Diane received her bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Stony Brook University’s School of Social Welfare where she received several academic and leadership awards. After graduation she began her professional career at Suffolk County Health Center in Bay Shore while attending Fordham University’s School of Social Service for her Master’s Degree.
She began her clinical private practice in 1994 after graduating Fordham University. Her first client was transsexual and together they explored the psychotherapeutic aspects of gender identity. Diane continued to practice medical social work at the health center until February of 2001. Her work at the Bay Shore Family Health Center included crisis intervention; pre and post HIV test counseling; and work with individuals, couples and groups of many cultures. The issues she encountered included but were not limited to: domestic violence, substance abuse, grief and loss, and coping with chronic and terminal illness.
Diane’s unquenchable thirst for knowledge and understanding of the psychological, social and spiritual aspects of people has her constantly reading psychological, philosophical, spiritual and clinical social work scholarly journals and books. This discipline has served her well throughout her personal and professional development.
Early in her career Diane became certified in hypnotherapy and uses it as a tool to help people with smoking cessation, phobias and relaxation. She later studied Ericksonian hypnosis and was fascinated by this psychological approach to hypnosis. After reading about the benefits of EMDR when working with people who have experienced trauma, Dr. Freedman completed training in Critical Incident Stress Debriefing and EMDR. In her practice, she continues to find these methods very helpful in working with clients who suffer with dissociative disorders and post-traumatic stress. During the years when many of her clients were dying of AIDS, Diane studied death and dying. She attended several seminars with Bernie Siegal, MD (creator of the first Hospice) and Theresa Rando, PhD, (specialist in complicated mourning).
Dr. Freedman is a Board Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress and a Diplomate of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. After September 11, 2001, Diane worked with several corporations that were affected by the attacks on the World Trade Center. She did critical incident stress debriefings with the employees on September 12 in New York City and continued to work with survivors and families of people affected for several months following the tragedy.
Diane earned her doctorate degree in Clinical Social Work at New York University’s School of Social Work in 2007. Her dissertation is titled "The Effects of Mental Health Intervention on Adherence to Medication for People with HIV and AIDS."
Please click Diane's photo to send an email for further information about her practice and availability.
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