A Therapist’s Lifelong Calling to Support Older Adults
I had the privilege of photographing Isabella Paola Rossi, LCSW, GC-C, a Psychotherapist for Greenwich House in New York City. She shared an inspiring quote.
“As you start to walk on the way, the way appears.” Rumi For me, this means that you must begin and as you do, the way will appear. You don’t have to go it alone though. I enjoy acting as a witness to people finding a new and more mindful path. I am excited to move myself towards building a practice working with older adults and others who want to live a happier and more balanced life.
I grew up around older people. My parents were much older when they had me, and both passed away early in my life. When I was in my early twenties, I lived in a high-rise in Boston with people 60 years of age and older. For work, I would stay over at people’s houses and help them. So, most of my life I have been around older people. I guess you could say, I was born to work with older adults!
While living in Boston, I wanted a change, so I found a job and moved to San Francisco. For six years I worked for Italian Community Services. Four staff members served 150 people every week. We did it all! Our daily mission began with translation. I am fluent in Italian, so I supported all client needs. I scheduled appointments, helped them with transportation, coordinated with various agencies, & medical appointments. And in the process, I learned a lot about the system.
After a move to Connecticut. I started working in a nursing home as a recreational therapist and noticed dilemmas playing out. I will call them ethical dilemmas. It sparked my curiosity about the end of life process. I applied to the Hunter School of Social Work, graduating in 2013 with a specialization in gerontology. Gaining my LCSW inspired me to try different things, so I included working with younger people. Working with a variety of ages made me realize how much I knew about different developmental stages and expectations. I furthered my education at NYU with a post-graduate certificate in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
I have dedicated my life to caring for, helping and enhancing the quality of life for mostly older adults. I bring a wealth of experience in community services, long-term care, housing, and community mental health. These roles have provided me with a profound understanding of both the systems involved and the narratives surrounding aging.
Currently I am working as a psychotherapist at Greenwich House in New York City. And I am excited to be opening my own practice as well, specializing in Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavior Therapy.
I had never had a formal headshot before, so I was nervous. I told Alissa I needed help marketing myself since I am opening my practice. She knew exactly what to do and made me feel comfortable right away. Getting my hair and makeup done was wonderful. I loved the results of the whole experience, my beautiful headshots!”