Dr. James D. Sterling Recalls Time Spent with Renowned Family Therapist Olga Silverstein

Dr. James D. Sterling

Dr. James D. Sterling

Dr. James D. Sterling has had many accomplishments in his 45-year career, but among the most formative is the training he’s been fortunate to receive from some of the world’s most respected therapists. The ability to learn from these experts has helped Dr. James D. Sterling develop his own, well-rounded take on couples and family therapy.

Among these experts was Olga Silverstein, says Dr. James D. Sterling. Olga Silverstein was a respected author and therapist who pioneered the theory that parents tend to push male children out of the home too soon. Her goal, Dr. James D. Sterling tells us, was to show parents that just because a young male doesn’t want to leave home immediately following graduation didn’t mean they’d failed as parents.

Dr. James D. Sterling regularly works with parents and families as part of his practice, the New York Center for Psychotherapy. Located on Park Avenue in New York, the practice of Dr. James D. Sterling focuses on individualized sessions that encourage open communication. Dr. Silverstone taught at the Ackerman Institute for the Family, a New York training institute that focuses on therapy for couples and families.

Silverstein’s most enduring book is The Courage to Raise Young Men, a book that tackled the parent-son relationship in a way no other book had at that time. Dr. James D. Sterling reports that Silverstein used her own familial experience, combined with her years of providing therapy, to describe the issues she’d seen in families with male children.

According to Dr. James D. Sterling, Silverstein also co-wrote The Therapeutic Voice of Olga Silverstein and The Invisible Web: Gender Patterns in Family Relationships. Following her death in 2009, Dr. James D. Sterling says the Ackerman Institute developed an award in her name. Each year, the Olga Silverstein Training Award will acknowledge one student who has successfully finished Ackerman’s clinical program and is heading into the first year of externship training, Dr. James D. Sterling explains.

Dr. James D. Sterling is an educator himself, serving as Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Mt. Sinai Medical Center. Having worked in clinical instruction for the hospital’s department of psychiatry since 1982, Dr. James D. Sterling is always seeking to improve his knowledge of the field in order to pass that knowledge on to others. Dr. James D. Sterling holds a Doctorate from the University of Chicago.

A family man, Dr. James D. Sterling lives in New York with his wife and daughter. Dr. James D. Sterling has served on the board of directors of the Alcoholism Council of Greater New York and held memberships with the American Psychological Association and the American Group Psychotherapy Association.

Comments

  1. I have been fortunate enough to meet Dr. James D. Sterling before and I must say, Mrs. Silverstein was just as fortunate to have had the chance to meet him as he was her.

    • Dr. James Sterling says:

      Thank you for your kind words. It means much to me that you would hold me in such high regard.

      My best,

      Dr. James D. Sterling

  2. Tiffany says:

    My question for Dr. James D. Sterling is this: what age is appropriate to encourage a child, male or female, to spread their wings and fly?

    • Dr. James Sterling says:

      That is a question that is difficult to answer. It depends largely on the adult child and their confidence levels. I would suggest encouraging independence at least after college, but, again, your child may not be ready.

      My best,

      Dr. James D. Sterling

  3. Having grown up with the father who worked alongside Dr. James D. Sterling at Mount Sinai, I would just like to say thank you for your years of service dedicated to helping your fellow man achieve emotional balance.

    • Dr. James Sterling says:

      Thank you, Juan. I have always known that psychiatry was my calling and am blessed to have enjoyed such a long career doing what I love.

      My best,

      Dr. James D. Sterling

  4. I remember when I first met Dr. James D. Sterling as a student. He was then and continues to be a mentor and friend.

  5. People like Dr. James D. Sterling do the hard work of helping people like me not fall victim to our own minds. I commend him and his colleagues, especially for his work the Alcoholism Council of Greater New York.

    • Dr. James Sterling says:

      This is my passion and it’s nice to see that my work is appreciated.

      My best,

      Dr. James D. Sterling

  6. I’m wondering when Dr. James D. Sterling will write a book himself?

    • Dr. James Sterling says:

      I have been fortunate enough to contribute to many clinical publications over the years. But you never know what I’ll do next.

      My best,

      Dr. James D. Sterling

  7. Randall says:

    Dr. James D. Sterling saved my family. He worked with my teenage son through his angst and rebellious stage. I can’t recommend him and his practice enough.

    • Dr. James Sterling says:

      Sometimes, it makes sense to let your child talk to a stranger. Family therapy is one such instance. I’m quite glad we were able to help your lovely family reclaim harmony within the home.

      My best,

      Dr. James D. Sterling

  8. Kenneth says:

    Dr. James D. Sterling it’s not your average shrink. He is one of the easiest men to talk to, and even made my shy and timid wife comfortable throughout the unpleasantness of a near divorce. I love that he does not take credit just for his accomplishments but is willing to acknowledge those great therapists he’s learned from throughout the last many decades.

    • Dr. James Sterling says:

      Just as with raising a child, the upbringing a competent mental health care provider takes a village. I’m quite lucky that Mrs. Silverstein was willing to be part of mine.

      My best,

      Dr. James D. Sterling

  9. I never realized how important communication was until my partner and I visited Dr. James D. Sterling upon moving to New York a few years ago. His advice has made all the difference in our relationship and I now have the confidence to make known my needs, which is an area I had trouble with previously.

    • Dr. James Sterling says:

      Clear communication is the foundation upon which all relationships are built. I’m glad that I helped you learn to find your own voice.

      My best,

      Dr. James D. Sterling

  10. Renaldo says:

    I have had the honor of meeting both Dr. James D. Sterling as well as the late Mrs. Olga Silverstein. I’ve always been impressed at how two professionals such as themselves continue to teach and learn with sustained passion.

    • Dr. James Sterling says:

      I feel as though when you do something you love, you never lose your passion or enthusiasm. I was lucky enough to find such a profession as a young man and have never looked back.

      My best,

      Dr. James D. Sterling

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