Israela Meyerstein, LCSW-C, LCMFT has been helping families, couples, and individuals for forty years, treating a variety of problems and situations, including parenting and family relationships, couples issues, coping with separation, divorce, and remarriage, medical illness, fetal loss, spirituality, and healthy personal coping. In private practice since 1978,

she was recognized in 2001 as a leading mental health professional by Baltimore Magazine. Israela completed her MSW degree in 1973 from Columbia University School of Social Work, followed by a Third Year Fellowship in Social Work at

the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, where she was later appointed Faculty Associate in the Division of Community and Social Psychiatry of the Medical School.

As an Approved Supervisor in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Ms. Meyerstein directed a Family Therapy Training Program at Sheppard Pratt Hospital from 1986-1998. She has trained hundreds of professionals of varied disciplines, and has taught Family Therapy in college and graduate level programs.

Israela co-founded the Baltimore Jewish Healing Network. Together with Rabbi Gila Ruskin, she co-led Spiritual Study/Discussion Groups for those struggling with medical illness. Ms. Meyerstein has authored thirty published articles on couples and family therapy, spirituality, medical illness, remarriage, and therapist training.

"Bridge to Healing: Finding Strength to Cope with Illness" is her first book.