I have been under the care of Dr. Carla Polcyn for the past 7 years. In that time, she has been responsible for monitoring my medication, and provides ongoing therapy to help manage my life with the diagnoses of Major Depression and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. The extent to which she has helped me improve the quality of my life over the course of our professional relationship is astonishing. The positive differences in my life between seven years ago and now are testament to how incredibly capable and effective she is as a psychotherapist. I would absolutely recommend her services to anyone in need of a caring professional.
I began seeing Dr. Polcyn in the late fall of 2008. I was a year and a half out of high school and in that time had failed at my first attempt of going away to college after only one semester. I lacked any motivation to work, and in the rare event that I did find a job, I couldn't keep it for long. In a vicious cycle of self-destruction, I habitually used drugs and abused alcohol. I felt completely lost and aimless, paralyzed by my depression, and struggled to even wake up in the morning. My depression became worse than I can ever remember it being (I had been receiving treatment for depression and anxiety since age 11 or 12). A rapacious hopelessness was consuming me, and I ultimately attempted suicide. Following a brief inpatient hospitalization, I was left feeling just as lost, paralyzed and hopeless as before, without the slightest idea of how to begin to get my life together. That all began to change when I was referred to Dr. Polcyn.
To most people, securing a steady job and taking on the responsibilities of school are a matter of course, logical and reasonable undertakings that every accountable adult must face. In the depths of my deep, unrelenting depression, I was not "most people". To me, these were insurmountable obstacles, ventures for which I simply did not have the capacity. Today, I am a successful student with an extensive and noteworthy portfolio, recognition for excellent academic performance over the course of six semesters from the President's Honor List, and a degree in Visual Arts. These achievements have earned me generous merit scholarships to my top four art schools of choice, where I will continue my studies beginning this Fall. The first job that I sought seven years ago with Dr. Polcyn's help, I have kept all that time, which has opened doors for additional employment opportunities. It was because of Dr. Polcyn's unwavering support and enlightened guidance that I was given the incredible gift of disproving those deep-seated beliefs about myself, and of constructing the basis for living the productive and rewarding life that I deserve.
What has made my treatment so successful, in my opinion, is the essential ongoing aim for progress. When I was at my most fragile, Dr. Polcyn's gentle but steadfast encouragement prompted me to take gradual steps to fortify my foundation. She led the through the introspection I needed to identify the things that propel me through life, the things that would drive me to wake up in the morning. With her guidance, I used these motivators as tools to establish a sense of purpose. With this increasing sense of purpose came greater productivity, greater self-confidence, and, in turn, greater inclination to remain productive. From that foundation, she helped me maintain the balance and structure in my life that kept me productive, always working towards my next goal. This structure helped to keep me motivated to continue taking steps forward. She continues to help me work through roadblocks that threaten to hinder my growth, making sure that I don't fall far from my path of progress. Working with Dr. Polcyn over the past seven years has been the backbone of my development, and her role in my life has been invaluable. It is because of her caring guidance that I will confidently pursue my goals and continue to flourish. read more
