She’d been a psychology professor for years at such institutions as Harvard Medical School, Skidmore College, and Bard College, but clinical psychologist Dr. Beth Gershuny decided it was time to shift gears.
In 2015, the Hudson Valley native opened Izlind Integrative Wellness Center & Institute of Rhinebeck, where people can experience a multitude of services from several different practitioners – such as Ayurveda, chiropractic, acupuncture, medical massage, psychotherapy, to name just a few — reflecting Gershuny’s long-held conviction that “it takes a village” to help a person feel well.
“Programs that provide integrative approaches are now included at healthcare giants such as Sloan Kettering, Mount Sinai, Cleveland Clinic, and Mayo Clinic; but integrative approaches are not yet standard in the U.S.,” says Gershuny, who created Izlind to provide such integrative services, collaboratively combining conventional and complementary approaches.
Gershuny is known for her groundbreaking research on anxiety, stress, and worry, which “have been on the rise for quite some time,” she says, which is even true in children, adolescents, and young adults who are increasingly exposed to such things as terrorism, cyber bullying, and unrealistic social media comparisons. “However, this rise is proportional, and we are seeing high levels of anxiety, stress, and worry in people of all ages,” says Gershuny.
If you think a session with Gershuny involves a patient lying on a couch while she employs Freudian techniques, think again. She incorporates cognitive-behavioral, mindfulness meditation, and holistic techniques. “Our psychotherapy sessions are actively engaged, with both of us contributing and collaborating, tweaking and shifting our focus and strategies as patients’ needs evolve.”
