About Paula Ochs
About Paula Ochs











About Paula Ochs

Paula Ochs, MSW,  LCSW, is an experienced family therapist and certified*
supervisor practicing in New Jersey.  She is the founder and director of
Chrysalis Clinical Supervision and Training, an Institute specializing in the
professional development of social workers and family therapists.  Paula is also
the Associate Clinical Director of Family Service League, a not for profit agency
that provides individual, couple, family, and group counseling services to the
community in Essex County.
*
Certified by the NASW and NJ Board of Social Work Examiners and NJ State Board of
Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners.

Paula has a passion for her work that springs both from her experiences with
clients and her own professional training.  "I have seen clients transformed by
changing the way they interact with their mothers, fathers, siblings, sons and
daughters.  Some of these changes have been life saving.  I have also seen
dramatic changes take place among my colleagues and myself during
professional training.  These changes have transformed our lives. They have
made us better clinicians and helped us to live richer lives.   I desire to help my
supervisees to transform themselves into the best therapists they can be."

Paula received her MSW from NYU in 1996 and has trained extensively in
psychotherapy with a focus on family therapy since then.  She graduated from
the Ackerman Institute for the Family in 2001 and has trained with Maurizio
Andolfi (Rome, Italy), Jorge Colapinto, Lee Combrink-Graham, the MInuchin
Center, and Jeff Zeig, among others.  Paula has also trained extensively in
psychodrama and sociometry and has trained in hypnotherapy as well.  Paula
is a member of the
American Family Therapy Academy.

While at NYU, Paula gained her first exposure to family therapy.  This
reinforced her belief that problems emerge from, and are maintained by,
interpersonal transactions rather than by the psyche alone.  Since then Paula
has worked with thousands of clients and has found that working with the
individual within the context of family and relationships is usually richer and
more effective than working with individuals alone.

Paula has supervised many Social Work and MFT graduate students from
universities such as NYU, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Kean, and Fordham. She
currently supervises LSW's, LCSW's, LPC's, MFT's and supervisors in an
agency setting as well as privately.  She was promoted to Assistant Adjunct
Professor at NYU in 2009 in recognition of her contribution as a Field
Instructor.  Paula has taught workshops on family therapy to undergraduates,
graduate students and professionals.  She has found that using experiential
learning techniques with her supervisees, especially in a group setting is a
particularly powerful and effective way of teaching therapeutic skills.

"My goal is to provide supervisees with a warm and supportive environment
that will allow them to feel safe enough to take risks necessary to truly commit  
themselves to the work.  I want my supervisees to learn how to be creative and
spontaneous so that they can feel confident with whatever clinical challenges
come their way.  I have similar goals for my clients whether they are a family,
couple or individual.  Most people respond best to feeling accepted and
supported. Once that is in place true change is possible."

If you'd like to find out more about Social Work Supervision, Family Therapy
Supervision, or about the possibility of beginning therapy, contact
Paula Ochs
Chrysalis Clinical Supervision and Training
"Professional Transformation and Growth"
Copyright 2009