly with each pause or error, he was often whipped and locked in the basement or kept up late at night for extra practice. His father was so determined that his son was to become a young prodigy, like Mozart, that he organized Beethoven's first recital for the Empress Maria Theresia at the age of seven, and though unheralded at the time, it was the start of one of music’s greatest careers.

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A Brief Overview of OCD

For more than three decades, Uzi Ben-Ami, Ph.D., has provided a variety of counseling and psychotherapeutic services to clients in and around Rockville, Maryland. Uzi Ben-Ami, Ph.D., works with clients on a range of life and health topics, from marital issues to parenting and individual adult and child work; from anxiety to depression, Bi-Polar and OCD. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common issue defined by persistent and disruptive uncontrollable thoughts and behaviors. Individuals dealing with OCD feel the need to revisit obsessions and repeat compulsions over and over. The repetitive nature of the disorder can become so burdensome that individuals struggle to keep up with school, work, and other areas of life. Specific thoughts and behaviors can differ significantly from one individual to the next. However, there are several symptoms that appear in numerous cases of the disorder. Paranoia regarding germs and sickness, for example, is a common manifestation. Other issues include an intense desire to order or arrange items in a specific way, compulsive cleaning and handwashing, and an uncontrollable urge to count or otherwise think about numbers. Individuals who feel they may be dealing with OCD should consider how often their thoughts arise and how frequently their urges interrupt the normal flow of daily life. It is reasonable to check house locks more than once, for instance, particularly if a neighbor or relative recently experienced a break-in. But once a person has developed a ritual wherein one cannot stop thinking about it, particularly a ritual lacking in logic or pleasure, he or she should consider discussing the matter with a doctor.

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Youth and Family Programming at the Jewish Social Service Agency

A licensed psychologist and graduate of the University of Maryland, Uzi Ben-Ami, Ph.D., has practiced psychology in Maryland for more than three decades. Prior to focusing full-time on his private psychotherapy practice, Dr. Uzi Ben-Ami served as a chief psychologist with the Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA), a position he held alongside his practice for 12 years. Established under the current name in the 1930s, the JSSA strives to “empower individuals and family to achieve well-being across their lifespan.” The organization offers help to children, parents, those with special needs, and seniors in Maryland, northern Virginia and D.C., and delivers specialty programs for adoption, Holocaust survivors, hospice, and community outreach. The JSSA provides assistance to children, young adults, and their families through counseling, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) services, and care management. Regular workshops offer support to young people who require aid in developing social skills, dealing with divorce or sibling issues, managing grief, and suicide support. Some of the specialty programs planned for spring 2017 include “Cool, Calm, and Collected” for young men and women with ASD, social clubs for teenagers, young adults, and the hard-of-hearing, and support groups for parents of children diagnosed with ASD.