About Us

Annette K. Schreiber, Ph.D., Licensed Professional Counselor #37PC00375600:


Annette is a true South Jersey native. Born in Atlantic City, she grew up in Brant Beach, went to Elementary School on Long Beach Island, and attended Southern Regional High School. She graduated with Highest Honors from Stockton State College with a B.A.in Psychology. She later earned her M.A. in Psychological Counseling from Monmouth University, and her Ph.D., also in Psychological Counseling, from Union Institute and University.


She completed her doctoral internship at the Richard Stockton Counseling Center, where she also taught as a member of the adjunct faculty. One of her specialties is working with college students.


Annette was a professional hypnotist in private practice for many years, and an instructor in hypnosis at the Soutnern Regional and Pinelands Regional Adult Community Education programs. She was the Editor of the International Journal of Professional Hypnosis, and has presented at conferences of the International Hypnosis Hall of Fame and the New Jersey Regional Mental Health Counselors Association. Annette holds a diplomate from the National Board for Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists.


Annette is one of North America's foremost experts on the British Royal Family, which was the subject of her doctoral dissertation, using Bowen Family Systems Theory. She frequently lectures at universities on this topic.


Annette is trained in Critical Incident Stress Response Debriefing, and is a member of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation.


Don E. Gibbons, Ph.D., NJ Licensed Psychologist #03510:


Don Gibbons was born in Portland, Oregon, and has lived in several parts of the U.S. Don received his Psychology training at the University of California, Riverside, and Claremont Graduate University. He has taught at the University of Portland, the University of West Georgia, and DeSales University, where he was Chairman of the Psychology Department.


Don originated the "Best Me" technique of multimodal suggestion, and was the first to identify the process of hyperempiria,, or the suggestion-based enhancement of experience, as a catalyst for growth and change. Don has written five books, presented at many professional conferences, published in scholarly journals, and has presented at the American Psychological Association and the British Royal Society of medicine. He and is the senior author of the chapter on hypnotic induction procedures in the latest edition of the Handbook of Clinical Hypnosis, published by the American Psychological Association in 2010. He also initiated the petition to establish the Division of Humanistic Psychology within the American Psychological Association.



Sunday, April 28, 2013

Superstorm Sandy and Anniversary Reactions


by Annette K. Schreiber, Ph.D., LPC

A nodal event is an event in a person's, family's, community's or country's life that affects it profoundly. Some events are positive, like the election of a president or the birth of a Royal baby. Some events, however, are so negative, that they throw everything out of equilibrium. Sandy was such an event.

The Jersey Coast and those of us who were personally affected by the storm know that things will forever be different. We, as individuals, families and communities, have been knocked off balance. Everything has changed, as we search for the "new normal."

When we approach anniversaries of negative nodal events, we may find that we don't feel "quite right." We may become symptomatic in many ways, physically, emotionally or behaviorally. One person may get a bad cold, or break out in a rash. Another may quietly get drunk, or not so quietly go speeding down the highway and get a bunch of tickets. And most people have emotional upsets. Feeling depressed, sad, irritable, anxious, or having panic attacks are ways that many people "mark" these anniversaries. Why? Do we decide this is how we are going to observe the anniversary of Sandy? No, it is not a conscious decision. Each individual is part of a system: a family, a community or a country. And if the system is out of equilibrium, there are shockwaves that reverberate throughout all parts of the system, bringing on symptoms.

Six months after Sandy, many members of our communities remain in deep trouble. The disillusionment stage of recovery has set it. The insurance companies, FEMA, SBA, the local, state and federal governments aren't moving fast enough to get people back in their homes, or their businesses up and running. Many people remain displaced, and have lost everything they owned and are desperately trying to figure out how to move forward.

But, there are random acts of kindness, people volunteering and giving, and countless fundraisers. Groups of people gather in formal and informal support groups to help themselves and others make sense of it all, and to draw strength from each other.

So, if in the next week or so, you don't feel "quite right," realize that you are not alone in feeling this way, and that we have all been knocked for a loop. But our people and our communities are strong -- Jersey Strong, so Keep Calm, and Carry On!