Janice Shapiro, MA, LMFT California Lic #86051
Psychotherapist for Marriage, Individual and Family Happiness
"To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly."
---Henri Bergson
My Story
My career journey from 4th grade teacher to marriage and family therapist took a lot of twists and turns. Although, believe it or not, it all connects.
Starting the journey as an elementary school teacher, I learned so much about how children absorb, learn, and develop. My first pivotal change occurred during parent-teacher conferences. After the regular part of "How your child is doing", parents would tell me about their family story: the history, struggles, heartaches and joys. They would tell me ALL. I began to see my students in a new light as family members. I was drawn to the field of marriage and family therapy.
My second pivotal change occurred while working as a therapist. I was able to connect behaviors my clients wanted to change to past negative experiences. And so my motto became: "Whatever you have learned, you can unlearn and learn new ways of being," In other words, it is possible to make changes.
My third pivotal change occurred when I became certified as a pet loss and bereavement counselor. Hearing about such strong attachment while listening to my clients tell of their losses made me realize how extraordinary the bond can become between ourselves and our beloved pets. This led to my interest and further study in human attachment aka bonding aka love which ultimately led to my theory of L.O.V.E.: the only four skills you'll ever need to find harmony and well-being in all meaningful human relationships.
My fourth pivotal change occurred while walking my dog, Ranger. Strangers would come up and ask permission to pet him. After a joyful greeting of jumps, slobbers and licks (from him), they actually thanked ME for letting them pet my dog as they walked away with contented smiles on their faces. This happened too many times to ignore. They were getting something good out of petting Ranger, but what? Later to find out they were experiencing unadulterated pure love. This led me to canine massage used as one of my many tools to reduce depression, anxiety and stresses.
All of these experiences have come together to help me formulate L.O.V.E., the four skills needed to achieve happiness and well-being for individuals and couples. These skills are Loyalty, Otherness, Validations and Empathy. Dogs have these skills intuitively, and we can learn to have them too!
Contact me to see how you can incorporate L.O.V.E. into your own life.
Janice