Dr. Beth M. Karassik has been with CNS since 1992. Her education, training and experience spanning over 30 years in clinical and forensic psychology and neuropsychology have made clear to her the interplay of emotional reactivity and cognitive functions – people do not do their best thinking when threatened, scared, or upset. She provides a nonjudgmental atmosphere of curiosity, connection, and creativity for people she sees.

In her Divorce and Separation practice, Dr. Karassik offers several services. Couples “on the brink”, in which one partner is considering divorce, are seen in Discernment Counseling. This 1- to 5-session process is designed for couples to get clear and confident about the direction for their relationship based on having a deeper understanding of what each brought to the relationship.  They decide at each session whether or not to return for the next, and they choose Path 1 (the “status quo” in which things remain as they are), Path 2 (divorce), or Path 3 (a commitment to 6 months of couples’ therapy that will focus on an Agenda for Change they wrote for themselves during the Discernment sessions).

 

 

Dr. Karassik has been trained as a Family Specialist/Divorce Coach and Child Specialist in Collaborative Divorce, a process in which couples commit to stay out of court and work with their team of two lawyers, usually one neutral mental health professional, and a neutral financial professional to reach agreements for separating their lives. In her Collaborative Divorce practice, she brings a deep appreciation, based on personal experience, of the impact of divorce on families, couples, and children. She has been a partner with attorneys in Co-Mediation for couples who choose mediation for their divorce process. (Divorce and Separation services are not covered benefits in health insurance plans.)

Dr. Karassik also consults with physicians, attorneys, and educators regarding differential diagnosis, educational planning, and treatment recommendations for children and adults with a broad range of neuropsychological, learning, emotional, and behavioral disorders. She additionally provides outpatient psychological and neuropsychological services to both children and adults.

Dr. Karassik is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), the Connecticut Psychological Association (CPA), and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP).  She is also a Board Member and co-chair of the Professional Development Committee of the Connecticut Council for Non-Adversarial Divorce (CCND; www.gooddivorcect.com). Dr. Karassik is affiliated as both a Family Specialist/Divorce Coach and a Child Specialist with the Collaborative Divorce Team of Connecticut (CDTC; www.collaborativedivorceteamct.com), and she is Co-President of Divorce Solutions of Connecticut (DSC; www.mydivorcect.com).

Based on personal experience, again, of a series of deaths in her close family, Dr. Karassik chose to pursue and has completed a Grief Educator certification program through David Kessler and offers individual and group services. A Certified Grief Educator is committed to providing the highest level of grief support through education, experience, and insights into the often unacknowledged rocky terrain of grief. Certified Grief Educators complete a certificate program designed by world-renowned grief expert, David Kessler. They bring his unique methodology, tools, and decades of experience to help people navigate the challenges of grief.

 

Dr. Karassik received her B.A. in Psychology from Wellesley College and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Emory University in 1989.

On a Personal Note…
I have always been interested in people, curious about their stories, and oriented toward being of service. The study of neuroscience and neuropsychology has deepened my understanding of what drives and sustains human behavior, and also my appreciation of how stress or upsets can interfere with our best thinking and our actions. Knowledge of brain-based reactions to stress and trauma has informed my practice of more than 30 years, working with a wide range of people in psychotherapy, diagnostic evaluations, and separation/divorce. After my own divorce, I trained in Mediation and Collaborative Divorce to support separating couples in ways that would have made a difference for me. I provide Discernment Counseling, a time-limited intervention for couples on the brink to get clear on what direction they want to take.

I conduct neuropsychological examinations across the lifespan and this work continues to inform all aspects of my practice. My background in neuropsychology gives me insight into how the brain affects emotions and decision-making during difficult times, like divorce or separation. In my Collaborative Divorce practice, I work with couples as a Family Specialist to design Parenting Plans and as a Child Specialist to bring the voice of any children to the process. While my education, training and experience provide the basic understanding, it was my own divorce that gave me a real appreciation of the impact of this life transition on families, couples and individuals. Working with me, you will be met with compassion, commitment, creativity, warmth, and humor. Also informed by current research on well-being, my commitment to you is not just to minimize distress/pain, but to have you see automatic patterns of reacting that aren’t working for you, and then create new possibilities for the future that align with your best interests.

 

Why People Are Choosing Collaborative Divorce

 

Navigating Divorce with Mindfulness and Resilience

 

 

Comprehensive Neuropsychological Services, P.C.
1095 South Main St.
Cheshire, CT 06410

Telephone: 203-271-3809
Fax: 203-272-6968
Email: cns@clinicalneuropsych.com